Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell has largely exceeded expectations to this point in his football life.
The rookie signal-caller went from a preferred walk-on at Purdue University to among the top five in several significant school records, including passing yards and touchdowns. He led the Boilermakers to winning records, bowl appearances, and a Big Ten West title in his two seasons as the starter of note.
The fourth-rounder wasn’t expected to be starting games this early into his pro career. But, then, it wasn’t all that long ago when it seemed unlikely that he’d ever even have a pro career. All that matters to O’Connell now is seizing the opportunity placed in front of him.
That opportunity comes in the form of a home tilt against the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football being all that stands between his Raiders and a 5-5 record. Getting to .500 at this point in the year would place the Raiders firmly in the playoff mix as we near the home stretch.
Raider Nation will, of course, be firmly in O’Connell’s corner. And so too will his wife, Jael O’Connell.
Who Is Aidan O’Connell’s Wife, Jael O’Connell?
The former Jael Johnson met and got together with Aidan O’Connell in college at Purdue and was doubtlessly one of the biggest supporters of his athletic career. But she was quite the athlete in her own right.
The couple met through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Purdue, per the couple’s wedding registry. It does seem fair to say that when Jael got to Purdue, the athletic department had higher hopes for her than they did for her eventual husband.
MORE: PFN Life — Off-the-Field Content
Jael came into the Boilermakers women’s volleyball program on the heels of a sterling athletic career at Avon High School in Indiana. She earned Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year honors for her efforts in 2018, along with a host of other accolades. It wouldn’t take long for her to become a presence at the next level.
She was a regular contributor for Purdue as a freshman in 2018 and again as a sophomore in 2019. She recorded over 40 kills and 50 blocks in both campaigns. She ratcheted her game up in the next two campaigns, though, logging a combined 343 kills and 187 blocks between 2020 and ’21.
The 6-foot-2 middle blocker proved to be more than just a force on the court during her Boilermakers career. She earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2021 for her efforts in the classroom. Jael completed her bachelor’s in speech, language, and hearing sciences and is now pursuing a master’s in human resource management, as per her LinkedIn page.
One can see where Aidan gets (at least part of) his competitive spirit from. He has to thrive on the gridiron just to keep pace with his wife. Jael’s laundry list of accomplishments, both in and out of the athletic realm, is enough to make most folks blush. Though for both sides of this partnership, they’re more likely to inspire feelings of pride, inspiration, and motivation.
From the current NFL standings to team depth charts to coverage of every game in the 18-week NFL schedule, we have all the news from around the league to keep you up to speed!
