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For the actor, see Michael O'Shea (actor).

Michael O'Shea (born September 21, 1970 in North Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian Football League linebacker. He currently plays for the Toronto Argonauts.

After graduating from Widdifield Secondary School, O'Shea played for the University of Guelph Gryphons from 1989 to 1992. He started at linebacker and was also the team’s long snapper. He was a 1st team OUAA all-star and CIAU all-star in 1992, when the Gryphons won the Yates Cup as the champions of the OUAA. O'Shea was also named OUAA Defensive Player of the Year as a senior and played in the East-West Shrine Game in California. He currently holds Guelph’s record for QB sacks with 21. He also made 86 tackles, 2 interceptions and two fumble returns during his career at the University of Guelph.

The Edmonton Eskimos picked O'Shea in the 1st round (4th overall) in the 1993 CFL Canadian College Draft. However, he was soon after traded to Hamilton by Edmonton along with QB DeChane Cameron, linebacker DeWayne Odom and a negotiation list player in exchange for QB Damon Allen on February 16, 1993.

In his first season in the CFL in 1993, O'Shea started in all 18 games. In 1994 he once again played in all 18 games during the regular season. He had 95 DT, 11 special teams tackles and 5 interceptions during the regular season. He was also named to the East Division All-Star team at middle linebacker. In 1995, O'Shea played in 10 games for Hamilton, made 69 DT, 4 special teams tackles and intercepted 2 passes during the regular season. He was named to the North Division All-Star team. In Hamilton’s 31-13 loss to the Calgary Stampeders in the North Division Semi-Final, made 4 DT and 1 special teams tackle.

O'Shea signed with the Argonauts half way through the 1996 season after he was one of the final cuts in the Detroit Lions training camp. He played in the last 8 games of the regular season started Toronto’s final 5 games of the regular season. He helped lead Toronto to the 1996 Grey Cup game in a win over Edmonton. He would also help Toronto win its second Grey Cup in as many years in the 1997 game. O'Shea would also play in Toronto in the 1998 and 1999 season as middle linebacker, putting up good numbers.

O'Shea was acquired by Hamilton in a trade from Toronto in exchange for RB Éric Lapointe, the right of first refusal on all offensive lineman and the playing rights to Orlondo Steinauer on June 11, 2000. He made an immediate impact in the season opener vs. B.C. as he contributed with 7 DT, made 3 DT On October 13, 2000 in the Tiger-Cats’ 32-8 loss to Toronto, O'Shea had his best individual game of the season with 12 DT and 1 pass knockdown. He finished the season third in the league with 90 DT.

O'Shea signed with the Argonauts once again as a free agent in the 2001 season. The Argonauts had a horrible 2001 season. In 2002, the Argos seemed to turn it around, and made it to the East final only to lose to Montreal. Since his second time with the Argonauts, O'Shea has become the corner stone of the Argonauts great defence. In 2004, O'Shea helped led the Argos to the 2004 Grey Cup Championship, beating the B.C. Lions 27-19, winning his 3rd Grey Cup, all with the Argonauts.

On October 20, 2006, against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Michael became the first Canadian and 3rd player in CFL history to record 1000 career tackles. He finished the 2007 CFL season as fourth on the Argos’ all-time games played list with 187, ahead of Pinball Clemons. He needs to play in just three more games to move into third all-time ahead of Paul Masotti.^[1] He was voted as the middle linebacker on All-Time Argos Team.^[2]

O'Shea and his wife Richere have three children. He also owns a restaurant/bar called Philthy McNasty’s in Toronto.

• Argonauts profile
• O'Shea statistics