Forget those stereotypes about women in white hats and starched white uniforms who do little more than empty bedpans. Today's nurses come in all shapes, colors and sizes, and they make complex life-and-death decisions.

One of the new nurses on the front lines making decisions next year, who is used to busting open holes for running backs, certainly will help bust open those stereotypes.

Dan O'Brien, a senior offensive lineman at Saint Anselm College, excels on the field and in the classroom and is a vital part of his community. O'Brien also has taken on a challenging academic major -- nursing -- and he plans to pursue a career as a critical-care nurse.

The nursing program at Saint Anselm is known for its rigorous in-class studies and also extensive after-hours research.

It hasn't been too much for O'Brien, the Hawks' starting center, who has preserved his academic scholarship while attaining all-conference status three times. He's also co-captain of the team and a devoted volunteer, spending many hours a week helping others in his community.

"Dan is a model citizen not only for the football program but for the entire college, and on a daily basis," said Saint Anselm head coach Geoff Harlan. "He has chosen nursing, the single-most challenging major this college has to offer, and he has handled the role of a student-athlete as well as anyone in the program. His time commitment to his academics has been far greater than any of his teammates, and he succeeds not only on the field but in the classroom."

Ed Cannon, athletics director at Saint Anselm, knows the commitment O'Brien has made on the field and off.

"He is a remarkable young man with time-management skills not often seen in many adults. Academically, our standards at Saint Anselm are incredibly hard, and for Dan to excel in a major such as nursing is special on the surface. It's even more special considering he plays a sport such as football, one where the time commitment to studying the sport is as exhaustive as studying for a test. And, he takes it a step further by his level of commitment to volunteer work," Cannon said.

O'Brien does a lot, but he's actually cut back. "I take on a lot of things in my life, but not more than I can handle," he said. "I used to work for the rescue squad, but it got to the point where I could not put forth as much effort as I wanted to. So, I took a step back and decided to concentrate on what was most important in my life. Family comes first, next is my education, then my volunteer work and football."

O'Brien credits football with opening doors that never would have been available to him.

"When I graduated high school, I was looking to use football to further my education and find better opportunities, he said "Without football, none of this would have been possible."

On the field, O'Brien has provided leadership that makes people think he's all football, all the time. The ability to think quickly and act quickly, essential for a critical-care nurse, have been honed on the gridiron.

"Dan has anchored our offensive line as our starting center for all four years at the college," said Harlan. "He calls all the blocking schemes and has been given a tremendous amount of responsibility since he was an 18-year-old freshman. To have a player of Dan's ability and leadership is unique, and it is a large reason for the success of our program over the past four years. His performance has been as consistent as anyone's in the Northeast-10 Conference, and that shows in his three straight appearances on the all-conference team since his sophomore season."

As a Catholic institution, Saint Anselm is committed to service. It provides a volunteer center where students may interact with youngsters and donate their time to the community. In addition to his other commitments, O'Brien is a frequent visitor to the volunteer center, a fact that doesn't surprise those who know him.

"Dan is going to be a success story long after his college days are over," said Cannon. "We are just proud to have him associated with our institution."

The nurses are probably proud, too.