Pat O'Dea
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| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
March 17, 1872 Kilmore, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | April 5, 1962 (aged 90) San Francisco, California |
| Playing career | |
| 1898–1899 | Wisconsin |
| Position(s) | Fullback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1900–1901 | Notre Dame |
| 1902 | Missouri |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 19–7–2 |
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College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1962 (profile) |
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Patrick John "Kangaroo Kicker" O'Dea (March 17, 1872 – April 5, 1962) was an Australian rules and American football player and coach. An Australian by birth, O'Dea played Australian rules football for the Melbourne Football Club in the VFA. In 1898 and 1899, O'Dea played American football at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the United States, where he excelled in the kicking game. He then served as the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1900 to 1901 and at the University of Missouri in 1902, compiling a career college football record of 19–7–2. O'Dea was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1962.
O'Dea was born in Kilmore, Victoria, Australia to an Irish-born father and a Victorian-born mother. He was the third child of seven children. As a child he attended Christian Brothers College and Xavier College. As a 16-year-old he received a bronze medallion from the Royal Humane Society of Australasia for rescuing a woman at Mordialloc beach.
O'Dea played American football at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he was their star fullback from 1896–1899 and captained the 1898 and 1899 teams. In those days fullbacks punted and often did the placekicking. In the 1898 edition of the Northwestern game, which was played in a blizzard, he drop kicked a 62-yard field goal, and had a 116-yard punt. This earned him the nickname "Kangaroo Kicker".
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