St. Ignatius wins back O'Brien heirloom
By Paul LaTour
You didn’t need to know the back story to see how much the Bernie O’Brien Cup means to Tank O’Brien.
You just had to watch how O’Brien cradled the trophy as he walked around the sideline after his St. Ignatius squad defeated Mount Carmel 32-11 Sunday. The win returned the trophy to the Wolfpack for the first time since 2008.
A smile beamed from his face as he posed for pictures with the trophy, which originally was the most valuable player football award given to Tank’s father, Bernie O’Brien, at Mount Carmel in 1930.
Four years ago Tank O’Brien and Caravan coach Jack Cushing got together to add some hardware to the rivalry between St. Ignatius and Mount Carmel. Cushing took the tarnished cup and had it mounted on a wooden base. The winner of the annual match retains ownership of the trophy.
After Sunday’s win the teams have split their four meetings for the cup. And O’Brien made no bones about his thoughts concerning the trophy’s true ownership.
“The trophy’s back home,” he said to whoever would listen. “It’s good to have it back.”
But even O’Brien acknowledged the trophy can be considered a Mount Carmel trophy as much as his. After all, O’Brien’s father earned it from the Caravan as a high school senior.
After playing football at Notre Dame, Bernie O’Brien went on to coach Chicago Vocational High School to seven Public League championships with players like Dick Butkus and Keena Turner. Several years ago the Chicago Public Schools named the field at Eckersall Stadium in O’Brien’s honor.
And Bernie O’Brien Field just happens to be the place where the annual match is held. Thus, O’Brien’s son Tank, and his son, Bernie, keep the connection running through three generations of O’Briens.
“Jack heard about the field being dedicated to my father, and he said it would be nice to play on that field,” Tank O’Brien said. “I talked to the manager of the park and he was very enthusiastic about it”.
Sunday held extra meaning for the family--it was the final time Tank’s son, Bernie, played in the game.
“I feel honored to have such a notable grandpa and what he did as a coach and as a football player,” Bernie O’Brien said. “It’s just great to be a part of it. I love it and I love that we got the win today. That just makes it twice as good that we’re going to get the Bernie O’Brien Cup.
“As a senior to go out winning on this field, it means a lot.”
The match means a lot to both sides, but especially for the Wolfpack players, who understandably hold a closer connection to the trophy’s legacy.
The players remained near the field to watch the B game that was under way as Tank O’Brien walked around with the trophy tucked comfortably in his right arm. But O’Brien wasn’t selfish with the cup.
He handed it off to senior Kevin Kramer, who sat with it as several teammates gathered around for group pictures. With dirt caked on their faces, the Wolfpack looked like a team that had earned a meaningful victory.
Perhaps Kramer said it best: “We have Bernie on our team, so it just kind of looks bad if we don’t have the cup.”
