Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Philadelphia native Gene O’Pella came to Villanova after attending St. John’s High School which did not have a football program during his scholastic career. The lack of experience may have hindered O’Pella at the outset of his collegiate career, but by his senior season he had developed into a first team All-American and professional prospect who made significant contributions to the Wildcats both offensively and defensively. O’Pella played on the Villanova varsity squad from 1956-58 and was a member of the 1958 graduating class. He was inducted to the Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1984.
 
Listed as an end, O’Pella lined up on both sides of the ball and was the Wildcats leading receiver as a senior in 1958 when he caught 13 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns. He was described before that season as having “the big hands necessary to make him one of the best pass receivers around.” A physical specimen at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds his senior year, O’Pella was also noted as “an outstanding pro prospect … could end up his career in a blaze of glory with several postseason accolades.”
 
Those prophecies each came true, as O’Pella was named to the Williamson All-America first team for the 1958 season and went on to play professionally with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League in 1959. He was also selected by Washington with the 89^th overall pick in the eighth round of the 1959 NFL Draft.  
 
O’Pella caught eight passes for 150 yards in his first varsity season in 1956 and had a 15-yard kickoff return against Florida State during the year. As a junior in 1957 he increased his totals to nine receptions for 166 yards and had a 10-yard kickoff return versus Wichita State.
 
It was the 1958 season which was both O’Pella’s and the Wildcats best of his playing career. Villanova went 6-4 that season and tallied road wins over Boston College and Dayton in addition to consecutive home victories over Wake Forest and Richmond. In the second game of the season O’Pella scored his first career touchdown on a nine-yard reception against VMI. Two games later he scored the only touchdown of a 7-0 win over Detroit on an eight-yard scoring pass in the first quarter.