Shaun O'Hara

Shaun O'Hara (born June 23, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a center for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. He began his professional career by signing as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns, and spent the majority of his NFL career with the New York Giants. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Shaun O'Hara
refer to caption
O'Hara with the Giants in 2007
No. 60
Position:Center
Personal information
Born: (1977-06-23) June 23, 1977
Chicago Heights, Illinois, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:303 lb (137 kg)
Career information
High school:Hillsborough (Hillsborough Township, New Jersey)
College:Rutgers
Undrafted:2000
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:151
Games started:135
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years

O'Hara grew up in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey and attended Hillsborough High School (New Jersey). He also spent some of his childhood in Medina, Ohio.

College career

He attended Rutgers University in New Jersey, where walked on and played for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team from 1995 to 1999.

Professional career

O'Hara's professional career began with the Cleveland Browns, where he played center and guard and after signing as a rookie free agent in 2000.[1] While a Brown, O'Hara started 38 of 54 games, including the final 34 that he played. He signed a three-year $5.4 million contract with the Giants on March 7, 2004 with the intention of playing Center, which he considers his more natural position,[2] as well as to help bolster an offensive line that was often criticized as one of the problems in the Giants' 2003 season.[3]

In his first year with the team, O'Hara's season was nearly ended by a case of athlete's foot, which developed into a staph infection, raising discussion about the incidences of staph in NFL locker rooms.[4][5]

O'Hara re-signed with the Giants in March 2007 keeping him off the free agent market,[6] despite initial concerns about whether a deal was possible.[7] The Giants' offensive line has been viewed by some as one of the keys to the team's success,[8] which was cemented following Super Bowl XLII[9] and in the leadup thereto,[10][11] but was seen as early as 2005.[12]

Despite initial impressions that O'Hara was not a Pro Bowl caliber player,[13] he was named a reserve in the 2008 Pro Bowl, named a starter in the 2009 Pro Bowl, and to the 2010 Pro Bowl, although he did not play due to injury. [14]

On July 28, 2011, he was released by the New York Giants.[15]

Shaun O'Hara officially announced his retirement as a New York Giant on September 3, 2012. He is now a color analyst for NFL Network and ESPN Radio, and a regular fill-in host for Good Morning Football.

Off-field activity

O'Hara was a member of the Giants' leadership council and was a team co-captain for the 2007 season.[16] He was also the Giants' team representative to the players' union and was very outspoken about the role of the players' union and its leadership.[17][18]

He was named Giants Man of the Year for his community involvement as well as United Way's Hometown Hero in 2005[19] and has also worked with a number of organizations to support the communities where he lives.[19] In March 2009, he was honored by the American Ireland Fund as one of the most noted and successful Irish American figures today.[20]

In April 2009, O'Hara, along with his wife Amy, launched the Shaun O'Hara Foundation, whose mission is to increase knowledge and education for life-threatening diseases for which there is limited funding.[21]

References
  1. Zinser, Lynn (March 8, 2004). "Giants Acquire O'Hara to Play Center". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  2. "O'Hara Agrees to Three-Year Deal". ESPN. March 7, 2004. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  3. Chadiha, Jeffri (September 1, 2004). "SI's 2004 NFL Scouting Report: Giants". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  4. "Athlete's Foot Almost Ends Giant's Season". MSNBC. November 3, 2004. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  5. Vacchiano, Ralph (November 4, 2004). "Only O'Hara's Laugh is Contagious". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  6. Canavan, Tom (March 2, 2007). "Giants Sign Center Shaun O'Hara". Fox News. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  7. "Blue Bar is Lowered. Is Just Contending Enough?". New York Daily News. December 20, 2006. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  8. Schmeelk, John (April 16, 2008). "Positional Analysis: O-Line". Giants.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  9. Telander, Rick (October 7, 2008). "Brotherhood of the Offensive Line". Men's Journal. Archived from the original on April 6, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  10. Schwartz, Paul (October 18, 2007). "Giants' Front Men". New York Post. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  11. Clayton, John (February 1, 2008). "Giants' O-Line Standing Test of Time". ESPN. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  12. Vacchiano, Ralph (October 14, 2005). "O-Line Real Key to Giants Offensive Explosion". The Giants Insider. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  13. Chadiha, Jeffri (September 6, 2004). "3 New York Giants". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  14. Eisen, Michael (December 16, 2008). "Six Giants Named to Pro Bowl". Giants.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  15. Rosenthal, Gregg (July 28, 2011). "Release Tracker". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  16. Garafolo, Mike (June 12, 2008). "O'Hara Comments on Plax Situation". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  17. Rhoden, William C. (January 4, 2009). "Players Need to Be Thinking About Union's Leadership". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  18. Schwartz, Paul (April 11, 2008). "O'Hara: Upshaw's Ego Hurting the Cause". New York Post. Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  19. Player - Shaun O'Hara - Giants.com Archived February 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  20. "New York Young Leaders St. Patrick's Celebration". The American Ireland Fund in New York. March 12, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2009.
  21. Garafolo, Mike (April 28, 2009). "Shaun O'Hara says Rutgers' success in draft a testament to Greg Schiano's development of program". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved June 24, 2009.

22 Benedict,J. 2020 The Dynasty, the definitiveinside story of the New England Patriots. Rockspring Media. Avid Reader PressAn Imprint of Simon & Schuster,inc. 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York10020.

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