Pat O'Dea biography
Pat O’Dea, in full Patrick John O’Dea, (born March 16, 1872, Kilmore, Victoria, Australia—died April 4, 1962, San Francisco, California, U.S.), Australian-born hero of each Australian guidelines soccer and early gridiron soccer within the United States who precipitated one of many best sporting mysteries of all time when he disappeared from 1917 to 1934.
O’Dea performed for the Melbourne Football Club between 1892 and 1894 and was named as an All-Australian participant and chosen a number of instances to the Victoria state group. In 1896 he adopted his elder brother Andy to the United States. Andy coached rowing on the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and Pat quickly discovered himself on the gridiron, the place he grew to become one of many best fullbacks in American collegiate soccer within the period earlier than the ahead go. He was well-known for his lengthy, excessive kicks, or “twirlers,” that allowed his teammates to reach concurrently the ball, thus incomes him the nickname “the Kangaroo Kicker.” He was a part of Western Conference (forerunner of the Big Ten) championship groups in 1896 and 1897, served as captain of the Wisconsin group (1898–99), and was twice named an All-American (1898–99). O’Dea nonetheless holds University of Wisconsin information for 5 of the six longest discipline objectives and the 2 longest punts. He was additionally an excellent track-and-field athlete at Wisconsin.
O’Dea went on to educate the University of Notre Dame for the 1900 and 1901 seasons, compiling a 14–4–1 file earlier than being fired for deserting the group to play for the South Bend Studebakers skilled group in a recreation in opposition to Notre Dame. He went on to educate on the University of Missouri in 1902, with a file of 5–3, earlier than shifting to San Francisco to follow regulation.
O’Dea disappeared from public view round 1917, later claiming he wished to flee from his soccer fame. Many, together with his brother, thought he had joined the Australian military and died in World War I. It was additionally rumoured that he was scalded to loss of life in Missouri. He was found in 1934, nonetheless, working in northern California underneath the assumed identify of Charles J. Mitchell as a director of the Lassen Volcanic Park Association, a bunch that led within the struggle for higher roads in northern California.
He returned to Wisconsin for homecoming in 1934 to an enormous hero’s welcome. In 1951 O’Dea was named to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame within the inaugural induction. In 1962, the 12 months he died, O’Dea was named to the College Football Hall of Fame.