BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Like Albert Einstein he has a "thinker's chair". Also, like Einstein, he languishes in a freezing bath, although on purpose rather than forgetfulness.
He is fond of quotes covering the Bible, philosophers and rap singers.
And, somewhat incongruously, he is an AFL footballer.
Harry O'Brien in orphanage in Chimoio, Mozambique in 2008.
The Harry O'Brien who will burst out of the backline for Collingwood in Saturday's AFL grand final against St Kilda is clearO'Brien's journey to the greatest contest in the game has been tinged with tragedy, confusion, racism and enlightenment.
From exotic yet humble beginnings, the 24-year-old O'Brien has emerged as a young man willing to express his deepest thoughts publicly and on a wide range of subjects.
He might have overstepped the bounds of realism with his earnest desire to meet President Obama on a planned visit to Australia (since postponed) earlier this year, but O'Brien marches on to the beat of his own unique drum.
He showed it this week during a standard media call when an innocent question about the gown to be warn by his partner, TV personality Faustina 'Fuzzy' Agolley, at the Brownlow Medal count, prompted an outburst on the evils of materialism and the body image issues faced by young women.
Geographically and intellectually O'Brien has travelled probably the most extensive and interesting path of any AFL footballer.
Born in Rio de Janeiro to a Brazilian mother and a Congolese father, he moved to Western Australia when he was three years old, to be raised by his Australian stepfather, Ralph.
He believed Ralph was his true father until he was 19, a situation which inevitably led to cruel racist taunts.
Ralph was the inspiration behind his football career and shared the hurt which came with supporting a black stepson.
"He took me in and treated me just like his own blood. He looked nothing like me and as a child I would get a lot of racism directed towards me and Dad always felt the pain I felt," O'Brien said.
"He was the one who told me to do something about not being drafted in 2004. He inspired me to call Collingwood myself and tell them I was prepared to pay my own way over just to get the opportunity to train for the few weeks leading up to the rookie draft."
Inexplicably, last year Ralph killed himself. O'Brien agonised but used his familiar Facebook and Twitter sites to blog about his feelings.
He has given up searching for the reasons behind the tragic suicide and, typically, has embraced the lessons to be learnt from it.
"I do not wish to dwell on the hardships that I have faced and still am facing to this day, but I do wish to express that it is true that learning the 'hard way' is the most enriching form of learning experience," O'Brien wrote.
Of all the unintelligible tattoos now popular among AFL players, O'Brien has without doubt the most relevant and arresting - a large map of the African continent covers his back, surrounded by the words, written in Brazil's native Portuguese "I am a golden negro of mother Africa."
On his left arm is an image of the iconic statue of Christ, arms stretched outwards which rises high over the city of Rio.
He has made sentimental journeys back to both Brazil and the Congo, where he was delighted to learn that the 'gangly' style of playing he has been accused of, was seemingly native to the children there.
O'Brien was taken by Collingwood with pick 21 in the 2004 rookie draft and made his senior debut late the next year against Fremantle.
After a shaky beginning he has improved dramatically and last year was fourth in the Copeland Trophy, Collingwood's best and fairest award. In 2010 he won All-Australian honours on the half-back flank.
O'Brien regularly meditates and does all manner of things foreign to the average AFL player but he is a creature of habit as well.
Einstein's bath went cold as he lay for there for hours mulling over the theory of relativity. O'Brien's cold bath is a critical part of his daily recovery routine.
He says that every weekday he gets three bags of ice from the local service station, tips them into his bath and listens to music on his iPod to take his mind off the fact he is freezing.
He admits copying the "thinking chair" from Einstein. It is a chair where he sits, writing down random ideas, sketching or writing poetry.
And if teammate Dale Thomas sees O'Brien run out of the race in front of him on grand final day, he should have cause for worry. It could be an unwanted omen.
One of O'Brien's stipulations is that he must run out behind Thomas before every game.
He has no idea why. It's just the way he is.
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