The Kilcommons Twins Play the Newly Brother Game

Pat and John (or is it John and Pat?) Kilcommons came to Dartmouth from Berwyn, Illinois, and Nazareth Academy. Pat is the starting center and John starts to the left of him at guard. When healthy they have started pretty much since their sophomore years.

While both of the identical twins were early decision admits to Dartmouth, it was John who pulled the trigger on the Big Green first.

"Three or four weeks into our senior season I decided I didn't want to miss a spot on this team," he said. "Pat wanted to wait a couple of weeks but then he folded."

While some twins yearn to create their own identity, the two government majors had no qualms about attending the same school.

"We just didn't want to be living together because we have lived together for a long time," said Pat, who has a room one floor below John at their fraternity.

"We didn't really think about it that much because this was the best option for both of us," John said. "It was between here and Columbia or Cornell and neither of those schools really fit our personalities. We have similar preferences."

But do they really?

Read their answers to a couple of dozen questions and how they predicted their twin would answer and you be the judge:

If you could play another other sport at Dartmouth, what would it be?
John's answer: Tight end. Pat predicted John would say: Linebacker.
Pat's answer: Linebacker. John predicted Pat would say: Linebacker.

If you could play a different sport at Dartmouth, what would it be?
John: Baseball. Pat predicted: Basketball.
Pat: Hockey. John predicted: Baseball.

If you could have your choice of FBS schools where you could play football, what would you choose?
John: Michigan State. Pat predicted: Notre Dame.
Pat: Northwestern. John predicted: Stanford.

You can go to any sporting event in the world. What would you pick?
John: The Super Bowl. Pat predicted: The Super Bowl.
Pat: The Super Bowl. John predicted: The Super Bowl.

Who is your all-time favorite pro athlete?
John: It's got to be Brian Urlacher. Pat predicted: Paul Konerko.
Pat: That's a tough one. I would say Brian Urlacher. John predicted: It's got to be a Bears player. I'd say Brian Urlacher.

Regardless of the sport, what's your favorite pro team not from Chicago?
John: Ever since we've gotten to Dartmouth we haven't paid much attention to pro sports so I have no idea. Pat predicted: It's got to be some soccer team. Dortmund?
Pat: I don't have a favorite. Maybe the Patriots? John predicted: No idea.

What is your favorite sports movie?
John: Friday Night Lights. Pat predicted: The Sandlot
Pat: The Sandlot. John predicted: Rudy

What is your dream car?
John: Probably a Corvette. Pat predicted: A Mustang. I guess we don't talk about this stuff enough.
Pat: Maybe a Suburban. John predicted: A Lamborghini

If you won the lottery, what would be your first big purchase?
John: I would probably buy something for my parents. A house or car or something like that. Pat predicted: Season tickets for the Bears.
Pat: Season tickets for the Bears. John predicted: He'd buy a big house.

Keith Clark has been coaching college football for more than 30 years but John and Pat Kilcommons are a first for him.

"I've had twins on the team before but never playing next to each other," he said. "They challenge each other. They are very competitive with each other but they support each other as well. It's fun having two kids who are that close playing right next to each other and have them for a couple of years.

"They've gone through their bout of injuries. We lost John with a knee last year, and then Pat has had his ups and downs with his knee and shoulders. But they have both worked hard to become really good players."

Although John is close to two inches taller than Pat, Clark will admit he had a hard time telling them apart at the start of their careers.

"It took a couple different haircuts," he said. "When they used to have the same haircut and wear the same clothes sometimes I thought they were doing it on purpose just to bust people's chops. As they grew older it has become easier for me."

Pat earned a spot on the All-Ivy League Second Team last year and John will be in line for postseason honors this fall if the Big Green offense continues to pile up the kind of yards and wins it has accumulated thus far.

But for all their success on the field, the twins can still occasionally be a challenge for Clark.
"I told their dad Friday night after the game that coaching them was like being a marriage counselor," Clark said. "They are at each other's throats. The dad said they been like that since they were three or four years old in the car."

What teammate other than your brother, would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island?
John: I definitely wouldn't want it to be my brother. We just wouldn't get along that well. Phil Berton. He'd be very useful and we would get along. Pat predicted: Phil Berton.
Pat: Phil Berton. John predicted: Andrew Yohe.

What was your least favorite subject in high school?
John: English. Pat predicted: Math.
Pat: Math. John predicted: Spanish.

What was your favorite subject in high school?
John: Spanish. Pat predicted: Spanish.
Pat: History. John predicted: Math.

Who was your favorite teacher ever?
John: Mr. Drinan. He taught math. Pat predicted: Mr. Gonzalez. He taught CWI, Contemporary World Issues.
Pat: Mr. Gonzalez. John predicted: Mr. Krause. He basically taught history. We were homeschooled until eighth grade. He would never say my mom.

What is your favorite home-cooked meal?
John: My mom's hamburger soup. Pat predicted: Lasagna
Pat: Pulled pork. John predicted: Burgers.

What is the one thing you won't eat?
John: It's definitely beets. Pat predicted: Brussel sprouts. I hate them, too. But no, it's beets for both of us. We hate them. We do not like beets. We were skinny and then from 11 to 13 we got a little chunky and my mom would make smoothies for us. Really, really bad ones. She would put the pulp in there. She wouldn't let us eat lunch or dinner unless we drank them. We hated that so much.
Pat: Beets. John predicted: He's definitely the picky eater. It's definitely beets.

What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
John: Right now probably Domino's. Pat predicted: Wendy's
Pat: Chipotle. John predicted: Chipotle.

What is your favorite pizza topping?
John: Pepperoni. Pat predicted: Pepperoni
Pat: Pepperoni. John predicted: Pepperoni.

What is your favorite desert?
John: Cheesecake. Pat predicted: Cheesecake
Pat: Banana pudding. John predicted: Probably ice cream

If you could vacation anywhere in the world where you haven't been, where would it be?
John: Hawaii. Pat predicted: New Zealand.
Pat: Australia or New Zealand. John predicted: Somewhere in Europe.

If you were a breed of dog what would you be?
John: A Labrador Retriever. Pat predicted: A bulldog.
Pat: A yellow Lab. John predicted: A boxer.

Would you like to have children who are twins?
John: Yeah. You know what? Probably not. I wouldn't be able give them that many insights. Pat predicted: I would guess he would say no.
Pat: I would be fine with it. John predicted: Oh I don't think so. No.

What major city could you never live in?
John: San Francisco. Pat predicted: Los Angeles
Pat: Los Angeles. John predicted: San Francisco

For your super power would you prefer invisibility, to be able to fly, to mind read or X-ray vision?
John: Invisibility. Pat predicted: He would want to fly.
Pat: We both can already read each other's minds so it's pretty boring already. I would say invisibility. John predicted: Mind read.

How many games will Dartmouth win this year?
John: 10. Pat predicted John would say: 10.
Pat: 10. John predicted Pat would say: 10.