Flag giving O’Connor second lease on football life - BERITAJA

After going unsigned arsenic a CFL free supplier successful 2023, backmost Michael O’Connor figured he was done pinch football.

Three years later, the 30-year-old Ottawa autochthonal is chasing the Olympic dream.

O’Connor has helped Canada’s men’s emblem shot squad scope the cusp of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Canada could punch its summons for California this summertime and beryllium portion of the sport’s Olympic debut.

“We’re conscionable focused connected what’s adjacent and what we could do to get better,” O’Connor said recently. “But I’d beryllium lying if I said I don’t deliberation about it and conscionable really cool it would beryllium to play and perchance badge successful the Olympics.

“It’s thing I ne'er thought would beryllium possible.”

A top-two decorativeness astatine the world championships successful Germany would suffice Canada for Los Angeles. If the United States scope the final, the second- and third-place finishers will gain Olympic berths arsenic the Americans are already successful arsenic the big country.

Canada qualified for the world arena by securing the bronze badge past summertime IFAF Americas Flag Football Continental Championship successful Panama. The U.S. and Mexico were declared associated champions arsenic terrible upwind forced the cancellation of the gold-medal game.

Canada vanished the information robin pinch a 3-1 grounds earlier losing a 35-25 semifinal determination to Mexico. The Canadians hit Panama 32-22 successful the bronze badge crippled arsenic O’Connor threw 5 touchdown passes, and he believes mentation will beryllium cardinal successful Germany.

“We were 3rd past twelvemonth successful Panama but I deliberation we’ve made large strides since then,” O’Connor said. “Just successful position of cleaning up what plays we for illustration to tally and what section position do we for illustration to tally them in.

“We’re looking guardant to getting backmost connected the world shape and showing everybody that, yeah, we had a bully 2025 but we’re a amended squad now.”

The six-foot-four, 230-pound O’Connor began his assemblage profession astatine Penn State successful 2014 earlier transferring to the University of British Columbia. He guided the Thunderbirds to a Vanier Cup title successful 2015 and successful 2019 was taken successful the 3rd round, No. 20 overall, successful the CFL draught by the Toronto Argonauts.

He joined the Calgary Stampeders successful 2020 but the CFL didn’t play that twelvemonth owed to the world pandemic. After spending the 2021 run successful Alberta, O’Connor joined the B.C. Lions successful 2022.

O’Connor dressed for 40 CFL regular-season games but only attempted 52 passes, completing 30 for 330 yards pinch a touchdown and interception while moving for a TD.

Flag shot differs greatly from the tackle version, pinch 5 players per broadside connected a 70-yard by 25-yard field. There’s nary blocking aliases interaction allowed and each play originates pinch the shot being snapped to the backmost and a protect subordinate lined up 7 yards disconnected the scrimmage rushing the passer.

“The section is only 25 yards wide truthful everything happens overmuch quicker,” O’Connor said. “Everything is much condensed and the rusher comes astatine you very quickly.

“And pinch the heavy ball, because the section is truthful constrictive you can’t really put excessively overmuch aerial connected it because the backside sum could easy make a play. It’s a very different crippled but astatine the extremity of the time it’s still catching and throwing.”

But moreover if O’Connor leads Canada to Olympic qualification, he’ll person to compete for a spot successful Los Angeles. The CFL and NFL are allowing their players to participate successful the ’28 Games, which will surely amp up the title for roster positions.

In fact, B.C. Lions backmost Nathan Rourke, the CFL’s apical Canadian and outstanding subordinate past season, has started playing successful a recreational emblem shot convention to get amended acclimated to the game. If Canada reaches the ’28 Games, the anticipation is Rourke will effort retired for the squad.

And pinch different apical Canadian quarterbacks for illustration Tre Ford (Hamilton Tiger-Cats), Kurtis Rourke (NFL’s San Francisco 49ers) and Taylor Elgersma (UFL, Birmingham Stallions), Canada would person a coagulated talent excavation to take from.

“I can’t lie, I cognize I’d beryllium disappointed to get to the Olympics and yet not beryllium connected that roster,” he said. “But astatine the extremity of the time it’s not about maine and my feelings, it’s about what’s champion for the state truthful I do understand that also.

“After I was done playing successful the CFL, I benignant of made bid pinch the crippled and was fresh to move on. Then this opportunity came up and I’m really enjoying each infinitesimal of it.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published April 10, 2026.