Hall of Fame
A three-year starter at goalkeeper for the Tigers, Tom O’Brien '87 was inducted into the Towson Hall of Fame in 2000.
He was one of the finest goalies ever to play at Towson. A native of Baltimore, he was named as an All-East Coast Conference selection twice in his career. O'Brien was also named first team All-South twice in his career, the first Tiger so honored. As a sophomore, he set a then-school record with seven shutouts. In his junior season, he tied the record. As a junior, he also set a then-school record by allowing just 14 goals in 15 games for a 0.93 average.
In his senior season, he led the Tigers to their best Division I season to date. With him in goal, the Tigers posted an 11-6-2 record and won the ECC East Section title. Led by an outstanding performance in goal from O'Brien, the Tigers advanced to the ECC Championship game for the first time.
In the semifinals against Delaware, he blanked the Blue Hens for 110 minutes. With the teams involved in a scoreless tie, the outcome was decided in a penalty kick shootout. The Tiger goalkeeper came up big in the shootout, stopping two Delaware shots as Towson advanced with a 4-2 PK win. Towson then lost to Lafayette in the ECC championship game.
In his career, O'Brien posted 19 shutouts, one of the highest total in school history. He allowed 64 goals in 55 career games and his 1.06 goals against average is among the best marks in school history. His 399 career saves are also second on the Tigers’ all-time list. He served as the team captain as a junior and senior.
O'Brien was honored as the winner of the Towson “Unsung Hero" award for men’s sports at the 1985 Towson Sports Awards Banquet. In 1985, he also served as an assistant coach for the Tigers.
An Eldersburg, Md., resident, he worked for Bell Atlantic. He earned his master’s in business administration from the University of Baltimore in 1991 and ihas a master’s degree in information technology.
In addition to his work with youth soccer league players, he was a participant and organizer for the “Our Daily Bread” shelter in downtown Baltimore. He was also very active with the Knights of Columbus.
