Sean Donovan ’23 joined the school as an Upper Mid and played lacrosse and football. He served as co-captain of Varsity Football during his Senior year.
He is currently in his second year at Army West Point, where he plays defensive line. Army is currently 7-0, coming off a 45-28 victory over East Carolina, and is ranked 23rd in the CFB rankings.
When did you start playing football?
My dad was a high school football coach at Danbury High School, and I was their waterboy when I was in elementary school. I had the chance to start playing football around fifth or sixth grade, and it has been a part of me ever since. My whole life has been surrounded by football.
What was your experience like playing football at Hotchkiss?
I was mainly a lacrosse player when I arrived in Lakeville, but still played football since I loved it so much. In both my Upper Mid and Senior years, I made All-Founders League. It was a great opportunity to meet new people and make lifelong friends.
What are the biggest lessons you learned from Hotchkiss?
I struggled with leadership at the beginning, but over time, I developed into the kind of captain I wanted to be. I developed that type of leadership not necessarily by being very vocal, but being a hard worker and a role model for those younger kids.
What are some of your favorite memories of your career here?
My favorite memories were made during the three-day fall camps team members participated in before coming to school. These early practices occurred during the orientation weeks before classes started.
It was quite challenging, with three practices per day, but it felt great just to be with your boys out there in the forest, all on one field. We had a great time hanging out and did anything to cure our boredom. We met all the new football players and through the suffering we built great bonds.
What was your college recruitment process like?
My recruitment process was a little out of the ordinary, since lacrosse was my main sport until very late Upper Mid year, when I got a text out of the blue from an Army Football coach.
I was shocked. Football wasn’t my main sport, and I thought I was going to college for lacrosse. West Point, Navy, or Air Force were my goals, so when the Army offered me a place two weeks later, I accepted it immediately.
Why did you choose West Point?
Besides the great football program, the academics and the prestige of the school really convinced me.
My brother’s experience at the Naval Academy first exposed me to military academies; I loved them and knew they were where I wanted to be.
How has your experience at West Point been so far?
The new environment is not only a lot harder academically, but also demands much a significant time commitment to military training on top of football and school.
With all that struggle, there’s a lot of good stuff that comes out of it. I built great friendships in the fall football camp and with all the peers who went through the six-week basic training with me. Despite some struggles, it’s has been wonderful so far.
What are some goals during and after West Point?
Right now, I’m not in a playing position on the field, and my main goal is to help the team in any possible way. My own personal goal is to dress in the Army vs. Navy game for the chance to suit up against my brother, a memory I would hold on to forever. I want to get through college with good academic standing and try to become a leader—and hopefully captain—on the field.
