Pat O'Dea
 O'Dea during his tenure as coach of Notre Dame, 1901 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biographical details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 17 March 1872 Kilmore, Victoria, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 5 April 1962 (aged 90) San Francisco, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1898–1899 | Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Kirksville Osteopaths | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall | 24–10–2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accomplishments and honors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1962 (profile) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Patrick John "Kangaroo Kicker" O'Dea (17 March 1872 – 5 April 1962) was an
Following his Australian Rules and American Football careers, O'Dea deliberately disappeared from the public eye, however he helped popularise Australian rules football in the United States as a participation sport while working in San Francisco by training schoolchildren in the kicking game.[2]
O'Dea was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1962.
Early life
O'Dea was born in
Playing career
O'Dea played American football at the
Wisconsin then headed into a Thanksgiving Day showdown with 1898 Western champions Michigan, with only the narrow loss to Yale marring their record. New songs were composed for the occasion, including “Oh, Pat O’Dea” to the popular tune “Margery”. The chorus ran:
"Oh Pat O’Dea, oh Pat O’Dea, We love you more and more.
Oh Pat O’Dea, oh Pat O’Dea, You’re the boy that we adore;
Your leg is ever sure and true, And always kicks a goal or two.
The team and rooters worship you. Oh Pat O’Dea."[4]
In the 1899 game, he returned a kick-off 90 yards for a touchdown, and he had four field goals. He was selected as an All-American team member in 1899.
O'Dea also competed in
Coaching career
Notre Dame
From 1900 to 1901, O'Dea coached at the University of Notre Dame, compiling a 14–4–2 record.
Missouri
O'Dea was the tenth head football coach for the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, serving for one season, in 1902, and compiled a record of 5–3.
Later life
O'Dea introduced Australian rules at the
He disappeared from public view in 1917, having decided that he didn't like being treated as a celebrity, and it was assumed by Wisconsin fans that O'Dea had died fighting in
Pat O'Dea died on 4 April 1962 at the age of 90 after an illness. While he was in hospital he received a get-well message from President John Kennedy. O'Dea's obituary in the New York Times commented on his kicking achievements including a 110-yard punt, though against Minnesota in 1897 and not Yale in 1899, and his 62-yard goal against Northwestern in 1898.
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame (Independent) (1900–1901) | |||||||||
| 1900 | Notre Dame | 6–3–1 | |||||||
| 1901 | Notre Dame | 8–1–1 | |||||||
| Notre Dame: | 14–4–2 | ||||||||
| Missouri Tigers (Independent) (1902) | |||||||||
| 1902 | Missouri | 5–3 | |||||||
| Missouri: | 5–3 | ||||||||
Kirksville Osteopaths (Independent) (1903)
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| 1903 | Kirksville Osteopaths | 5–3 | |||||||
| Kirksville Osteopaths: | 5–3 | ||||||||
| Total: | 24–10–2 | ||||||||
References
- ^ Nauright, J. (1999). Making an international legend: The media, Pat O'Dea and midwestern American Football in the 1890s and 1930s. Football Studies, 2(2), 37-56. Copy available on-line at www.la84foundation.org.
- ^ a b "TOURING AUSTRALIANS". The Age. No. 16, 813. Victoria, Australia. 1 February 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 30 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
- ^ Nauright, John (2004). "The Legend and Mystery of Pat O'Dea, the "Kangaroo Kicker"". Gridiron Greats Magazine.
- ^ "Pat O'Dea (1962) - Hall of Fame". National Football Foundation. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Pat O'Dea Comes to Light Again". Burnie Advocate. National Library of Australia. 16 November 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
External links
- Pat O'Dea at the College Football Hall of Fame
- O'Dea, Patrick John (Pat) (1872–1962) Australian Dictionary of Biography
- Profile at DemonWiki
