Wayne State University Athletics

O'Hara, a native of Detroit and graduate of Detroit Cody HS, received three varsity football letters in 1957, 1958 and 1959, and two varsity letters in wrestling in 1958-59 and 1959-60. He also received a freshman football numeral in 1956. On the Tartars' football squad O'Hara was an outstanding two-way player at offensive center and linebacker. Statistics were not kept for defensive players in those days so none can be provided for O'Hara's contributions on defense. O'Hara ranks among the Tartars' finest offensive linemen ever. He was named the team's Most Valuable lineman, and to the Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) First and Associated Press's (AP) All-State Small College teams after his junior and senior seasons. In 1959 he also served as the team's captain, was named co-Most Valuable Player along with fullback Jim Morse, and was named to the AP's Small College All-American Honorable Mention Team. Looking to remain active in sports after football season concluded, O'Hara joined the wrestling squad during his junior season. He wrestled heavyweight both seasons, and enjoyed considerable success. During his senior year O'Hara went undefeated, and he won the 1960 PAC heavyweight title and earned All-PAC Wrestling First Team honors. After finishing his collegiate career O'Hara signed as a free agent with the then-expansion Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. He played in five games during the exhibition season. O'Hara is an answer to a trivia question about the Cowboys. He set-up the first points against Dallas ever, and did it as the team's long snapper! Playing the San Francisco `49ers at the World's Fair being held in Seattle, Wash., in 1960, O'Hara put the snap over the punter's head and it sailed into the endzone for a safety and the first points ever scored against Dallas. Upon returning from Dallas, O'Hara concluded his engineering studies at Wayne State and began work at Detroit Edison in February 1961. He was signed by the AFL's Buffalo Bills for a try-out in the summer of 1961, but having to choose between a career with Edison or the Bills, he choose Edison. O'Hara earned his Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Wayne in 1961, and also received a Master's in Mechanical Engineering from WSU in 1964. O'Hara retires from Edison in June after a 33-year career. Currently he is manager of transmission and technical services, a position he has held since 1990, and is a member of Detroit Edison's Management Council, the controlling body of the utility. During his career at Edison, O'Hara held several management positions, including serving as CEO of Edison's coal company subsidiary in eastern Kentucky from 1977-80. He has long been involved in Wayne State alumni affairs, including serving a three-year term as a member of WSU's Alumni Board of Directors (1989-92). He was a member of the Wayne State athletic directors search in 1991, and is a long-time participant in the Tartar Gridiron Club. O'Hara and his wife, Rosalie, reside in Northville, Mich. They have one son, Steve. The O'Haras will be spending the next year traveling the United States in a mobile home looking for their new retirement home. During that trip O'Hara plans to play a lot of golf.