The saying in sports is that a great athlete can make those around them better. That is certainly applicable to James "Rusty" O'Brien '70. A two-sport standout, O'Brien made a name for himself on the gridiron as a wide receiver and as a strong defensive presence on the men's lacrosse team.
The high-water mark of the football team's success with O'Brien lining up on the varsity team came in 1968, when the Diplomats went 6-1 in Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) play to tie with Johns Hopkins for the MAC Southern Division Championship. The Diplomats defeated the Blue Jays by a 27-6 score on the road during the second week of that season to help secure the conference crown. His legacy certainly carried on for years to come as his leadership helped paved the way for many Diplomats to follow, which included multiple undefeated seasons.
Known for his explosive speed, O'Brien's talents were on display early when he scored three touchdowns and caught a two-point conversion against Johns Hopkins. He then broke into the record books as a senior with a then-school record 93-yard touchdown reception to defeat Ursinus during the final minute of regulation. Fittingly enough, when football won its MAC Championship in 1968, it was O'Brien who won the "Bulldog" Award for outstanding blocker. Even though O'Brien caught several headlines himself, blocking — albeit important — is not a role that traditionally receives the glory. Perhaps that makes it the perfect award for O'Brien because it signified he would do whatever was necessary to help his team win.
During the spring, O'Brien continued to call Williamson home, but this time as the first-ever All-American on the men's lacrosse team. Even during an era where defensive stats were not closely tracked, O'Brien certainly caught the attention of opposing players and coaches as he was voted a third-team All-American under Hall of Fame coach Ross Sachs.
With O'Brien leading the defense, the Diplomats won a then-program record 10 games during his All-America campaign and finished second in the Middle Atlantic Conference. A defenseman by trade, O'Brien proved to be a threat if forgotten about as he scored the opening goal of that historic campaign against Swarthmore and tallied two more assists in transition against Penn State. He punctuated his impact on the lacrosse team by completely shutting out Bucknell's two-time All-American Lou Kissling during the final game of his career.
Wins against Penn State, Drexel, and Lafayette filled the schedule and helped to lay the foundation for national prominence in the seasons to come. That was a particularly notable honor for O'Brien. As he spent countless hours with teammates after practice developing their skills. Just as with football, O'Brien's impact did not leave the team after his graduation; just a few years later, the Diplomats ran off three consecutive undefeated MAC seasons using the same principals O'Brien helped establish.
In his professional career, O'Brien put his leadership skills to use in the U.S. Air Force, where he completed 27 years before retiring as a Colonel in 1998. During that time, he flew fighters in Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Iraq, while being awarded bronze stars and air medals for his service to the country. His impact continues to live on today. There is a mannequin of him in the flight gear he wore on the first night of the Gulf War, along with videos describing his heroic efforts. Following his retirement from the Air Force, O'Brien became the Vice President at Alion Science and Technology before becoming a Defense Strategy Advisor to the Director of the Missile Defense Agency through 2016.
