Image via Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After eight seasons in nine years playing in the NFL, former Eastern Michigan defensive end Pat O’Connor’s playing career has finally finished.
From his Instagram account:
After 9 incredible years, I think it’s finally time to hang up the cleats.
If you had told my younger self that I’d play this long, spend my entire career with just two teams, get drafted, and win a Super Bowl, he would have called you crazy. But here we are.
I want to thank all of my teammates and friends I met along the way. There are far too many to name, so I won’t—but you know who you are. Thank you for the memories, the friendships, and everything in between.
Thank you to all of the coaches who impacted my career and helped me become a better player and an even better person, both on and off the field.
As one chapter closes, another begins. Now it’s time to enter the real world. I’m beyond excited and ready for whatever comes next.
Thank you, football, for everything
And Chris Creighton, who coached O’Connor from 2014 through 2016, had this video message for his former all-conference defender.
Congratulations OC on an incredible collegiate and NFL career.
Man, you’ve made us proud and you’ll continue to. Man, but your leadership- I just did an interview today with the Bahamas Bowl and you leading us to that miraculous season, and then following you with the Lions and Tampa Bay, winning a Super Bowl, and coming back to the Lions.
Just phenomenal watching you. We’re super proud.
O’Connor was a two-time First Team All-MAC defensive end at EMU (2014, 2016) who missed a season to injury. With EMU, he recorded 166 total tackles (68 solo), 33.5 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, 8 pass breakups, and 7 forced fumbles.
After college, he became the 250th player off the board as a seventh-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft to Detroit. The Lions didn’t keep him around for long at first, but would keep him in mind. The team released him, and Tampa Bay signed and kept him around from 2017 through 2023 (minus the 2018 season; waived in September but re-signed at the end of the calendar year).
O’Connor, #79, found himself on the field by doing dirty work on defense and special teams, made his first career sack against Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings in 2020. That year, he saw the field in every playoff game for “Tompa Bay’s” Super Bowl run, where the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers beat the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.
O’Connor came back to Detroit, largely as a practice squad player, in 2024 and stayed for his final two years of football.
His final career stats: 88 games, 3 starts, 52 total tackles (24 solo), 7 TFL, 2.5 sackss breakup, and 1 safety.