From Jock to Doc

Boise PT Alumni convince D1 football player to pursue DPT degree at UND

Where most serious athletes see an injury only as a hindrance keeping them from playing the game, Brian O’Neal used inevitable injuries sustained while playing years of high school and division one college football as an opportunity to learn about a future career.

Red-shirting the 1998 season after a transfer from another school, O’Neal played wide receiver for the Boise State University Broncos in the 1999, 2000 and 2001 seasons.

O’Neal’s Career at   Boise State University   One of seven WRs to see extensive playing time in the 1999 season Made nine catches totally 99 yards and two TDs in 1999 season Played in all 11 games of BSU’s 2000 season Caught seven passes in 2000 season totaling 81 yards and one TD Clocked as the fastest Bronco during spring 2000 testing (4.45 sec 40-yard dash) Western Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete Award 2001

“I became interested in physical therapy when I was

treated by a physical therapist for football injuries,” said the Galveston, TX, native who still seems honored to have had the chance to play on Boise State’s unique blue football field.   

O’Neal, now a sophomore physical therapy (PT) student at the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine and Health Sciences, was one of the few of his teammates at Boise State University to take his competitive nature off the football field and into the classroom.

“I always knew what I wanted to do,” O’Neal explained when asked why he took class work more seriously than most of his teammates.  “When I was playing football, people called me a perfectionist.  I was just as competitive in the classroom.” 

O’Neal’s hard work paid off, earning him a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training in 2003.

Following graduation,  O’Neal was lucky enough to work with both the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins football teams on athletic training internships.  These experiences furthered his interest in PT. 

“At the Redskins I worked with a PT/ATC [physical therapy/athletic training-certified] and I really enjoyed everything I did,” he said.  “The experience showed me that PT was what I wanted to do.” 

When he returned to Boise he took a job as an ATC/rehab tech at St. Luke’s Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Services.  It was there that he learned of the physical therapy program at UND. 

“I worked with so many PTs from UND and they were all just great,”  O’Neal said.

Some of the UND alumni he worked with in Boise included William Moats (BSPT ’82), Scott Billing (BSPT ’94, MPT ’95), Jerret Hopstad (BSPT ’97, MPT ’98), Kelly Jorschumb (BSPT ’02, MPT ’03), Eric Paur (BSAT ’01, MPT ’04, DPT ’04), Lynae Jost (DPT ’05), and Kristi Kjellgren (DPT ’05).

“When I was looking at PT programs they convinced me to apply to UND,” he said.   

“I was accepted into two programs,” he said.  “UND and the program in my hometown.”

He chose UND, even though it would cost more and he had never actually been in North Dakota. 

“First of all, it was a doctorate program instead of just a master’s degree,” he explained.  “Plus, I think learning is more than reading the words in books.  It is about new experiences and different people.  I left Texas for college to experience something new and I came to North Dakota for the same reason.  I love it here,” he said, hesitating.  “Ok, not the weather, but the people and the school are great.” 

“Even though I have a related degree and I have been working in physical therapy for a while, I’m still challenged here,” he says.  “What we learn is very practical.  It is information that we can apply directly to our work. 

-Amanda Scurry

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