Position: Fullback
Years: 1896-1899
Place of Birth: Melbourne, Australia
Date of Birth: Mar 17, 1872
Place of Death: San Francisco, CA
Date of Death: Mar 04, 1962
Height: 6-0
Weight: 169
High School: Victoria, Australia (Kew Jesuit HS)
Patrick John O'Dea was born March 17, 1872, in Kilmore, Australia, 74 km north of Melbourne. O’Dea played Australian Rules Football at Xavier College and professionally for the Melbourne Football Club and Esssendon Football Club in Australia before arriving in the United States in 1896. Upon landing in America, he tracked down his brother Andy, who coached track and crew at the University of Wisconsin. O’Dea enrolled at the school, becoming a four-year starter at fullback from 1896-99 while also rowing and competing in track as a hurdler.
Known as the “Kangaroo Kicker,” O’Dea earned fame for his running drop kicks, capitalizing on his Australian background where the practice of punting and drop-kicking was done on the run. His longest drop-kick went 62 yards on Nov. 15, 1898, against Northwestern during a heavy blizzard. He made 60-yarders against Chicago in 1897 and Minnesota in 1899. His place kicks included 60 yards against Minnesota and 57 against Illinois in 1899. O'Dea was credited with long-punts of 110 yards against Minnesota in 1887, 100 against Yale in 1899 and 85 against Lake Forest in 1896. He made a 90-yard run against Beloit in 1899 and in four years made 32 field goals. He served as team captain his last two years in Madison.
O'Dea went on to become the head coach at Notre Dame from 1900-01, posting 14-4-2 record, and then at Missouri in 1902 with a 5-3 record. He moved to San Francisco, and he coached the Stanford crew in 1913. O'Dea disappeared in 1917. Presumed dead, he was discovered in 1934, using the assumed name of Charles Mitchell in northeastern California in the town of Westwood. "I was tired of the football fame," he explained as he resumed using the O'Dea name. On April 4, 1962, he received the official notice of his election to the College Football Hall of Fame. He passed away the following day on April 5, 1962.
