Everyone who knows history teacher Kevin O’Neill is aware that he is as much an entertainer as he is a teacher. However, most do not know is that he also happens to be an accomplished juggler.
Sitting behind his large desk, buried in DBQ’s and half-graded tests, it’s hard to imagine O’Neill flinging knives and torches into the air with dexterity. O’Neill, however, has been juggling for years. He began juggling in 1992, his sophomore year of high school. He loved to entertain people and always wanted to go into stand-up comedy. He performed his first stand-up show in 8th grade (with his brother) for his junior high talent show. He thought juggling would be a good addition to his comedy act.
“I didn’t date much,” he deadpans, “and juggling seemed like something fun to do. My mom was pretty scared when I started throwing machetes around.”
O’Neill juggles torches, knives, machetes, bowling balls—pretty much anything he can throw and catch. For his coolest trick, he juggles an Indiana Jones hat, a machete, and a whip while the Indiana Jones theme song plays.
“My favorite thing about juggling is how surprised people are when they see I can actually do it. I like how scared people get when they see me throwing knives around,” O’Neill said.
Juggling helped O’Neill pay his way through college by doing shows. He participated in several stand-up juggling competitions and placed well. Although he also worked children’s birthday parties, he preserved his dignity and didn’t dress up as a clown. Not everyone appreciated his success, however.
“I went to the U of I juggling club, and they called me a prostitute because I juggled for money. That was the only time I went,” O’Neill said.
Although currently in “semi-retirement”, O’Neill still occasionally juggles for his niece and nephew’s birthday parties. He also breaks out the machetes and torches to wow his students at AP Euro Fest in the summer. On rare occasions, he even does a little juggling during his lectures. Juggling, he says, is his only real talent, although he does grow a “mean” garden.
O’Neill has moments where he wishes he had pursued juggling and stand-up more, especially when he sees someone less skilled than him get on TV. Nevertheless, he doesn’t regret his career choice.
“You have to dedicate your life to stand up and juggling, but I really just wanted to teach. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true,” O’Neill said.
photo by Sarah Hombach