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Shaun O’Hara was in the Browns locker room just long enough last weekend to catch a quick glimpse of the players participating in the Browns’ rookie minicamp.
With a half-smile and a lot of prodding from this obnoxious reporter, O’Hara took a few minutes to reminisce about being “in those guys’ shoes” when he signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers in 2000.
“It was one of the most overwhelming things I’ve ever experienced,” O’Hara said. “You feel like such a little fish in a big pond. Your eyes are just huge and you’re just trying to absorb everything. It’s tough going from a college situation where you’re ‘the man’ on your team to a place where nobody knows you. You’re starting all over again.”
O’Hara has gone from wide-eyed kid to—and even he can’t believe it—NFL veteran. He’s started 24 games in three seasons, including all 16 last year.
“Coming in undrafted is exciting in a sense because you get to start fresh,” he said. “It’s a new challenge. A lot of the anxiety and the nervousness is a good thing. It’s amazing to look back on it and think I’m going into my fourth year now.”
With a half-smile and a lot of prodding from this obnoxious reporter, O’Hara took a few minutes to reminisce about being “in those guys’ shoes” when he signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers in 2000.
“It was one of the most overwhelming things I’ve ever experienced,” O’Hara said. “You feel like such a little fish in a big pond. Your eyes are just huge and you’re just trying to absorb everything. It’s tough going from a college situation where you’re ‘the man’ on your team to a place where nobody knows you. You’re starting all over again.”
O’Hara has gone from wide-eyed kid to—and even he can’t believe it—NFL veteran. He’s started 24 games in three seasons, including all 16 last year.
“Coming in undrafted is exciting in a sense because you get to start fresh,” he said. “It’s a new challenge. A lot of the anxiety and the nervousness is a good thing. It’s amazing to look back on it and think I’m going into my fourth year now.”
