Boston College Football and Beautiful Lives Project Host Fourth Edition of "Field of Dreams" Event

CHESTNUT HILL — As footballs fluttered to the back of the endzone, some of them sailing through the uprights of Fish Fieldhouse’s yellow goal posts, Boston College football head coach Bill O’Brien grinned ear-to-ear.

For the Eagles’ football team, Wednesday entailed a very special event—one that hits close to home for O’Brien.

That event is the Beautiful Lives Project “Field of Dreams” event, in which individuals with disabilities had the opportunity to join BC football players, coaches, and staff to learn the fundamentals of the sport, run through drills, practice touchdown celebrations, and even attempt field-goal kicks.

Hello from Fish Fieldhouse! The first stop of a very busy day.

The Boston College football program and the Beautiful Lives Project have teamed up to host the annual Field of Dreams event for individuals with disabilities.

Tune in @BostonCollegeSI for updates! pic.twitter.com/IiDav66d6I
— Graham Dietz (@graham_dietz) June 11, 2025

The reason it connects with O’Brien on such a personal level is because O’Brien’s eldest son, Jack, was diagnosed with a brain malformation called Lissencephaly. Lissencephaly is a disorder that prevents the brain from fully developing during pregnancy and causes developmental delays.

“My oldest son, Jack, was kind of dealt with a bad hand in life,” O’Brien said. “So this is really close to my heart. And the more we can do things like this, I think it’s great.”

Aside from the players who were lifting in the weight room, nearly every member of BC’s football roster showed up to help coordinate and run the event. Stations were organized in the back half of Fish Fieldhouse, including a throwing net, a tackling drill with stationary padding which participants had to maneuver around before making a form tackle, and trash bins to throw balls into.

The kicking competition occurred at the end of the event before Tony Gionfriddo, the executive director of the Beautiful Lives Project, addressed everybody in attendance, from players and coaches to participants and media. This edition of the event marked the fourth year in a row the BC Eagles’ football program and the Beautiful Lives Project have partnered to host the “Field of Dreams” event.

“We have about 50 participants this year, and every year it gets better and better,” Gionfriddo said. “We can’t be more appreciative of Boston College and everything they do.”

“You look at their faces, and just the smiles they get from being with the players, being part of the team today, and that’s what it is. I think the players have a better time than the participants.”

Defensive end Quintayvious Hutchins appeared to be having a blast as a holder for the kicking competition. Senior running back Alex Broome hyped up every participant in the event before starting a drill, making sure they stayed locked in on the task at hand and had fun while doing so. Alabama transfer quarterback Dylan Lonergan gave tips to participants throwing into mini nets, and quarterback Grayson James helped participants work on their dance moves after scoring a touchdown.

“I’m a senior, and I remember some of the faces [from years past],” Broome said. “They always remember your name and it’s like ‘Damn.’ Like am I taking that same accountability, how I deal with my life and my relationships? I think that’s an important part we need to think about.”

The highlight of the day for Broome, who tore his ACL before the start of the 2024 season and is back in shape for his senior campaign, consisted of the touchdown celebration drill.

“Whatever your favorite dance is, like get it on,” Broome said. “You gotta celebrate when you get into it.”

O’Brien talked about how from a recruiting standpoint, players who have an appreciation for this type of event is what the Eagles’ staff looks for in prospective student-athletes.

All individuals from the Beautiful Lives Project will have the opportunity to join the BC Football team on the field to meet the players and coaches, learn fundamentals and run through drills.

Throwing and tackling drills are off an running: pic.twitter.com/nhFaOcawJA
— Graham Dietz (@graham_dietz) June 11, 2025

“We’ve been very specific about who we recruit and we talk about that a lot,” O’Brien said. “When you choose to come to Boston College, you’re going to class, you’re going to play good football, and you’re going to give back to the community.”

The second-year skipper also addressed the way he is feeling about the team heading into 2025. According to O’Brien, the players who BC added in the transfer portal and as incoming freshmen, along with the veteran leadership, have really impressed the coaching staff so far.

“You know, who knows as we get closer to the season?” O’Brien said. “[We] can’t predict how things will go. But I think this team is coming together and understands what we want to do, how we want to practice, how we want to lift weights, [and] how we want to give back to the community.”