As the son of a Naval Officer, hard work, discipline and mental toughness are all Connor Mewbourne has ever known.
A senior leader on the Monarchs’ offensive line, Mewbourne has epitomized the concept of a warrior on the gridiron. Battling numerous agonizing injuries, he maintains a tireless, excuseless work-ethic that he says is derived from his father’s precedent.
“My dad is my biggest inspiration,” Mewbourne declared. “I have never heard him make an excuse for himself. He taught me the value of hard work very early on, and when I see him working long hours and grinding through everything, it motivates me. My dad is my hero.”
A starter on the offensive line the last three seasons, Mewbourne served as a major protector of former Monarch phenom and current NFL quarterback Taylor Heinicke and has been an integral ingredient to Old Dominion’s prolific rushing attack as of late. Ray Lawry became the Monarchs’ all-time leading rusher with three games still looming on the schedule, and Mewbourne, who was originally recruited to play FCS football, has been instrumental in opening up the running lanes against some of Conference USA’s most stout defenses.
“Being from Virginia Beach, I got to witness the Old Dominion football program start up, and it always peaked my interest. I got recruited to play here when they were still in the CAA, but ultimately it came down to the close proximity to home. I really wanted to play for the town I grew up in and for the fans that supported me from the time I was young.”
Mewbourne has done just that, but donning the Old Dominion uniform every Saturday has taken a physical toll in more ways than one on the bruising 6-4, 300-pound lineman.
“Last spring, I broke one of the metacarpals on my hand. Then a few weeks ago against FIU, the same hand got caught in a jersey, and it tore a ligament that holds the tendon over my middle-knuckle. So now I can’t bend my hand without the tendon popping out of place.”
Mewbourne has played with a cast over his hand and will likely have to undergo surgery at the season’s end. To make matters worse, his hand is not the only injury tormenting him day-in and day-out.
“I sprained my ankle a while ago, and it’s never really gotten any better. But I refuse to be kept out of a game because of a hand or an ankle. If you throw enough tape on it, you can fix anything.”
Aside from the hard-nosed mentality bestowed upon him by his father, another driving force behind Mewbourne’s willingness to play through any circumstance is his yearning to once again experience similar emotions felt by the 2012 Monarch squad that captured an unofficial CAA crown. More than anything, he covets regaining that nostalgia via ODU’s first-ever bowl game appearance to cap off his collegiate career.
“Hands down, becoming the CAA champs was the best memory I’ve had at ODU. That feeling after beating JMU in the locker room, on the ride home and when we got back in town was just so special. Everyone who was on that team has a ring to remember it; we all shared something. That’s something we haven’t had since, and I can’t wait for the younger guys on this team to finally experience that this season.”
For Mewbourne, reaching a bowl game is the only thing that could trump the CAA title to become the highlight of his football career. And to get there, he feels the mission lies heavily on the shoulders of the giants.
“Personally, my goal is to just keep on playing like I’m playing right now and lead this offensive line to the best of my ability. I refuse to let an injury be an excuse for a bad rep; a bad rep is a bad rep. I have full confidence in our team, and I know we can get there.”
As for the rest of the linemen, guys who Mewbourne would consider more of family members than teammates, they are more than up for the challenge.
“We are a team within a team. As a lineman, you don’t really get the spotlight, but you’re held accountable for everything. One mistake could prove costly. When your buddy looks at you during film and gives you that nod because you had a good rep, that is like our Super Bowl.”
The Monarchs are chasing down another type of bowl at the moment, and no matter how much pain he has to play through to get there, Mewbourne knows it will all be worth it in the end.
BY: Tristan Warner