(If there was any uncertainty that we have landed at very rock-bottom of the college football news cycle, the following post should erase any and all doubts. But kudos anyways to Mr. O’Hara for giving back to his school. Anyway, here’s the full text of the press release from Rutgers.)
Former Rutgers standout and current New York Giant starting center Shaun O’Hara has agreed to fund an endowed scholarship at the $100,000 mark to be awarded to a walk-on football player that has earned a scholarship during his playing career at Rutgers. O’Hara was a former walk-on who eventually earned a scholarship through his efforts on the field and in the classroom.
O’Hara will fund the scholarship through the Shaun O’Hara Foundation, which he and his wife Amy established. “HIKE,” Helping Increase Knowledge and Education of life threatening disease is the primary focus of the Shaun O’Hara Foundation.
Amy and Shaun have established this endowment to ensure the growth of the Rutgers football program and the student-athletes who participate both academically and athletically. O’Hara can directly attribute his professional accomplishments to the opportunities Rutgers University provided him academically, athletically and socially.
O’Hara and his wife Amy would like to make certain that future student-athletes have superior opportunities than he did. The Amy and Shaun O’Hara Endowed Football Scholarship will be directed to a former walk-on, who has earned a scholarship just as Shaun accomplished.
O’Hara is a native of Hillsborough and eventually walked-on to the football team at Rutgers, where he lettered for three years (1997-99). O’Hara played on the offensive line earning All-BIG EAST honors in 1998 and 1999.
Among the other accolades O’Hara received during his career at Rutgers included the David Bender Trophy (1998 and 1999) recognizing the team’s top offensive lineman, the Touchdown Club Trophy (1999), awarded to that senior whose performance, leadership and dedication on and off the field, during his varsity career, had the greatest impact on Rutgers Football and the George Cronin Trophy (1997), as the team’s most improved lineman.
O’Hara’s playing career provided him the opportunity to sign as a free agent in 2000 with the Cleveland Browns. In 2004, O’Hara signed with the New York Giants and currently serves as an offensive team captain and starting center. O’Hara won a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII and was most recently selected to the Pro Bowl in 2009 and 2010. He is one of only two players in Rutgers Football history to play in multiple Pro Bowls.