Born to be an Eagle: How Dominic Funke Fulfills a Family Legacy at Boston College

It is not an exaggeration to say that maroon and gold courses through Dominic Funke’s veins.

Funke’s father, Jerod, played for the Boston College football program in the 1990s. His mother, Gabrielle, played four years of field hockey and two years of lacrosse for the Eagles in the 90s as well. His brother, Jack, is going into his fourth season on the Heights as a redshirt-junior offensive lineman.

BC is simply woven into Funke’s soul, and ever since Funke was a child, all he remembers is repping BC football apparel and going to Chestnut Hill, Mass., to watch the Eagles on Saturday.

Funke was even at Alumni Stadium when former BC quarterback Tyler Murphy rushed for 190 yards and broke free for a 66-yard touchdown with 3:30 to play, lifting the Eagles past No. 9 USC on Sept. 14, 2014—BC’s first victory over a top-10 team in a decade.

That was the first time the Eagles played a Red Bandanna game, which has become an annual tradition in honor of former BC men’s lacrosse player Welles Crowther. Crowther passed away in the Sept. 11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City, N.Y., but saved over a dozen lives before his own was taken.

“I mean I’ve literally been a fan of Boston College since I was a baby,” Funke said. “We’ve always been a Boston College family, and my favorite memory to this day is that first Red Bandanna game. BC had like no chance [of winning], and they came out, Welles’ parents came out, and BC won that game. It was the greatest one of the greatest nights of my life.”

Unsurprisingly, Funke, a three-star edge prospect in the class of 2026 and Xaverian Brothers (Westwood, Mass.) product, committed to BC in January.

Besides the fact that his entire family either attended the school or is currently there, the selling point during Funke’s recruitment whittled down to the transparency BC head coach Bill O’Brien showed him.

“I had offers to go to other places,” Funke said. “But coach O’Brien’s staff was so welcoming to me, and it really felt like home even though it happened to be closest to home. The defensive staff, especially under coach Tim Lewis and defensive line coach Jordan Thomas, it’s a place where the scheme works well for me.”

COMMITTED! 🦅@BCFootball #EarnIt @XBHS_Football pic.twitter.com/Y81gx6buEk
— Dominic Funke ‘26 EDGE (@FunkeDominic) January 15, 2025

With a 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame, Funke has the build of a versatile defensive end who is able to convert to an outside linebacker.

Off the field, Funke has his eyes set on attaining a Boston College degree.

All of those factors—the defensive coach’s trust in him to play a mix of edge and linebacker depending on the fit, and the educational opportunities of the university—came into play during his recruitment.

Playing in close proximity to his hometown, Westwood, and alongside his brother, Jack, for at least one year comes as added benefits.

Funke had offers from some other semi-local programs like Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Rutgers, and Temple, and other Power-Conference schools such as Wisconsin and Wake Forest, but the decision to keep his talents in the state he was born became a no-brainer.

“I know it’s kind of the perfect spot for me, and I’m very happy to be committed,” Funke said. “I think on my official visit, they say something like over 100 years of NFL and college coaching experience between all their different coaches. So there's definitely a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience, like playing at that highest level which I think will just make me a better player.”

When Funke visited BC, he noticed the way the Eagles' second-year head coach treated each and every prospect who attended the visit with him, including their families.

“I learned that he really cares about each individual guy,” Funke said. “Like, when we would go around the campus, he would talk to every guy and know everything about them. He's very into the details. My coach, [Al Fornaro], they have very similar coaching styles. They want to bring out the best in each person. I really appreciate that aspect.”

O'Brien's transparency also applies to the effort you put into practice and off-the-field responsibilities every single day, according to Funke. That is something Fornaro taught him when he first showed up at Xaverian, where Jack played for four years.

Stacking Days! @CoachWNickCC @XBHS_Football pic.twitter.com/5mbmOUSFUi
— Dominic Funke ‘26 EDGE (@FunkeDominic) July 5, 2025

That tough love is what keeps Funke grounded in his pursuit of football.

“It doesn't matter where you're committed, how many offers you've had, whether you're the third stringer or the starter, he's gonna hold you accountable and call you out,” Funke said. “He pushes you.”

The 45-year head coach of Xaverian Brothers called Funke the epitome of a lead-by-example player, and one of the best edge rushers that has ever graced the program’s ranks.

“He stays after practice 15 to 20 minutes, working on fast rest drills and so on,” Fornaro said. “Been one of the most coachable kids we have. He does everything on the workout that I have. Nobody does that. And he's there the longest, because it takes that amount of time.”

Proud to announce our Captains for #Team60! @FunkeDominic @davechiavegato3 @Christianmac21 @gino_gioioso #GoHawks @Xaverian_Hawks pic.twitter.com/oaUkVNOipi
— Xaverian Football (@XBHS_Football) August 15, 2025

Once the lights flicker on when a Friday night shows up—and soon to be Saturday—Funke shows how all the finer details that he stresses, and the extra minutes of practice that he stays for, pay off.

“You never want to say he's the best, because we don’t know who is the best,” Fornaro said. “But he’s one of the best players we've ever had. He brings all the attributes of a tough, smart player who understands the game piece by piece.”