Halfway through his time at Georgia State University, Stephen O’Hearn ‘26 entered the transfer portal unsure of where he would end up. The former Panthers goalkeeper now says Mercer offered the fresh start he didn’t realize he needed.
O’Hearn, a Spanish major at Mercer, had been shaping his soccer path long before college decisions or transfer paperwork. Growing up in Savannah, Ga., he was surrounded by the sport from the very beginning.
His two older sisters played at Furman University, a benchmark that he said pushed him early on.
“My objective when I was little was I wanted to be better than them,” O’Hearn said.
That mindset led him to begin training at the same academy as his sisters. He spent about 14 years in Tormenta FC’s academy program, working towards his goal of playing Division I soccer and eventually committing to Georgia State in his senior year of high school.
The in-state option, located four hours from his home on the coast of Georgia, made the most sense to O’Hearn, but by his third year in Atlanta, his experience was not panning out how he had anticipated.
“I felt pretty homesick and I was also not excelling academically,” he said. “There were a lot of international students and there were so many people to compete with, and I couldn't be as transparent with the coaches over there.”
Combined with the fact that O’Hearn had not played a single minute with the Panthers, he made the decision to transfer during the offseason, but not without trepidation.
“It was definitely nerve-wracking and I wasn't sure what would come of that. It was a big gamble, really,” he said.
Leaving the friends he already had at Georgia State made the move hard, but O’Hearn still felt he needed something different.
“I was trying so many things at Georgia State to try to earn my spot,” O’Hearn said. “I just felt like I was burning out and felt that what I really needed to do for myself was to start over and try to challenge myself with something new.”
An hour and a half down Interstate 75, the Bears welcomed O’Hearn.
Closer to home and with smaller class sizes, O’Hearn felt his college experience quickly improve, and soon found himself with straight As. At Georgia State, he said the large class sizes could be a hindrance to his academic progression.
“It was more of an auditorium feel than anything,” O’Hearn said. “When I got here to Mercer, it was 20 people per class and the teachers are happy to stay after and talk with you.”
It wasn’t just his academics that improved, but his experience as a student-athlete improved as well. He said that Mercer’s team environment was a lot more supportive, despite him coming onto the team last year as a senior.
“I feel good with my spot on the team, and playing my part whenever I can,” he said. “Coach Ruzzo is easy to talk to, and I can definitely be a lot more transparent with the staff here.”
O’Hearn managed to earn game time as well, making his first appearance and keeping a clean sheet in a 4-0 win against Winthrop University last year.
O’Hearn’s daily schedule is rigorous but balanced, combining morning training, weightlifting, classes and team responsibilities. Yet he still finds time to explore other interests.
“I’ve kind of felt like there's other fields in my life that I really wanna see how good I am in,” O’Hearn said. “This semester I actually went and did some acting in Savannah.”
As much as O’Hearn loves soccer, he is always looking to try new things.
“I don't wanna spend my whole twenties and thirties chasing a dream of soccer where if I were to look back, I would be like, ‘Dang, I really missed an opportunity to try this or try that,’” he said. “That was one of the reasons why I jumped at this acting thing.”
Beyond college, O’Hearn hopes to put his Spanish degree to use by working in international relations. Meanwhile, he will continue to broaden his horizons outside of soccer.
“My whole life has just been soccer, soccer, soccer. And it's been that way for 20 years,” O’Hearn said. “I've kept in mind that I'm a soccer player at my core and I think it's gonna be very interesting to see what else I can do when the basis of my identity isn't revolving around soccer anymore.”
Transferring to Mercer gave O’Hearn a fresh start both on and off the field. Now in his last semester at Mercer, he continues to balance soccer with other interests while preparing for what comes after college.
