Two major turning points in James O’Shaughnessy’s football career occurred within months of each other in 2008.
In the summer, O’Shaughnessy transferred from Marmion to Naperville North, which had won the Class 8A state championship the previous year.
“Coming in as a junior not knowing anybody, the amount of welcoming I received I think was unique,” he said. “They did a phenomenal job of making me feel like I’ve been here my whole life, like I’ve been a part of the team, and that’s what this community is.”
O’Shaughnessy was a wide receiver and a major contributor to a team that was ranked No. 1 in the state and won its first 10 games. The Huskies were upset by Marist 28-25 in the second round of the playoffs, and O’Shaughnessy blamed himself for the loss.
“I was so upset because I thought I let us down,” he said. “I was a big part of the reason we lost, and it crushed me.”
O’Shaughnessy considered quitting the sport, but he was talked out of it by teammates and Naperville North football coach Larry McKeon.
“I was a basketball guy, and I thought football was something fun to do to stay in shape,” O’Shaughnessy said. “Coach McKeon pulled me aside that Monday and said, ‘You’ll be OK. Learn from this adversity.’
“People don’t understand that story, and only some people really do know how much it affected me. Luckily, I had people in this building that did nothing but bring me back up, and look where I am.”
Indeed, O’Shaughnessy became a tight end at Illinois State, was a fifth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2015 NFL draft and played in the NFL for eight seasons, primarily for the Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars. He finished his NFL career with 112 receptions for 1,108 yards and three touchdowns. Since then, he has become a scouting assistant for the Chicago Bears.
Matt LaCosse was a backup quarterback for the Huskies in 2008 and also played basketball with O’Shaughnessy.
“I was the youngest one of the team that year, so I don’t know if I did so much helping him stay with it, but I know our upperclassmen did an awesome job of getting in his ear and wishing him well,” LaCosse said. “It was a tough time for him, but obviously he pushed through it and has done great things.”
As has LaCosse. As a senior in 2010, LaCosse led the Huskies to the state quarterfinals. Like O’Shaughnessy, he switched to tight end at Illinois.
An undrafted free agent, LaCosse played in the NFL for six seasons with the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots, amassing 40 catches for 403 yards and two touchdowns.
On Friday, O’Shaughnessy and LaCosse were together again. They were among 12 people, including Sam Diego Padres infielder Nick Solak and former professional soccer player Zoe Swift, inducted into the Naperville North Athletics Hall of Fame.
“It’s really cool,” LaCosse said. “Me and James were fortunate to be able to play basketball and football together, which is awesome.
“He’s an amazing football player, but he’s an even better basketball player. We both found a little niche that worked for us. He worked his butt off and had a great NFL career, and so it’s really cool to be able to go in together.”
O’Shaughnessy, 34, and LaCosse, 33, played against each other once in a preseason game when O’Shaughnessy was with the Patriots and LaCosse was with the Giants.
“It’s such a fun story for both of us to play together in high school, do the same thing in the pros and still grow together,” O’Shaughnessy said. “He’s a year younger than me, so we were friends, but as we grew up and went through the same experiences, we got even closer over time.
“So Matt has always been an awesome resource, a great friend.”
O’Shaughnessy was thrilled about his Hall of Fame induction. Entering with LaCosse made it extra special.
“Naperville is such a loving community for athletics, for North specifically,” O’Shaughnessy said. “It just means the world to be recognized with not only these extremely accomplished athletes, but just great people that love the school, that love the community and do a great job representing it.
“To be put in the same category means the world.”
That humility impressed Naperville North football coach Sean Drendel, who was an assistant under McKeon in 2008 and took over the program when McKeon retired after the 2009 season.
“They both said in their speeches, ‘We didn’t win a state title, but we gave everything for Naperville North when we were here,’” Drendel said. “Sometimes it’s the missed opportunities for greatness that cause you to have greatness later. James talked about how his stats weren’t great, but that’s what drove him. Matt talked about the toughness and some of the things he had to do to become an NFL player.
“They are very humble, very grateful that they were inducted into the Naperville North Hall of Fame. It’s not going into the NFL Hall of Fame, but it still meant a lot. It’s always better when people are like that.”
congratulates Athletics Hall of Fame inductee James O’Shaughnessy between basketball games in the school gym in Naperville on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Naperville Sun)
Life has brought O’Shaughnessy and LaCosse full circle. Both have returned to the area. O’Shaughnessy is excited about his job with the Bears.
“Scouting assistants help the main scouts between college and pros, but we also have responsibilities that are unique to the Bears,” he said. “They give a lot of responsibility to their young scouts so we can grow, so shoutout to Ryan Poles for that.
“I’m involved with helping out practice squads with new signings, monitoring other players around the league along with filling college assignments.”
LaCosse lives in Naperville with his wife, Jessica, and two young children, and he owns two Alloy Personal Training facilities in Naperville.
“It’s good,” LaCosse said. “My parents are in the same house I grew up in. My sister is about 10-15 minutes away, and my kids are starting to get involved with everything.
“All our old coaches are still involved in our lives, and they kind of know what’s going on with us, and I kind of know what’s going on with them, so it’s cool. It feels like home.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.