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[Johnny Quinn] 3 tips for dealing with Olympic village woes, from an Olympian who got stuck in a bathroom

This may be wishful thinking, but one guy who always promotes UNT is Johnny Quinn. He's really made a name for himself both in the corporate boardrooms, and in the public education world. This guy is always promoting UNT, and is a great ambassador. I could see him doing well in some sort of fundraising role. Thoughts?

Former Mean Green wide receiver Johnny Quinn is going to be speaking at my church, Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church, on March 20th. Here is the info: "Johnny Quinn, Olympian and former NFL player, will be speaking during Worship Services (9:30a & 11:00a) on Sunday, March 20. Quinn participated in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Now he travels and speaks to audiences across the world. Stop by one of our Worship Services to hear an inspiring message from a man who didn't give up when his dreams didn't work out quite like he had hoped." Cottonwood Creek is located at 1015 Sam Rayburn Tollway, Allen, TX US 75013. This is near where McKinney, Allen, Plano, and Frisco all come together. http://cottonwoodcreek.org/ekk_eventpage.php?slug=815143-2016-03-20-special-guest-johnny-quinn/

Johnny Quinn, Olympic bobsledder and former player in the National Football League, said throughout college, his biggest goal was to play professional football. Once that goal was reached, it came to an end a few years later and Quinn took a surprising turn to bobsledding. Though his career changed unexpectedly, he took on the challenge headfirst. “When an unexpected opportunity presents itself, I was ready,” Quinn said. “It sets into motion a new dream and new goals.” Quinn said he started playing football as a kid and his love for football was only strengthened by the fact that he grew up in Texas, where football is a big sport. During his time as a student at the University of North Texas, he played football and had dreams of becoming a professional football player. “I was a little undersized for my position as a wide receiver,” Quinn said. “If I even had a chance, I couldn’t take it for granted. I would see my goal daily, and I knew there was a bigger picture.” He reached his goal of going pro at age 22 with the Buffalo Bills , but after four years in the NFL, he had been cut from three different teams, lost $2.6 million and blew out his knee playing. “At 26 years old, my career was a train wreck,” Quinn said. “Unfortunately, my NFL career didn’t go the way I wanted, but I knew I still had more to give athletically.” A month before Quinn was supposed to go to his next football training camp, his agent called and told him there was an opportunity to compete as a bobsledder for the United States bobsledding team in the U.S. Olympic team trials. Quinn had never really given bobsledding much thought, but wanted to take advantage of a new athletic opportunity. His first time on ice was at that trial, and his team placed third. “My whole life changed after that, and I put my focus onto this new adventure I was in,” Quinn said. “I was now a part of the United States Olympic team for bobsledding. I got to compete in The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which was an amazing experience.” Throughout his athletic career, Quinn said hard work, determination and his faith kept him afloat. “Sometimes you can work your tail off and things just don’t work out,” Quinn said. “Instead of living there, use failure as something different. Use it as a way to start a new set of goals.” read more: http://www.theshorthorn.com/life_and_entertainment/start-year-off-right-by-making-goals-sticking-to-them/article_7cebae16-bbc6-11e5-a1a9-271d1164ae56.html

The city of McKinney will honor hometown Olympian Johnny Quinn at a meet-and-greet reception and memorabilia exhibit Aug. 8 at the McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC). Quinn traveled to Sochi, Russia as a member of the 2014 U.S. Olympic bobsled team. The exhibit at MPAC, 111 N. Tennessee St., is free and open to the public starting today and ending Aug. 10. It will feature Quinns Opening Ceremony uniform designed by Ralph Lauren, Team U.S.A Olympic clothing, bobsled uniform, helmet and cleats, as well as assorted memorabilia from his trip to the Olympics. Hours for the exhibit vary, and guests are encouraged to call 972-547-2650 prior to their visit. The exhibit is presented with support from Belk Department store in McKinney. Read more: http://starlocalmedia.com/mckinneycouriergazette/news/mckinney-honors-olympian-johnny-quinn-with-exhibit-meet-and-greet/article_56c5c8a2-11b3-11e4-ad73-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=jqm

REGINA — Is it cooler to be a professional football player or an Olympic bobsledder? “They’re two different things,” says Johnny Quinn, a former Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver and a member of the United States’ 2014 Olympic bobsled team. “Walking into Lambeau Field on Monday Night Football, having my first reception on Monday Night Football — what a special moment. And walking in the opening ceremony, representing the United States, wearing the red, white and blue, competing on Olympic ice — what a special and unbelievable moment. “They’re different but both still so special.” Along with playing for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, the University of North Texas alumnus suited up for the Buffalo Bills and helped the Riders win a West Division title in 2009. read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/entertainment/Quinn+enjoying+sporting+life+after+football/9982732/story.html

MCKINNEY (CBSDFW.COM) - He made waves at McKinney High School as a star football player. He still holds the title of all-time leading receiver at the University of North Texas. But athlete Johnny Quinn went from local football legend to the United States bobsled team, and then became a worldwide sensation after punching his way out of a locked bathroom door in Sochi, Russia. Quinn is now helping other high school athletes transition to college as founder of The Athlete Watch. During his time in high school, Quinn thought that his performance on the field would help him pay for college. He and his family expected that scholarships would come. He remembered, “We were told from all the experts that if you score touchdowns, if you make all the plays and win all the awards, you’re going to get scholarships.” Read more: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/05/14/johnny-quinn-helps-teens-transition-to-college/

On a blustery, cold morning off Airport Road Wednesday, a U.S. Olympian hoisting an AR-15 at the Denton Police Department gun range drew a flock of media attention. Former UNT football star Johnny Quinn's picture tweeted from the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, started it all. At the time, he was just a receiver-turned-bobsledder stuck in a bathroom. He had no idea the photo of him busting out would garner so much attention worldwide. But it did, and it caught the eye of Denton police Officer Ryan Grelle. “I followed him while he played football for UNT here, but I never have met him until now,” Grelle said Thursday morning. “When I saw his tweet during the start of the Olympic games, I initiated contact, since he does have a history here.” Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20140319-denton-swat-officers-school-olympic-bobsledder-johnny-quinn-in-door-busting-tactics.ece

As many of you know, one of our great former Mean Green players Johnny Quinn is a participant on the US Bobsledding Team which will compete in the upcoming 2014 Winter Games. I know all of us are proud of Johnny and his accomplishments, including his induction to the UNT Hall of Fame last year. #81 is now moving his game onto a global stage where he will represent both UNT and our entire country. To do their very best, the US team needs our donations to help them get the best equipment and support. For a small donation, Johnny will personally sign an 8x10 bobsled picture for people to display at home or office as an appreciation for supporting an Olympic hopeful. He also has other photos as well - Green Bay, UNT, etc. I have attached 2 links, one to Johnny's website, and one to the interview from CW33. Please check them out and do what you can to help support one of our very best in a worthy cause. http://www.JohnnyQuinnUSA.com/Store http://www.the33tv.c...ful#pl-62805430 Go USA and Go Mean Green! Harry

I am seeing different times and was hoping someone knew for sure. THx!

No one is going to believe this but we just got stuck in an elevator. Ask @BOBSLEDR and @Crippsee who were there... pic.twitter.com/Rwg57CBbUU — Johnny Quinn (@JohnnyQuinnUSA) February 10, 2014 Now we're stuck in the elevator! Can @JohnnyQuinnUSA get us out ? pic.twitter.com/sVbyksEXlc — David Cripps (@Crippsee) February 10, 2014 The guy seem to have terrible luck. Seems to be legit as it was picked up by FTW by USA Today.

10 things to know about Quinn 1. Quinn played college football and in the CFL, and he signed with two NFL teams. He starred at North Texas and holds school records for career receiving yards. He had preseason stints with the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers. "When you're with a team, it's guys made up of different personalities, different backgrounds, and it the cool thing is, everybody comes together for one goal," Quinn said. He also ran track at North Texas. Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/sochi/2014/02/12/johnny-quinn-bobsled-10-things-to-know/5419179/

Staff writer Zain Haidar reports: Olympic bobsledder Johnny Quinn, who channeled the Incredible Hulk and smashed through a jammed bathroom door in Sochi on Saturday, has accepted an invitation from the Denton Police Department to attend SWAT training. The McKinney native has become Internet famous after tweeting a photo of the tattered bathroom door. Two days after the 30-year-old smashed his way into becoming a meme, he got stuck in an elevator with a few friends but didn’t pry it open. Read more: http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/olympian-johnny-quinn-accepts-invite-to-denton-police-swat-training.html/

Quinn attained his lofty status with a simple tweet of his accidental misadventure in an Olympic Village bathroom — #Sochijailbreak. The tweet, a photo of a bathroom door he’d burst through, went viral. It was retweeted over 25,000 times and favorited over 13,000 times and, suddenly, Johnny Quinn was a household name. Quinn, a former practice squad player for the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills and Saskatchewan of the CFL, jumped into the shower — and, when he couldn’t get out of the bathroom, he tried to rouse his teammates. “My neighbors are my two other teammates on the bobsled, so I was banging on the wall, trying to get their attention and — nothing, nothing,” he told CNN’s Rachel Nichols. “Not so much panic because I had running water, but I was sitting there banging on random parts of the wall to see if I could, you know, catch somebody’s attention and, as I’m banging on random parts going around the bathroom, I kind of hit the door and it cracks. “So I go a little bit harder and my fist goes through the door. So I see light and I’m like, ‘Okay, time to get out of here now.’” Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/olympics/wp/2014/02/10/johnny-quinn-gets-stuck-in-an-elevator/

In a tweet sent one minute later, Quinn wrote, “…With no phone to call for help, I used my bobsled push training to break out.” An accompanying photo showed a cartoonish hole punched through the upper half of a door. Quinn closed the tweet with the hashtag “#SochiJailBreak.” A former football captain at the University of North Texas, Quinn had stints as a wide receiver on two NFL teams before going to Saskatchewan of the Canadian Football League in 2009. He suffered a knee injury and, after rehabilitation, switched to bobsled. But Quinn’s biggest star turn came Saturday. As of 7:30 p.m. local time, about six hours after Quinn tweeted the photo, it had been re-tweeted more than 11,000 times. A USA Today blog post with the photo had been shared more than 75,000 times on social media. Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2014/02/08/a-sochi-jail-break-for-u-s-bobsledder-johnny-quinn/

You don't have to live in a cold-weather city to become a winter Olympian. Johnny Quinn of from McKinney is proof of that. The way his mother tells it, Quinn — a former pro football player and University of North Texas standout — has been ready for the spotlight his whole life. "I think he's the only football player who ever went to college with an ironing board and an iron," Terri Quinn said. "He always wanted to look sharp." Johnny Quinn's family believes this is his moment to be noticed by the world as part of the USA bobsled team. "The end goal is to be on that podium in Sochi with a medal around our neck watching our flag fly high," Quinn told News 8 from Russia. Read more: http://www.wfaa.com/sports/winter-olympics/UNT-grad-going-for-the-gold-at-Sochi-243854411.html

Don't miss it!!

Here’s a local connection to root for in the Winter Olympics: Former McKinney and UNT wide receiver Johnny Quinn. Last weekend he was selected for the U.S. Bobsled team. Quinn, UNT career’s receiving leader with 2,718 receiving yards, made the U.S. Olympic team as one of three push athletes for driver Nick Cunningham. Read more: http://highschoolsportsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/johnny-quinn-star-receiver-at-mckinney-and-unt-is-again-a-late-bloomer-in-a-sport-this-time-bobsledding.html/ PS how cool would it be for Johnny to get a gold medal!

With speeds of close to 120 mph, bobsledding isnt for the faint of heart. But former McKinney High School wide receiver Johnny Quinn is far from your conventional athlete. Following a standout senior year as a Lion in 2001, Quinn earned a scholarship to play football at the University of North Texas. Recently named as one of two wide receivers to make the UNT all century team, Quinns impact as an Eagle will not be forgotten. After bouncing around the NFL, in 2009 Quinn was picked up by the Canadian Football Leagues Saskatchewan Roughriders. A torn ACL in 2010 led some to believe Quinns athletic career was over. On the contrary, the hardworking and determined Quinn hung up his cleats and pads for a burn-suit. Read more: http://townsquarebuzz.com/ams/51590/former-mhs-football-standout-johnny-quinn-takes-olympics/15437/ams/51590

http://espn.go.com/olympics/bobsled/story/_/id/8549539/lolo-jones-named-us-bobsled-team It's about the women's team but there is a mention of Johnny at the bottom.

We also recap the TSU victory, discuss upcoming Kansas State and visit with the Denton Record Chronicle beat writer for UNT sports Brett Vito. Click here to view the article

@JohnnyQuinnUSA Johnny Quinn #UNT out of the Sun Belt and over to C-USA! Good job Denton, America! dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/04/30/unt… about 1 hour ago