For WVU tight end Mike O’Laughlin, the 2022 season will be another opportunity to finish out his college career playing the game he loves.
O’Laughlin, who committed to the program in 2017, has had his physical ups and downs since coming to West Virginia, but has made an impact when on the field.
Coming out of Oak Park, Illinois, O’Laughlin was listed as a 6-foot-5 wide receiver, but quickly moved to tight end once he grew into his body.
O’Laughlin’s first physical trial in his college career came in 2018, during his true freshman season, when he tore his ACL. O’Laughlin took a medical redshirt and when Dana Holgorsen’s staff left for Houston, O’Laughlin hit the transfer portal, but decided to commit to Neal Brown and stay with the Mountaineers.
In the 2020 COVID season, O’Laughlin emerged as WVU’s best tight end, proving himself with his blocking abilities in the run game. In 2020, O’Laughlin also showed that he could hurt teams in the passing game, as he caught 15 passes for 157 yards and added a big touchdown in the Mountaineers’ Liberty Bowl win against Army.
Heading into his fourth year at West Virginia, O’Laughlin had a minor injury that kept him sidelined for fall camp heading into the 2021 season. Because of this, O’Laughlin would have to miss the first two games of the season.
After four games and 65 receiving yards, O’Laughlin would face yet another injury trial. In WVU’s road victory at TCU, O’Laughlin would go down with a second season-ending knee injury.
“When you have your second major injury like that, you look at things a little differently,” O’Laughlin said. “The first time you get knocked down, those people around you are telling you to get up. They want you to go be great. The second time you get knocked down, sometimes those close loved ones tell you to stay down because they know you’re hurt.”
O’Laughlin chose not to stay down, as he rehabbed his knee for nine months, eager to get back on the gridiron.
“I knew I wanted to be out there,” O’Laughlin said. “I knew I wanted to go out there and play again. I knew I had to go to kind of a dark place to do it.”
O’Laughlin showed his excitement to get back on the field when he produced in a clutch moment for the Mountaineers against Pitt.
On the final drive of the game with WVU trailing by seven, O’Laughlin got loose a caught a 32-yard pass from JT Daniels to move into Pitt territory with under two minutes to play. After the catch, O’Laughlin got up and emphatically pointed for a first down, showing his excitement once again.
Despite the injuries and long days in rehab, Mike O’Laughlin continues to get back up, refusing to stay down. Look for him to be a consistent help in the running game and a threat over the middle for Graham Harrell’s offense.
