Pat O'Hara

NFL PlayerCoach
name=Pat O'Hara


DateOfBirth= birth date and age|1968|09|27
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Position= Quarterback
College= University of Southern California
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ArenaBowls=ArenaBowl XII
ArenaBowl XIV
ArenaBowl XVII
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coach=y
coachingyears=1996
1998-2000

2001-2003
2005
2007-2008
2009
coachingteams=Point Loma HS (QBs coach)
New Smyrna Beach HS
(QBs coach)
Olympia HS (OC)
Tampa Bay Storm (OC)
Tampa Bay Storm (OC)
Los Angeles Avengers (HC)
player=y
years=1991
1992
1992
1993

1994

1995-2000
2001-2002
2003-2006
teams=Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL)
Ohio Glory (WLAF)
San Diego Chargers (NFL)
San Diego Chargers
(NFL TC only)
Washington Redskins
(NFL TC only)
Orlando Predators (AFL)
Toronto Phantoms (AFL)
Tampa Bay Storm (AFL)

Patrick O'Hara (born September 27, 1968) is an American football coach, and retired quarterback. He is a former USC Trojan who played in the Arena Football League, the National Football League, and the World League of American Football. He is currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena League.

High school career

Pat O'Hara was one of the most coveted high school recruits in all of California in 1985. He fired at least one touchdown pass during every game of his junior and senior years at Santa Monica High School most notably to his favorite targets Dominique Holland & senior standout Lawrence Crayton. His favorite receiver was [Dominique Holland] , who caught 22 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. [Travis Clark] was also on the receiving end of 17 passes for 270 yards and six touchdowns. O'Hara was a two-time Los Angeles Times All-Westside selection and the Westside back of the year in 1984. He passed for nearly 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns in 10 games of his senior season at Santa Monica High School. The star quarterback at Santa Monica High School tallied 3,703 yards and 44 touchdowns in his last two years. He made an oral commitment to play for Coach Ted Tollner's Trojans and later signed a letter of intent with USC.

He also earned Honorable Mention All-"USA Today" honors and All-League honors as a center fielder for the Viking baseball team as a senior. As a senior he was named to the 1985 All-Westside first team along with teammates London Sattiewhite, Bernard Shockley, Travis Clark, Dale Evans, who also attended USC with O'Hara. He was coached by Tebb Kusserow who coached Samohi to the 1981 CIF championship and his teams made the playoffs 15 times in 17 years. He had also previously coached Dennis Thurman, Dennis Smith, Junior Thurman, Mel Kaufman, Dean Cain (TV's Superman), Glyn Milburn, Sam Anno, Keith Davis, Darren Willis and many others.

Recruit Process

He said he made the University of Southern California his choice after visiting that campus and talking to Tollner and USC football players, including former Santa Monica linebackers Keith Davis and Sam Anno and defensive backs Aaron Brown and Junior Thurman. He was also widely and aggressively recruited by 50 other Schools.

He said his choice was not influenced by Santa Monica High Coach Tebb Kusserow, a USC alumnus. "Mr. Kusserow was very open and in no way influenced me to go to USC. He would always bring up the good points of other schools and did not push me. He wants me to be happy wherever I go."

USC career

At USC, O'Hara's playing time was limited to a backup. O'Hara was almost guaranteed the starting job after Rodney Peete left after his senior season until he tore ligaments and fractured his right knee requiring numerous surgeries. Then-freshman Todd Marinovich was given the starting job and the unheralded Marinovich led the team to a Rose Bowl win against Michigan in Bo Schembechler's last game as a head coach.Douglas S. Looney, [http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1136510/index.htm The Minefield] , "Sports Illustrated", September 3, 1990, Accessed September 10, 2008.] O'Hara's arm was impressive enough for some NFL scouts to offer him a workout with them. The most notable ones were the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay which snapped him up with 260th pick of the 1991 NFL Draft. O'Hara graduated with a degree in Public Administration in 1991.

Professional playing career

He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 10th round (260th pick) of the 1991 NFL Draft. Anno was on the 1991 Tampa Bay Buccanners squad the year that former Santa Monica High Vikings Quarterback Pat O'Hara (1984) was drafted by the Bucs (10, 260). I was just in junior high school then and even though I didn't know him personally, I knew of him," said [Pat O'Hara] , who grew up a mile from [Sam Anno] . "Everyone knew who he was. Sam was a legend."

"It was really weird when I found out that they had drafted Pat," said Anno, who was about to enter his third season with the Buccaneers. "I said, `No way . . . I can't believe that Pat is coming here.'"

Anno and O'Hara renewed their friendship at Tampa Bay. O'Hara spent most of the season on the team's development squad and Anno led the Buccaneers in tackles on special teams.

Following the 1991 season O'Hara was allocated to the World League's Ohio Glory and subsequently signed by the San Diego Chargers as a Plan B free agent serving as their third string quarterback for the 1992 season. He attended training camp with the San Diego Chargers in 1993 and the Washington Redskins in 1994.

During the course of O'Hara's 16 year professional playing career he led the Orlando Predators to the ArenaBowl XII and ArenaBowl XIV title and led the Tampa Bay Storm to the ArenaBowl XVII title off the bench after starting quarterback John Kaleo was injured late in the second quarter. O'Hara played on five ArenaBowl teams and won three ArenaBowl championship rings. He also played with the Toronto Phantoms (2001-2002).

Coaching career

After retiring from the game after the 2006 season, O'Hara joined the Storm as an assistant coach and took over as the club’s offensive coordinator. O'Hara also served as the offensive coordinator during the course of the 2005 season as a player-coach.

O’Hara was also responsible for helping to develop Brett Dietz, who ended his first season in the AFL with 2,395 passing yards and 47 TDs (in nine games) en route to Co-Rookie of the Year honors.

O’Hara’s success on the field as a player and his instant success as a coordinator had a number of teams interested in him in the 2008 offseason. He interviewed for head coaching positions with the Grand Rapids Rampage and the Arizona Rattlers and was a finalist for both jobs.

On July 25, 2008, The Los Angeles Avengers announced the signing of O'Hara as their new head coach. He is the fourth head coach in Avengers history, and takes over for Ed Hodgkiss who was relieved of duties after a disappointing 2008 season.

Movie career

O'Hara has appeared in several movies including "The Waterboy" (1998), "Any Given Sunday" (1999), and "The Game Plan" (2007). O'Hara also shares his knowledge as a consultant for "The Sports Studio" on films such as "The Longest Yard" (2005), "Invincible" (2006), "We Are Marshall" (2006), and "The Game Plan" (2007).

References

External links

* [http://www.arenafan.com/players/?page=players&player=1186 Pat O'Hara at ArenaFan Online]
*imdb|0641319
* [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1808985935 Yahoo movie credits]
* [http://www.arenafootball.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=38131&SPID=3181&DB_OEM_ID=3500&ATCLID=1265439 "O'Hara goes Hollywood in off-season"]
* [http://www.tampabaystorm.com Tampa Bay Storm website]