Robert David O'Brien was born on December 11, 1917, in Dallas, Texas, United States, to David E. O'Brien, a cashier, and Ella Mae Keith, a schoolteacher. After his parents divorced in 1920, Davey and his older brother were raised by his mother with the help of her brother, Boyd Keith. Davey was a troubled child who spent time at the Juliette-Fowler Home, an orphanage, in Dallas.
Robert O'Brien studied at Woodrow Wilson High School, where he played high school football. Later O'Brien was actively recruited by many colleges, but he chose Texas Christian University (TCU). In 1939, O'Brien graduated from TCU with a B. A. in geology.
O'Brien's life began to turn around, after he won a medal for being the best camper at a summer camp in Missouri. Despite his small size - he was five feet, seven inches tall, and weighed just 150 pounds - O'Brien became the star quarterback of Woodrow Wilson High School's football team in Dallas, leading it to the state playoffs in 1935, his senior year.
Actively recruited by many colleges, O'Brien chose Texas Christian University (TCU). There in his sophomore year he played understudy to quarterback "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh on famed coach Dutch Meyer's "Horned Frogs. " O'Brien took over as quarterback when Baugh decided to become a professional. He took part in every offensive play his team made, including kicking TCU field goals and punting. As was then the custom, he also played defense, pulling down sixteen interceptions during his TCU career. In 1937, O'Brien threw for over 1, 000 yards and missed only fourteen minutes of TCU's entire schedule. In 1938, O'Brien surpassed his performance of the year before, throwing passes for 1, 733 yards and nineteen touchdowns with only four interceptions. In addition, he rushed for almost 500 yards that season.
His team won all ten of its regular-season games, and O'Brien stunned the sporting world by winning the coveted Heisman Trophy over numerous rivals from more prestigious eastern teams. In addition, he is still the smallest player ever to win the Heisman. Arriving in New York City by train to accept his award, O'Brien was met by mounted police, including pseudo-Texas Rangers in full regalia, waiting outside Penn Station to escort him on horseback to be greeted by New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia at City Hall. After receiving the Heisman, O'Brien still had the Sugar Bowl and the possibility of his team's national championship ahead of him. Despite the glare of national publicity, he led his team to victory over Carnegie Tech by a score of 15 to 7, in the process throwing a touchdown and kicking a field goal.
The Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) signed him to a two-year contract by offering him a $12, 000 bonus. In his first season he passed for 1, 324 yards, thereby breaking the NFL record set by his college teammate, Baugh. O'Brien was named to the league's all-star team, even though his own team only managed to win one game that year. Despite O'Brien's determination and his impressive passing yardage, his team lost all but one game in 1940, too. In two years as a pro, he threw for 2, 600 yards and eleven touchdowns - but he also was responsible for thirty-four interceptions. O'Brien decided to leave professional football when his contract expired at the end of the 1940 season. The Eagles management wanted to win, not just to set records.
O'Brien joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in December and remained with the agency for more than ten years. There he made $3, 200 per year, rather less than the $10, 000 per year the Eagles had been paying him. He served in field offices in Kansas City, Washington, D. C. , and Springfield, before returning to the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia, as an instructor. O'Brien taught recruits self-defense skills and firearms use.
O'Brien resigned from the FBI in 1951 and moved to Texas to enter the oil business. Initially he worked in public relations for Hunt Oil, but in 1962 he went into business for himself.
He spent the last years of his life working for Dresser-Atlas Oil Tools as a marketing representative.
He died of cancer in his home city of Dallas.
O'Brien won the coveted Heisman Trophy in 1938. He is the smallest player ever to win the Heisman. O'Brien was elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1955. Robert O'Brien achieved the unprecedented feat of shooting ten consecutive perfect scores on the pistol target range over a period of two days. His name is listed on a large plaque in the hallway at the FBI Academy.
Quotations: Playing in professional football O'Brien told a friend, "I always knew I was small, but I never knew how small I was, " until the first time he saw the Chicago Bears defensive line.
Robert O'Brien was Tarrant County Democratic party chairman in the 1950's.
Robert O'Brien demonstrated amazing endurance on the field: after being tackled by much bigger opponents, he would bounce up and help them get to their feet. Local papers called him "The Mighty Mite, " and the nickname stuck.
While working at the FBI as an instructor, O'Brien was remembered by fellow agents for his patience in teaching recruits the shooting art.
Quotes from others about the person
Sportswriter Grantland Rice, after watching the diminutive Texan, observed, "The lad must be stuffed with scrap iron. "
Robert O'Brien married Frances Buster in 1939; the couple had three children and were divorced in 1957. He married Janie Russell in 1963; they had no children.
