Biography

Football is a demanding sport when one is healthy and the team is winning. When playing injured on a team where victories are few and losses are frustrating, it becomes the ultimate challenge. As a three-year starter on Bishop Feehan teams which faced great adversity, Jay Brennan met that challenge. The 5'9" 170 pound running back showed power and strength when running between the tackles, and speed and quickness when breaking into the secondary. Despite aggravating injuries that limited his playing time, Jay Brennan put on some memorable performances in his three seasons with the Green and Gold.

In his very first start as a sophomore, he shocked North Attleboro as he broke a 19 yard run on the first play of the game and then made a 28 yard circus catch on the same drive to set up Feehan's only TD that day. In the game against Bishop Stang that same year, he rushed for 75 yards, including a 31- yard jaunt in the first quarter, added another 18 yards in kick returns, and scored at TD. For his efforts that day, he became the first, and only, sophomore to be awarded the Balfour Trophy as Feehan's MVP. In his junior year his hard inside running, and key 30 yard punt return were instrumental in defeating New Bedford Yoke 12 - 0 and snapping a Feehan losing streak. Maybe his best game ever came against Barnstable later that year as he returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a TD, rushed for 126 yards, scored a TD, and accounted for over 250 all purpose yards in an impressive 24-7 win. Once again, in the final game of the year against Stang, Jay turned in an outstanding performance. In rushing for 117 yards and returning a pass interception 56 yards for a TD, he led Feehan to a stunning upset, and, for the second year in a row, was recognized with the Balfour Trophy as the game's MVP. After being named as an All Conference All Star as a junior, Jay was elected as a captain for his senior campaign. While battling an aggravating ankle injury that year, he still managed to score four TD's including one in his final game.

The Feehan football teams of the late 1970's laid the groundwork for what has become a highly successful program today. People like Sean Clancy, Bruce Smith, Bob Chabot, Ryan Patch, and Jay Brennan displayed the values of hard work, humility, faith in God, faith in one's teammates, pride, and courage and learned that they are priceless commodities that go far beyond winning and losing on a football field. As much as anyone who has played for Feehan, Jay Brennan is a testament to these beliefs.