POSTED: Wednesday December 30th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Shaun O'Hara To Represent Giants on 2010 NFC Pro Bowl Squad

By Michael Eisen

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - When Shaun O’Hara played in the Pro Bowl last year, he tried to savor everything about the game and the experience.

“You don’t know if it’s going to be a one-time thing or you’re going to get to do it again,” O’Hara said. “You almost treat it like a Super Bowl and try to soak it all in and say, ‘This may be the only one I get to.’”

Not for O’Hara. The 10-year veteran center today learned he was the only Giants player selected to the NFC Pro Bowl team.

“To be going back again, I am just very blessed and I can’t help but think that this reflects more on my unit and the guys around me than me,” O’Hara said. “I’m excited about it. It’s a little excitement in an otherwise sad 48 hours.”

The Giants were eliminated from playoff contention after their 41-9 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

“As an offensive lineman, our mentality is you attach your self-worth to the team,” O’Hara said. “When you’re having an up and down season as a team and you start to get disappointed as a team, you sometimes relay that to yourself.  But after last year it was great. I was very excited to participate in it and be acknowledged.”

O’Hara is the first Giant to be voted to back-to-back Pro Bowls since Tiki Barber and Jeremy Shockey in 2005-06. He is the first Giants offensive lineman to go in consecutive seasons since guard Ron Stone in 2000 and 2001 and the team’s first center since Bart Oates in 1990 and 1991.

“I couldn’t have done it without the guys next to me - Rich (Seubert), and Chris (Snee) and Dave (Diehl) and Kareem (McKenzie) and without my whole unit,” O’Hara said. “In addition to them, (offensive line coach) Pat Flaherty has been instrumental in my development as a player.”

This season, the Pro Bowl has moved from its traditional location, Honolulu, and time, a week after the Super Bowl. It will be played in Miami on Sunday, Jan. 31, a week before Super Bowl XLIV is played there.

“I think it’s still going to be special,” O’Hara said. “For guys who are going for the first time, it will be special. It is nice that I got to go to Hawaii last year and experience that. Now, I’ll get to experience it in a different light. The best part about it is the camaraderie from being around guys on other teams and being with the best players in the NFL.”

Because of the new date, Pro Bowl players from the Super Bowl teams will not play in the all-star game. Players selected as alternates have a greater chance to participate in the game.

Left tackle Diehl, right guard Snee and wide receiver Steve Smith, who has a franchise-record 97 catches, were selected as first alternates. Return man Domenik Hixon and defensive end Justin Tuck are third alternates, and quarterback Eli Manning is a fourth alternate.

Last year, the Giants sent seven players to the Pro Bowl - O’Hara, Snee, Manning, Tuck, punter Jeff Feagles, kicker John Carney and special teamer Zak DeOssie.

Being selected again helped lift O’Hara out of his doldrums from his team’s up and down season, especially Sunday’s loss to Carolina.

“I’ve been moping around here,” O’Hara said. “My family is up from Texas and they were in the room with me (when he heard he had been voted to the NFC team).

“Everybody is excited and they’re happy to be here. We had our family Christmas last night, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the game and about the season and how crappy everything is, for lack of a better term. We’re all so embarrassed and upset and angry. I didn’t think anything would be able to pick me up out of that hole, but this sure is trying.”

Giants Media Schedule

Wednesday, Dec. 30
11:00 a.m.—Tom Coughlin available
11:30 a.m. - Conference call with Minnesota head coach Brad Childress
11:35 a.m.-1:25 p.m. - Practice
12:40 p.m. - Conference call with Minnesota DE Jared Allen
1:40-2:25 p.m.—Player interviews; Eli Manning available

Thursday, Dec. 31
11:35 a.m.-1:25 p.m. - Practice
After Practice—Tom Coughlin available
After Practice—Coordinators available
1:40-2:25 p.m.—Players available

Friday, Jan. 1
No scheduled availability

# # #

---

Keywords · Pro Bowl · Shaun O’Hara · NFL · Miami · New York Giants

---

Name: Avis Roper
Organization:
Email:

---

Please refer all questions to the company listed above issuing the press release. SFC will not be able to assist you with any inquiries and disclaims any content in these press releases.