Heath Shuler, the youngster from the small town of Bryson City, N.C., who came to Knoxville and eventual stardom playing football for the University of Tennessee, well remembers the letter his mother wrote to him and placed in his notebook on his first day in high school.
“Make each and every decision as if I was standing beside you,” she wrote in the letter which was tucked inside his notebook. “And if I’m not there, remember the Lord always is.”
Shuler, who was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy during his third season playing for the Volunteers, was guest speaker Tuesday night at the Boys & Girls Club’s annual Champions Dinner, one of the top fundraising efforts each year for the local club, at the EastView Recreation Department’s gymnasium.
Shuler quarterbacked the Vols in 1991-1993 and set numerous passing records during his career, many of those marks eclipsed by Peyton Manning when he arrived on the scene in Knoxville later in the 1990s. In the 1993 season Shuler was selected the SEC Player of the Year and placed second in voting for the Heisman Trophy, which was won by Florida State quarterback Charlie Ward.
He was drafted by the Washington Redskins as their first round pick and played for the Redskins three seasons before being traded to the New Orleans Saints. But the NFL did not work out for Shuler, so he took a turn in politics where he served six years in the United States Congress as the representative from North Carolina’s 11th congressional district.
He now calls Knoxville his home, and is still connected with the Volunteers as his son is a member of the football team and his daughter is on the dance team. Those two become the eighth from the Shuler family who have been student-athletes at the university.
“I’m a VFL (Vol For Life),” Shuler said during a pre-banquet interview. “I was in Omaha for the Sunday game, but I had to come home because I knew I had this event scheduled. But looking around that stadium in Omaha and seeing all the orange in the stands, well … that’s what makes Vol Nation so incredible. We have lots to celebrate today as we are national champions.”
The baseball vols won the College World Series on Monday night, defeating Texas A&M in the third game of the best two-of-three series.
Concerning the football program, Shuler feels Josh Heupel has the program on the right track.
“Football had a dry spell,” he said. “But now the leadership at the university has found three incredible leaders for our football, basketball and baseball programs that have brought coaching and recruiting to a high level, and they are making such a positive impact on the student-athletes.”
As a former quarterback, Shuler knows there will be bumps along the way for this year’s projected signal caller, Nico Iamaleava, but he feels fans will see him get better each game as the speed of the college game slows down some for him.
“Protecting the football is most important,” Shuler said. “And he will learn that sometimes taking a sack or throwing the ball out of bounds is the best option available.
The arrival of the NIL in college football has brought about huge changes, and Shuler said the NCAA “sort of fell asleep on this thing.”
“I respect the decision that allows players to earn income off their names and images,” he said. “It’s very positive for the athlete, but not so much so for the school. The way it’s progressing, well, I don’t know where it will end, but there will be some changes made.”
During his speech to the large crowd on hand, Shuler said he first became involved with the Boys & Girls Club when he began working at the Knoxville club while at UT, along with a couple of other football players. He said he fondly recalls helping a young girl learn how to read one summer, and that made him realize that “you can make a difference in the lives of young people.”
“Small eyes that may not have had the home life you’ve had can see how you live and act in the right way,” he told the group.
Shuler also took the time to sign autographs and meet with the attendees prior to his speech. He also took time to accept questions from the crowd.
In replying to a question as to which game he most remembers, Shuler replied the 1993 game at Georgia “Between the Hedges” when his Vols were able to upset the Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 2 nationally at the time. In his pre-dinner interview, he said the game at Neyland Stadium that he most remembers is the Florida game in 1992 when the Vols were able to beat the Gators in a driving rain storm which came about even though he threw the football only eight times, completed seven, and one was a touchdown to Mose Phillips.
Shuler also told the gathering that he almost signed with Alabama out of high school as he was fond of Coach Gene Stallings and enjoyed his official visit there. But he knew his mother and dad, who had watched every one of his high school games, would not be able to make the trek to Tuscaloosa for all the games.
His official visit to Tennessee assured him that it was the place for him. He had no doubts,
Scott Bullington, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club, presented their guest speaker with a gift on behalf of all the kids at the club.
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