Before he took over as head coach of the Weber State Wildcats, Jerry Graybeal was already a fan of Scott Shields.
As an assistant coach at Eastern Washington, Graybeal had an up close and personal look at the eventual four-time All-American and second-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“He was [a beast] to coach against,” said Graybeal with fondness. “We were always in awe of that kind of size set with that kind of speed.
“He played like a man possessed.”
Between 1995 and 1998, the 6-foot-4, 228-pound safety set standards which continue to highlight the Big Sky Conference and WSU record books. Shields’ size, athleticism and intelligence wrecked havoc with opposing offenses, throwing fear into the receivers who tried to keep both eyes on the football while no doubt hearing Shields’ onrushing footsteps. Shields ranks 27th on the list of the Big Sky Conference’s “50 Greatest Male Athletes.’’
“I was definitely bigger than most guys, and that helped,” said Shields, who makes his home in San Diego, the town of his birth, and works in finance.
Shields, elected to Weber State’s Hall of Fame in 2010, was not only a free and, later under Graybeal, a strong safety whose 23 career interceptions remains the conference standard. Shields also holds the school record with 67 field goals, including a 55-yarder against Eastern Washington that was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
“He beat us a couple times,” said Graybeal.
And, as icing on the cake, Shields was a three-time All-Academic selection.
Yet, all of that, including 10 interceptions as a sophomore and four more his rookie season in the NFL, would not have happened had the graduate of Bonita Vista High out of Chula Vista, Calif., followed his first love.
Shields was offered more than a dozen scholarships to play soccer, where that kind of physicality is always in demand. Those thoughts continued to linger during his redshirt freshman year at Weber State, where he passed the time playing club soccer.
Football eventually held sway.
In fact, WSU coach Dave Arslanian won the recruiting wars by allowing Shields to kick as well as play defense.
“It turned out pretty good,” said Shields, also offered a scholarship to kick for the Cal Bears. “When you are a bigger school, you don’t want your safety getting hurt and then you don’t have a kicker. Weber State let me do both.”
Shields excelled on and off the field. He enjoyed the college experience, which included works off campus.
“It was nice to pull on the jersey and go [visit] a school, do community work,” Shields said.
That spirit was not lost on his coach.
“He was a live wire,” Graybeal said. “He was confident, had great social skills. Scott was outgoing, sure of himself.”
Graybeal played a role in getting Shields noticed by the NFL. Graybeal, who became WSU’s coach in 1998, switched Shields from free to strong safety. The change gave Shields more play-making responsibilities.
“He made a ton of plays,” Graybeal said. “Weber had not had any success against Montana. That year he made a ton of plays and made the game-winning interception to seal the victory.”
If there was one frustration, it was not winning a conference championship. Whether it was because of injuries or a substandard offense, the Wildcats continued to fall short. They did tie for second Shields’ sophomore season.
“I still follow the school. It was nice to know all the hard work paid off,” said Shields, who is one of only three football players to earn First Team All-Big Sky honors four straight seasons. “Life does not end after football.”
