A four year starter at center from 1918 to 1922, Joe O'Connell was a two sport athlete who starred on the court as well as he did on the gridiron.

The starting five of Feed Fees, Andy Zazzali, Jack Flavin, Paul Florence, and Joe O'Connell was easily Georgetown's best in the sport's first three decades at Georgetown. In O'Connell's four years, Georgetown was a combined 43-9 (.826), and undefeated at home with a 37-0 record. O'Connell received regular praise in the Washington papers for his defensive prowess and while his 4.5 point game average was less than his contemporaries, centers were generally not the main scorers due to the defensive setups of the time.

O'Connell graduated from Georgetown in 1922 and entered the seminary in New York. Following graduate studies at St. John's he was ordained in 1934 and died after a long illness in 1949. The Knights of Columbus Hall at St. John the Baptist, Oceanside NY, was named in his honor.

"This good priest left his mark on our Parish and on the entire community," reads its web site." As never before, this Council began to have a tremendous impact on our community Father O'Connell became respected by all in Oceanside and throughout the state."