American bobsledder Johnny Quinn has emerged as the class clown and social media darling of the Sochi Olympics.
Since arriving in Russia, the 30-year-old Texan has famously escaped being stuck in a bathroom and an elevator, and inspired the hashtag "#Quinning" – which apparently means destroying stuff (such as the door to the bathroom you are stuck in).
Johnny Quinn
Photo courtesy of USA Bobsledding
But Quinn's comedic side on display in Sochi belies his reputation as a fierce competitor. The Winter Olympian graduated from
McKinney (Texas) in 2002 and left a strong athletic legacy in the north Dallas suburbs.
"Johnny was very focused and very serious when it came to sports," said McKinney Athletic Director Shawn Pratt, a football and basketball assistant coach during Quinn's days at the school. "He always seemed to know what he wanted and knew what he had to do to go and get it."
Quinn was best known at McKinney for his exploits on the gridiron and track. As a senior at wide receiver, he hauled in 80 passes for 1,106 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Lions.
"The thing that really stands out about Johnny, he was always the guy that would stay after practice and do extra stuff and he did it every single day," Pratt said.
That dedication earned him a scholarship to play football at the University of North Texas, where he put together the best career of any wide receiver in school history. Quinn led the Mean Green in receiving all four seasons (2003-06) and finished with 187 receptions, 2,718 yards (still a school record) and 21 touchdowns.
His exploits earned him a spot on the North Texas All-Century Team announced last fall to honor 100 years of Mean Green football.
"He was always a bit of an overachiever but I think people really underestimated how good of an athlete he was," Pratt said. "His senior year at McKinney he went up against some defensive backs going to Texas and Oklahoma and nobody could cover him. It didn't surprise me the career he had at North Texas."
The path his athletic career would take in the post-North Texas years was a surprise, however. After bouncing around the NFL and CFL until a 2010 ACL injury effectively ended his football dreams, Quinn turned his attention to bobsledding.
"A lot of people thought his athletic career was over, but he wasn't done," Pratt said.
Nearly 40 pounds heavier than his high school football playing weight, Quinn's size, speed and acceleration made him an ideal candidate to help power two- and four-man sleds.
He's competed in Austria, Canada, France, Germany and Switzerland in the run up to Sochi, where he begins competition Saturday in the men's four-man heats.
"I would be lying if I ever thought he would end up being an Olympic athlete," Pratt said.
