BOSTON – Less than a month away from the Rams return to Boston, Suffolk's head athletic trainer Rick Cox has filled his staff as Sam O'Brien comes abroad as an assistant athletic trainer this fall.  

O'Brien is the final addition to a full-service, three-member sports medicine staff at Suffolk that includes Cox and fellow newcomer Anna Orfanidis, who was announced as an assistant athletic trainer earlier this month.  

O'Brien makes the transition to Suffolk from Dean College, where he served as the assistant athletic trainer from 2017 until his post in Beantown. Over three years with the Bulldogs, he aided in the daily coverage of Dean's 16 varsity teams and held responsibilities in the strength and conditioning program.  

Before his work in Franklin, Massachusetts, O'Brien worked as Lynnfield High School's head athletic trainer. From 2014 to 2017 he juggled Lynnfield's 21 boys' and girls' athletic teams and aided surrounding programs when needed. He provided proper injury prevention techniques at games and practices and oversaw the day-to-day athletic training room activities.  

O'Brien got his collegiate athletic training experience at the University of South Carolina, where he obtained his Master of Science in Physical Education with an emphasis in Athletic Training in 2014. As a graduate assistant, he covered the Gamecocks football and men's hockey teams, along with campus recreation and club sports.  

O'Brien's resume also includes stints with prestigious baseball programs such as the Columbia Blowfish and the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.  

In addition to his professional experience, O'Brien is an active volunteer in the field. He has helped at the Boston Marathon and the Columbia "Run Hard" Marathon. 

O'Brien, a 2012 graduate of Springfield with a Bachelor's degree in Athletic Training, is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) and Eastern Athletic Trainers Association (EATA). Along with his degrees, he boasts numerous credentials in the field.