A Brothers’ Bond Beyond the Rosecrans Football Field

ZANESVILLE, OH

What if I told you that someone who says very little can have such a big impact on both a football team and the community? This is the story of the heartbeat of the Rosecrans Bishops.

This is Conner Wells, a senior tight end and defensive end for the Rosecrans Bishops football team. He’s quite tall, strong and has helped lead the Bishops in 2024. Now meet his brother, A.J.. He might not be quite as tall as his younger brother, but he’s just as strong as any of the other Bishops. And just like any other member of the team, A.J. has faced his share of setbacks over the years. Specifically, one that’s been a long and challenging battle from a very young age.

“So A.J. was diagnosed with autism when he was two years old” said his mother Julie. “We just noticed that he had some delays. He wasn’t developing like other kids his age, in speech or any kind of development. So we flew him to California, actually, and had him diagnosed. It was hard. It was difficult. But, we knew that we had a long journey ahead of us.”

Now, a lot has happened and changed in the last decade and a half. But one thing that hasn’t wavered is the bond between the brothers Wells.

His brother Conner said, “For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been there to take care of him with basic needs. Teach him how to how to shower, how to make himself some food, how to, go through everyday life just as all of us would. And obviously that’s a big challenge.”

He then continued, “But for him, I think he has learned a way in which no one was expecting. No one was really expecting him to, you know, in school, do math as well as he can, even speak as well as he can, have ongoing conversations. Seeing how far he’s come has been really, really motivational for me. It’s inspiring, and I think it inspires a lot of people.”

And now with Conner a senior on the football team, A.J. wanted to be right by his brother’s side.

“His mother contacted me and said, ‘A.J. would like to join the football team, and of course I just I love being around him. So do all these kids, I’ve said it before, he’s a huge part of our Bishop family” said Rosecrans head coach Chris Zemba. “So when he wanted to be part of the team, I could not be happier. I’ve said it before too. A.J. is our stitching on the team. You know, it’s what holds the team together. And he’s a part of everything we do.”

“He comes to football. He talks everybody. Everybody enjoys his company. He comes up here, watches us. Makes us laugh quite a bit”.

A.J.’s made quite the impression on everyone in the Rosecrans community, and his teammates can’t help but feel his infectious energy. “Game day in the weight room, practices, he’s always around. A.J., he’s probably our number one guy. He’s a big part of the field, on the field, and that’s who we play for, really” said multiple of his teammates.

“A.J. loves anything with ceiling fans. He loves anything with maintenance. I think he’s fixed a few things around the school, and A.J. loves people. He loves to be at school, it’s his favorite place to be.” AJ’s energy and smile has certainly found its way into the halls of Rosecrans as well.

“When A.J. is around, you just…there’s a spirit that can’t be described. He is innocent and happy. He cares about everybody that’s around. He knows every single person in the building. But the kids respect him in a way that I don’t think that he would receive that anywhere else. He’s just…he’s part of who we are” said Kelly Sagan, Executive Director of Catholic Schools in Zanesville.

“Everyone just understands him, everyone loves him. Because in the end, if you love A.J., he’ll love you back.”