Football: Teenager Patrick O’Beirne quits sports to focus on joining the Navy – Los Angeles Times

Patrick O’Beirne is 6 feet 2, 175 pounds, 16 years old and waking up at 4:30 a.m. to work out. A couple weeks ago, he quit the football team at Monrovia High, where he was a kicker. He says his sports career is over even though he’s a junior.

“I want to be different,” he said. “I’ve had many coaches tell me I had potential to be a DI kicker. I trained really hard for being a kicker.”

But he made the decision he has a much bigger goal in mind _ joining the Navy _ and wanting to become a Navy SEAL.

“I’ve played sports all my life,” he said. “I can’t rely on it anymore. I’m up at 4:30 in the morning running five miles. I’m happy. I’m focusing. I don’t want to do what other people want me to do.”