Shaun O’Hara has retired from the NFL, but you’re almost certainly going to see more of him in the years to come than you did in the last couple of seasons.
O’Hara was out of the league entirely in 2011 after injuries limited him to six games in 2010, so his profile is going to expand a lot now that he’s going to work for the NFL Network. O’Hara officially moved into his new life on Monday when he announced his retirement at Giants headquarters. He’ll put his 11 years of playing experience to work as an analyst for the network.
O’Hara started his career by making the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2000, but made his name during seven years as the Giants’ starting center. O’Hara won a Super Bowl and was named to three Pro Bowl teams during his run with the Giants, which ended when he was released before the start of last season. O’Hara’s name popped up here and there when teams needed interior line help, but he never found anything that made him want to strap the pads back on.
“I had been training all last season,” O’Hara said, via CBSSports.com. “I knew I wasn’t going to play once the season started, once it was Week 4 I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I trained in February and March and into the spring so if someone called I could at least give them an honest answer. I wasn’t offered anything that was appealing.”
When O’Hara was asked what he’ll miss most, he mentioned Eli Manning’s “big hands,” an answer that bodes well for his ability to keep us entertained in his new job.