Daniel Whelan and his mother Ann Marie joined us at the Olympic Club for our annual St. Patrick’s Day lunch. Sponsors and INBA members got to meet Daniel and pose for photos.
After a delicious 3 course dinner, Patrick Coyne sat down with Daniel for a chat. Paddy is the President and youth coach at the San Francisco Glens and the coach of the Olympic Club Men’s soccer team. Born in Birmingham to Irish parents, Paddy played soccer competitively in Sydney, Australia, South America, and the UK, so he had perspective for what Daniel had gone through playing a sport away from home
Paddy’s conversation with Daniel turned this NFL star into a relatable friend. He talked about arriving in the heat and chaos of Southern California and how he misses the chipper.
We heard about how he was recruited to play American Football at his high school and went on to school at UC Davis. His mother Ann Marie recounted how she didn’t initially want him to play football because of injury worries. A local coach with a shamrock on his website convinced her of his talent, and she has been a stalwart supporter of his career ever since.
Daniel talked about walking onto Lambeau Field for the first time. After missing his first snap, the admonishment from the coach made him double down on trainings. He never missed a snap again.
We learned he’s a big rugby fan, and also supports Newcastle. If the Packers play in Croke Park, he says it’ll be the best game of his life.
After the conversation, Paddy presented Daniel with a Guinness branded SF Glens jersey.
