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Shawn Wooden is a safety for the Miami Dolphins. Shawn played college football for Notre Dame and was signed by the Dolphins as a free agent in 2001. Shawn was originally drafted by the Dolphins in the 6th round of 1996, but played for the Chicago Bears in 2000. In 1997, he received the Dolphins Community Service Award. This article was written by Robert Hoffman in January 2003, and was posted here with his permission. The interview with Shawn Wooden took place on 12/7/02 during the 2002 NFL season. This feature story was originally printed in the Times Chronicle and the Glenside News (PA) on 1/22/03. Abington Native Shawn Wooden Restoring Faith In Pro Athletes By Robert Hoffman It seems these days that while society enjoy sports, we have become less and less enamored with the character, or lack thereof, exhibited by professional athletes and the circumstances that surround their lives. Within the past month, we have been confronted with a football player who received a month-long suspension for steroid use, a basketball player who was arrested for possession of marijuana, a hockey player who was suspended for multiple games due to lacerating another player’s face with his hockey stick, and the public struggle of Ted William’s family who are contemplating having his remains cryogenically frozen.Unfortunately, these struggles are found in college sports, too. Recently, several college coaches have abandoned their teams for greener pastures, players have been suspended or even kicked-off of teams vying for bowl games due to a variety of offenses, including assault, drug use, driving while intoxicated and sleeping through final exams. Sadly enough, an entire college team is currently being investigated for running an extensive gambling operation. Regrettably, this kind of behavior often has the appearance of being the norm, and no longer the exception in the world of sports. However, there is good news for all of us who have lost faith in athletes. There are athletes out there who not only resist the temptation to behave poorly and/or criminally, but who exist as role models and heroes even beyond our wildest expectations. Unfortunately, we rarely learn about such players because they are not considered as newsworthy as the “bad seeds”, especially if they aren’t scoring touchdowns or hitting homeruns. Well, I want to introduce you to one player that should renew your faith in athletes. His name is Shawn Wooden, defensive back for professional football’s Miami Dolphins. Shawn is also a college graduate of Notre Dame University and a hometown native of Philadelphia and high-school graduate of Abington High School. Shawn is not a starter for the Dolphins. He hasn’t been to a Pro Bowl or ever scored a touchdown. However, he is arguably one of the most valuable members of the football team. On the field, Shawn plays a variety of roles: as the dime cornerback, the backup safety and as a key member of the special teams unit. Off the field, Shawn might be more even valuable with the roles he plays: sideline coach, trusted teammate and friend, loving father, and leader in the community. As I arrived at a Saturday practice to talk to Shawn, I noticed that several players had gathered around a smiling player wearing a number 22 jersey. The player was Shawn Wooden and it was obvious almost immediately that everyone wanted to either discuss a play, joke, or just talk with “Wood” as his teammates called him. After practice, Shawn gathered his teammates to meet with a local Miami retailer to catch up on some last minute Christmas shopping before heading to the locker room to clean up. As I waited for Shawn in the locker room, I spoke with a member of the Miami Dolphin’s staff who told me about Shawn’s involvement with different charities within the community. I did know that Shawn had worked with Habitat for Humanity as well as with Big Brothers & Big Sisters. I learned that Shawn’s work with these charities only represented a very small portion of his contribution within the community. The Dolphin’s staff member proudly began to recite countless other charities and community organizations that Shawn has worked with, including Broward Boys & Girls Club, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Prudential No Passing Zone (which has helped at least 2,500 boys and girls attend Dolphin’s home games), Communities at Schools and F.A.D organizations in Philadelphia. “In fact,” the staff member said, “Many of these organizations are so impressed with what Shawn has accomplished that they are asking him to become a member of their board of directors.” As impressed as I was before even meeting Shawn, my thoughts paled in comparison to the impression that he made during our conversation in the locker room. One of the first things that you feel from Shawn is his sincere appreciation of and respect for others. When asked what it meant to him to have the players from the 1972 undefeated Dolphin’s team visiting practice that day, a smile broke out on his face as he replied, “To be able to see those guys, people who actually did that (go undefeated) and see how excited they are about this team and how much they are behind us… I mean it gives you that extra “oomph” to go out there and play. The game is two days away and I am ready to play right now. Let’s suit it up.” In our conversation, Shawn’s appreciation quickly turned to his hometown of Abington, PA and his experiences in the Philadelphia area. Shawn choked up as he recalled his childhood, “Oh…you know I think it’s a great area. I loved growing up there. I loved my childhood. I wouldn’t give it up for anything. I wouldn’t change anything.” Shawn Anthony Wooden, like many NFL players was a star at a different position during his high school playing days. At Abington High School, Shawn was an All-American running back who ran for more than 2,700 yards rushing and 33 touchdowns in his career. In fact, as a sophomore Shawn started ahead of Tennessee Titans star running back Eddie George. However, Shawn’s time on offense would end with high school. Asked when he knew his future would not be at running back, but at defensive back, which he also played in high school, Shawn laughs and replies, “When Lou Holtz gave me a blue jersey when I got to college.” While Shawn was an excellent corner in college, he never received the attention that goes with being a running back and the Miami Dolphins only chose him in the next to the last round of the NFL draft. The switch in this day and age would disillusion many athletes, but Shawn hardly shows any regret about the switch. In fact, when asked about his former coach and mentor Warren Harvey, Shawn reveals the overwhelming pride that he has in his position. “Yes (Harvey) he used to play in the USFL…and you know, he’s a defensive back just like me. So he taught me the defensive back position, cause like you said before, I was just a running back.” Shawn’s relationship with Harvey reveals even more about how much he cares for those close to him. When asked about their relationship, Shawn gets serious, “Oh, you know, we have a close relationship to this day. You know, when I go back, I always make sure to get together with him. It’s like…an older brother or uncle type of relationship. When I had tough times ... and everybody goes through it, I’d give him a call and he'd give me some advice... he keeps me grounded.” Shawn not only has stayed grounded through his NFL career, but he has endured and persevered through a career that has often brought more struggles and heartbreak than success. In 1992 at Notre Dame he was forced to sit out the season with back disc problems. Then, as a senior, Shawn had just finished making perhaps the most important play of his career, breaking up a Florida State touchdown pass from Charlie Ward to preserve a startling win for the Irish. In the post-game celebration, a teammate jumped on Shawn’s back further damaging a knee that had suffered torn cartilage earlier in the game. Shawn was forced to miss the season finale against Boston College and the Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M. Given his history, you would expect Shawn to join the ever-growing masses that are critical of post-game celebrations. On the contrary Shawn has not let the random misfortune of injuries ruin his love of the game. He states passionately, “They don’t want you playing for the money; they want you playing for the love of the game, but then they are taking the love of the game away from you (by restricting celebrations). I love post games. I love celebration to this day still. I like guys getting excited, you like to see that, and you know your teammates feed off of it.” Shawn was a sixth round draft pick of Coach Jimmy Johnson during the 1996 season and was given little chance to make the roster. However, by the first preseason game he was starting, only then to receive the scare of his life. During a game he injured his neck and was motionless as he was taken off the field by helicopter. “I didn’t know where I was going to go that day, then the next day I was fine,” Shawn recalls. As a rookie, even though he was injured, Coach Johnson would not give the starting job back to Shawn until week six of the regular season. Shawn appeared to really be hitting his stride as an NFL safety, when tragedy struck again during the beginning of his third season. Shawn had just finished perhaps his finest NFL game against Indianapolis registering 12 tackles and forcing a fumble. Then, during the home opener against Buffalo, on the opening kickoff, a player was down on the field writhing in pain after the play had ended. The player was Shawn Wooden, in immense pain as he tore the ACL and MCL ligament in his left knee. Suddenly, a player who was once again on his way to becoming a star, was faced with the fact that his season was over and his very career was in jeopardy. However, when asked about this most difficult time in his life, Shawn reveals how truly unselfish a person can be. For as much as the injury was difficult for him personally, the most painful thing for Shawn was that he could no longer help his teammates. “I was trying to get over to Hawaii, the Pro Bowl. You know everybody has those individual (goals), but I really wanted to help the team also, and to see the team go through the year and not being able to be out on the field with the guys...” Shawn becomes emotional as he continues; “Not being able to be in the locker room with the guys every day, during practice, after practice…it’s very difficult. With my knee, I wasn’t able to (even) be on the sidelines, and that’s very hard, not being able to tell the guys what you see, not being able to give your input or help out. You don’t feel like you helped them when they win and you feel like you could have helped win the game if they lose.” Shawn returned the following year and finished fourth on the team with 75 tackles, but at the end of the season, as an unrestricted free agent, he signed with the Chicago Bears. Shawn’s tenure with Bears was at best very difficult, for a variety of reasons, including nagging injuries, and because he left what he considered a family in Miami. “You know I am not going to say anything bad about Chicago or anything, but it was a time where, ya know ... I’ll never say if I didn’t do this, because I don’t like living in (the past), but a lot of things would be different with my career if I didn’t go up there…(Down here) we have a tight knit group. It’s a family group and you definitely feel it. Shawn returned to Miami in 2001 after signing a two year contract, but he had to accept a reserve role, as Miami had two starting safety’s in Brock Marion and Brian Walker. Coming back to a place he considered home in a lesser role could have humbled Shawn. Instead, “Oh, I was ecstatic. I wanted to come back here so bad! You know I was excited when Dave (Wannestedt) and Rick (Spielman) told me they would love to have me back on the team; that I could help out the team.” Shawn took to his new role, and proved to be a solid back up at safety making over twenty tackles on special teams. In February of this year, Shawn was rewarded for his efforts with a one year contract extension that will keep him in a Miami Dolphin’s uniform through the 2003 season. While Shawn should be highly admired for his unselfish behavior and commitment to his teammates on the football field, it’s his character and priorities off the football field that elevate him from good guy or great teammate to hero and role model. Asked to provide his top goals on or off the football field, he responded, “My number one goal is to be the best father I can be. I have a four year old son and he’s the world to me. That’s the reason sometimes during two a days (practices) I pull out his picture and look at it and you know why you’re doing this, not just for the love of the game, but I love him very dearly and this is the way I can help him out.” Shawn stops talking for a moment and then reveals something very refreshing to hear from an athlete. “This is weird because my top three goals wouldn’t be football related. I just want to be a better person. I give a lot to charities and all. I try and do everything I can to help out other people because I believe if I am helping somebody else out then they are going to help somebody else out and they we will have a better world to live in.” Shawn’s work with charities is truly something special. Forget the sheer number of charities he has worked with. Forget the fact that he received the Dolphin’s Community Service Award for 1997. Just consider what people have to say about Shawn Wooden. For example, when asked about Shawn, Miami’s community relations director Maraleen “Fudge”Browne said, “Shawn is so exceptional because it’s genuine. I think truthfully, Shawn of his own volition has always done charity work. It was never anything that had to be coaxed or encouraged. It was always in his thoughts right from the start. It’s all the time. It’s in his thought process…it’s important to him. I think Shawn is pretty unselfish in general. His son is a bit of an inspiration. But, trust me, I knew Shawn well before he had a son and he was pretty inspired then.” Browne is just one of many who smile when Shawn Wooden's name is brought up. Consider ESPN broadcaster Hammerin’ Hank Goldberg, who offered this unsolicited opinion when he found out that I was considering a feature on Shawn. “That’s real good. Shawn’s a quality individual, one of the really, really good people in this league. I’m glad to hear it.” While almost everyone around Shawn has praise and compliments for him, the best sense of this man that you could possibly get is from his own words and actions. Towards the end of our interview Shawn talked about how much he gets out of watching a family get a house through Habitat for Humanity. “That’s the American Dream to have a house; and then you see how well they (the family) take care of it. You see the kids and the kids are the funniest things.” Shawn starts to get real excited and mimics a children’s voice, “The kids are like ‘You want to see my room…I want to show my room, where I study or do all this’ when you go back and the house is done.” As Shawn finishes this story, there is a tear welling in his eye, a glow on his face and a look of thoughtfulness that confirms to me that this is what a professional athlete, no…what a person should be like. So this day let Shawn Wooden restore some of your faith in athletes and in people.
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