BEREA, OHIO --  This is the final of a five-day preview of the 2008 The Ohio State University versus the University of Michigan Preview from the perspective of Baldwin-Wallace CollegeSports Information Director Kevin Ruple. Today, we will visit the B-W quarterbacking career of a young Scott Shafer. Then we will send you to the University of Michigan web site for more up-to-date information.

 

"I knew Scott Shafer was going to be one heckuva football coach," said former B-W 4-year starting fullback and wrestling great Tony Cipollone, now an Assistant Athletic Director at Allegehny, Pa.) College. "When we would get back from a football game on Saturday, all of the other players on our team would begin getting ready to go out that night. Not Scott. He wanted to sit down in his dorm room and begin diagraming plays. The guy is just special."

 

"He one of the my favorite all-time teammates," said former Yellow Jacket running back San Andrews, who is current owner of Olympc Forest Products, LLC in Cleveland Heights. "Scott is just a great person and was a great teammate. "He always had the right attitude. Once he gets the players he wants to recruit to Michigan, they are going to be very good."

 

 

While growing up in Painesville, Ohio, Scott Shafer liked any game that had the word ball in it. He was a naturally gifted young man. He progressed through his father's high-powered offensive system at Painesville Riverside High School and had an outstanding scholastic career. He was a two-time All-Northeastern Conference, two-time All-Lake County, two-time All-District player as a junior and senior and All-Ohio as a senior.  That landed him a scholarship to NCAA Division I Ohio University.

 

But then the first injury of his career struck during his freshman season at OU. After weighing his options, Shafer decided to transfer to B-W, and no one was happier about his decision than the late and legendary Coach Bob Packard '65.

 

 

For his career as a Yellow Jacket, Shafer played in 12 games, completed 91-of-155 passes for 58.7 percent, 920 yards with seven touchdowns.

 

When Scott Shafer arrived in Berea, his knee injury suffered at OU was not well. That caused him to red-shirt for the 1986 season and begin his career fresh in 1987.

 

As a sophomore in 1987, Shafer saw limited action as the third quarterback. His only statistical contribution to that season were two running plays that gained one yard as B-W finished 8-2 overall. A loss in the final game of the season kept the Yellow Jackets out of the Division III playoffs.

 

As a junior in 1988, Shafer battled for the QB job, but another knee injury cost him plenty of playing time as again B-W finished 8-2 and lost to OAC title in the final game of the season. Shafer did complete 20-of-39 passes for 163 yards.

 

As a senior in 1989, Shafer again battled an injury but this time it was his ankle. But, despite the injury, he came back and had his best season as a collegian as he completed 71-of-116 passes for 61.2 percent with seven TD. His best games came that season against Marietta College, in a 27-7 win, and in the season finale, a 25-19 victory against Ohio Athletic Conference and Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University.  Against Marietta, Shafer completed 10-of-11 passes for 124 yards and a TD. In the JCU win, he completed 23 of 29 passes for237 yards and three TD, including the game-winning 55-yard strike with less than three minutes left.

 

In a interview that season, Packard said of Shafer, he is an outstanding young man, future coach and quarterback. He is like another coach on the field.

 

"Scott has outstanding leadership abilities and work habits," continued Packard. "He has persevered a great deal as a player, and that certainly will help him one day as a coach. He is extremely dedicated to being the best he can be whether it is on the field as a player or coach as a student. We have been very pleased to have Scott as a member of the B-W football family. He will be a solid coach oneday, too."

 

 

Have a great day!

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION on both Jim Tressel and Scott Shafer, please return to the B-W Athletics Web site during OSU-Michigan Week as we count down to kickoff on Nov. 22.

 

FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, on cell phone at 440-532-9605 and via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu.