Senior Sean Fennell joined his first football team in second grade, and since then, he hasn’t looked back.

Inspired by two generations of football players before him and a love for watching the sport on television, Fennell began playing football at a young age. While he initially played as a wide receiver, his coaches eventually decided to move him to a running back, the position he has played throughout high school, and the position his father and grandfather both played.

Now, a decade later, Fennell is committed to play NAIA football at Southern Oregon University (SOU) in Ashland, joining the Falconer’s Next Level Seniors, a series profiling athletes who have committed to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.

Fennell said he first realized that he had the potential to play college football just before starting high school.

“My eighth grade year, once I realized that I’m good at football, I wanted to start making it my thing,” he said.

According to him, his final decision to play college football comes after significant challenges. His junior year, Fennell sustained a debilitating torn ACL that prevented him from playing the entire season.

“I’d never dealt with injury before that, and that was a very significant one,” he said. “I knew that if I didn’t focus up during my recovery … as well as make lifestyle choice changes in my life, I knew that I wouldn’t come back as well as I was before my injury.”

During the recovery process, Fennell prioritized sleep and was more intentional about stretching — two things he had neglected before his injury.

Throughout the recovery process, Fennell said he was supported by coaches and family members.

“The coaches were very motivational … trying to keep me confident,” he said. “Family kept me motivated … Once I started slipping up on stuff, like I got lazy and stuff, my parents kept me in check to make sure I was still working on it.”

Fennell emphasized the difficulty of an injury as serious as a torn ACL.

“I couldn’t bend my leg,” he said. “My leg was like a stick. And you’re not used to that, you’re always moving around, playing sports, and you just can’t do the same stuff.”

The severity of the injury meant extensive recovery, he said.

“You have become a psycho about it,” Fennell said. “It has to be your whole life.”

Fennell put in the work and returned back to full health for his senior season, rushing for 680 yards and eight touchdowns across nine games.

Fennell began his high school career at Centennial High School before transferring to La Salle his sophomore year. He has maintained friendships with former teammates, however, which he said added an extra level of competition to La Salle’s games against Centennial.

At La Salle, Fennell appreciates the teammates and coaches in the football program, especially head coach Dustin Janz.

“He’s been very pushing,” Fennell said. “He’s very confident in his kids. He just tries to build confidence on top of being a tough leader.”

He also admires many of La Salle’s football alumni, including Jacob Thayer ‘25, Mason Mueller ‘25, Manu Tanzambi ‘25, Grant Ellison ‘24, and Lucas El Youssef ‘24, saying they are “great role models and people that have helped me work hard and push myself and just be the best I can be.”

In professional football, Fennell looks up to running backs Barry Sanders and Saquon Barkley.

“They do everything perfectly, their cuts, their reads, they can juke people, they can hit the hole,” he said. “It’s fun to watch them play.”

During the offseason, Fennell said he stays consistent with training. As a member of the track and field team, he runs the 100m, 200m, and 4x400m events. A typical day of training during track season involves zero period Sports Training and Conditioning before school and track practice on most weekdays as well as football drills on occasion.

When doing offseason training, Fennell prioritizes focusing on his areas for growth.

“This year, I put more emphasis on my back strength because throughout the season, my back was getting really tight,” he said.

Fennell faced struggles previously during the COVID-19 pandemic where he lost a lot of motivation for sports and maintaining his athleticism, he said. According to him, he was encouraged by his dad to get back into shape in the spring and summer leading up to ninth grade.

High school brought a level of academic workload that is difficult to balance with a rigorous training schedule, he said.

“It is very challenging to be successful in both things at the same time, but honestly, you just got to put more effort into it,” Fennell said. “It is challenging to be on top of the academics and [on top of] your sport, but it is very rewarding.”

At school, Fennell’s favorite teacher is former religious studies teacher Ms. Jane Nitschke, and his favorite class is Art Foundations, which he joined this year.

“I enjoy the art class here. I feel like they’ve got a lot of good resources and stuff and opportunities,” he said. “My biggest regret is not doing art sooner.”

Despite a busy schedule, Fennell finds time outside of school to do things he enjoys, such as watching movies and shows with his family, skateboarding and playing basketball with his friends, and generally staying active.

In the fall of 2025, when applying to colleges, Fennell reached out to coaches from many different schools, including Western Oregon University, Central Washington University, Pacific Lutheran University, Eastern Oregon University, and SOU, among others. The choice ultimately came down between Southern and Western Oregon.

He said he eventually chose SOU because they have a history of great running backs, the coaches remained in consistent contact with him, and they offered the most scholarship money.

While he is excited to attend college in the fall, he leaves behind a tight-knit community at La Salle.

“Every school is going to have its athletics, and they’re all going to have coaches, but it’s not going to have the culture of La Salle,” he said.

Fennell plans to study nursing and hopes to play football for as long as he can.

“It’s just my favorite thing to do,” he said. “If I have a chance to play for as long as possible, I’m going to do it.”