On Feb. 6, as part of the NCAA’s National Signing Day, senior varsity football players Jack Brown and Patrick O’Connor were signed on to play football for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Davidson College.

Director of Student Activities Shawn DeRose praised Brown and O’Connor for their dedication throughout their years at Jefferson.

“It’s not just what they have done as individuals,” DeRose said, “but also what they’ve been able to do to elevate the entire program.”

The past four years have been quite a journey for Brown, O’Connor and the rest of the varsity football team. The Colonials steadily improved from an overall record of 0-10 in the 2009 fall season. This school year, the team ended the regular season with a record of 6-4 and moved on to the Division 5 playoffs, only the third time a team from Jefferson had accomplished this feat.

The seniors both regard their high school football career as highly successful.

“The team really came together in the off-season,” O’Connor said, which he believes buoyed the team all the way into playoffs.

Brown also added that they were proud “to turn around a program that had some issues” into a season with a winning record.

“Our best moment was beating McLean, because it improved our record to 5-4,” Brown reflected, regarding Jefferson’s 26-16 win on Oct. 26, 2012. “The game had a lot of high tension, but we ended up really dominating them.”

O’Connor anticipates playing as running back at Davidson College. At MIT, Brown will play as either linebacker or defensive end.