Monday marks columnist Mike O’Hara’s final day of employment. Watch the Detroit Lions’ celebration of his 47-year career here.
Monday marks the final day of employment for Detroit Lions columnist Mike O’Hara. Last week, O’Hara announced his retirement after nearly 50 years in the business. He started as a “copy boy” at the Detroit News before joining the Lions beat in 1977. For the ensuing 47 years, he covered the Lions, including his recent 12-year run at DetroitLions.com . In 2019, he was inducted into the 2019 Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
In his final press conference of the spring, Lions coach Dan Campbell ended with an honor of O’Hara’s life, which not only includes a devotion to the craft of NFL beat writer but also two years of service in the Army.
“We just want to thank you, all of us in here,” Campbell said. “Thank you Mike for everything that you’ve done. It’s been a hell of a career, man.”
Lions owner Sheila Hamp and team president Rod Wood also made rare media room visits to offer their congratulations to O’Hara.
But, as always, the man of the hour was the man to watch. O’Hara offered his own lengthy statement, recapping his illustrious career, sharing his gratitude for every opportunity he got, and providing the dry wit that has made him so endearing to all the people around him.
You can watch the entire moment below.
Congratulations to Mike on a phenomenal career. Enjoy retirement to the fullest. You sure have earned it.
If you want to catch O’Hara, he’ll still be providing some of his opinions and takes over on the Ken Brown & Mike O’Hara podcast.