Amesbury's Connors finishes football career with Endicott

The Endicott football program has boasted some truly elite players in its recent past.

With some excellent pass-catchers, a few quality quarterbacks, some standout runners, a slew of defensive specialists and even an All-American kicker, the Division 3 school out of Beverly has had its fair share of specialists. Thomas Connors never quite emerged as an elite player in one specific category. Instead, the Amesbury native focused on being a team guy, filling whatever role was most needed.

And in Connors’ case, the Gulls needed a little bit of everything.

Connors just wrapped up his senior season at Endicott where he saw time as a starter at wide receiver while taking on the duties of long snapper and even filling in on defense in the secondary when the Gulls needed another reliable body in the backfield.

“I was willing to do whatever it took to play,” said Connors. “I have always been that way. I love special teams. And I love being that guy that can do anything. Whatever it takes for us to win and for me to get on the field, I’ll do whatever it is.”

Determined to end his gridiron career on a high note, Connors opened the 2016 campaign with a bang, hauling in five catches for 99 yards in the Gulls’ 32-21 loss to Framingham State.

With the season winding down, Connors had his best two-game span in the final two bouts, grabbing a season-high six catches for 68 yards to help Endicott beat Coast Guard 28-17. Then, in his final time in a Gulls jersey, Connors came up with three catches, including one he made from his backside, for a total of 35 yards and a touchdown in the team’s 49-33 triumph over Curry.

On the season, Connors finished with 20 receptions for 272 yards and the one score giving him 25 catches for 361 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his career. His first-ever catch in college went for a 50-yard score.

“I think my yards-after catch,” Connors said of his biggest strength as a receiver. “I can make plays after I catch the ball. I don’t ever go out of bounds or get tackled by the first defender. I like to make people miss and fall forward.”

Like Patriots slot receiver Julian Edelman, Connors showed a penchant for making something out of nothing with the ball in his hands, but YAC isn’t the only similarity between the two.  

When Endicott played Western New England in late October, the team needed some help in the secondary and plugged Connors in on that side of the ball similar to how the Patriots used JE11 in the 2012 Super Bowl against the Giants. The former Indian turned his playmaking ability on offense into some opportunistic play on the other side of the ball as he recovered a fumble in what was a 20-7 loss for the Gulls.

It wasn’t unknown territory for Connors, who played safety at times as a junior. His football acumen, overall toughness and commitment to gaining physical strength all allowed him to become a versatile weapon on the field. He may have been a pawn on the Endicott chess board, but his versatility resembled that of the queen. 

“I understand the game more and have more love for it and respect for what it takes to be a football player at the next level,” Connors said of what he learned in his time at Endicott, where he came in at 155 pounds, eventually building up almost 45 extra pounds of muscle.

“Physicality is huge. Going from high school where I could be 150 pounds and take hits to come to college right away, it was different with all the big boys in preseason and lining up and smashing heads. You learn to like it and you learn to hate it. I love contact. Always have, but physically I had to get much stronger to take hits.”

Connors said that while hitting the weight room helped, transforming into a college player had just as much to do with developing the mindset to take blow after blow.

The fearlessness did come at a cost, as Connors was forced to deal with various injuries, which led to him having to play special teams only sparingly. He battled through an early injury to suit up and produce in the team’s opener this year.

With all his different roles on the football team, Connors didn’t let his studies suffer. In fact, having accrued some college credits while still in high school, the Amesbury native is getting his MBA degree in just four years. The sports management major has been a two-time Academic All-New England Football Conference honoree. He hopes to one day work inside a pro organization, having already interned with the Celtics for a semester.

Connors, whose father Thom was the Indians football coach and assistant baseball coach, also spent time as an assistant with Endicott, giving both father and son a unique bonding experience over the sport they both hold in high regard.

“It’s just how team-oriented football is that I specifically love,” said Connors. “And being part of a team and having differences that bring us together toward one goal. I love competing.”