A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Oden attended Classical High School in Providence, Rhode Island,[1] where he captained the school's ice hockey team in 1917,[2] and remained a fixture in Rhode Island hockey throughout the 1920s.

[3][4] He played college football at Brown University, scoring eight touchdowns and passing for five more as a senior.

He played a single game with the NFL's Boston Braves in 1932, his final professional season.

[8] In his career, Oden rushed for eight touchdowns, caught four more in the air, passed for two, and scored five on kickoff and punt returns, a league record at the time.

An all-league shortstop who also managed the team in 1927 and 1928, Oden was known for his "timely hitting and accurate throwing," and was "the king of the base stealers in the league," having "thrilled the crowds on several occasions by stealing home.