A player such as Weber State's do-everything Scott Shields should make the job of sports information director Brad Larsen easier. But Larsen is having a problem a lot of SIDs around the country wish they had.
"The hardest thing is trying to figure out which award to promote him for," said Larsen.Let's see, Larsen could promote the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Shields as an all-American safety, with 13 interceptions in his last 14 games. Or he could publicize him for his place-kicking (79 percent on field goals over three years). Or he could boost him for his punting prowess (45.5 yards per kick this season, second in the nation).
Just what do you do with a player as versatile as Shields?
Weber coach Dave Arslanian knows what to do - play Shields every minute he can.
"I just can't conceive of a player doing three things so well," said Arslanian. "There's not one single player in the country that could replace what he is to our football team."
Shields has even suggested to his coaches, jokingly, to put him in at wide receiver, a position he played a little in high school. If they're smart, the Weber coaches probably seriously considered the idea.
"The more I'm on the field, the happier I am," said Shields. "I've always thought about (playing offense), but I wouldn't have the time."
It's tough enough as it is, playing the majority of the plays every game, including kickoffs, punts, field goals, extra points and defense. Shields will be playing his multiple roles as usual Saturday in Cheney, Wash., when the Wildcats open the Big Sky season against Eastern Washington.
"Those first two games, I've never been so tired in my life," said Shields after the defense was left on the field way too long, including 115 plays against SUU.
One of Shields' biggest problems is keeping track of all his equipment during a game.
"Sometimes if we're in field-goal range and turn the ball over, I have to take my (kicking) shoe off real quick and run over and get my other shoe and my gloves," he said. "Luckily, our equipment manager helps me."
Shields wears the same shoes for kickoffs, punts and defense, but changes his right shoe for field goals and PATs. He puts gloves on his hands when he plays defense, but doesn't like to wear them when he kicks.
So how was a Division I-AA school like Weber State able to come up with a player with the multiple abilities of Shields?
"I came to Weber because they were the only school that was going to let me play both safety and kicker," said Shields, who prepped at Bonita Vista High in San Diego.
Several Division I-A schools wanted Shields, all at different positions.
Fresno State recruited him as a kicker, New Mexico State sought him as a safety, while San Diego State looked at his size and wanted to convert him to a rover (linebacker). Colorado State wanted him to play receiver, of all things, a position he played in goal-line situations in high school.
But Weber State basically said, "Come on up and play anything you want."
A knee injury forced Shields to redshirt his first year, but as a freshman, he played regularly as a placekicker and performed remarkably well, making 16 of 18 field goals, including a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond 40 yards. He played all 11 games in the defensive backfield, starting one game.
Then last year he earned the starting free safety job and came up with 10 interceptions, best in the Big Sky and tied for first in Division I-AA, as well as 73 tackles, fourth best on the team. He made 18 of 24 field goals, which tied him for third nationally in field goals made per game (1.6).
Shields hadn't planned on punting in college, but he practiced a lot during his redshirt year, and last year he took over the Wildcats' punting duties. His 40.4-yard average ranked him 18th in Division I-AA.
Shields' 1996 performance was so impressive that the Associated Press invented a new category - All-Purpose Player - and made him a first-team all-American.
So which position does Shields like best?
"I probably like safety most - it fits my personality better, going around and hitting people," he said.
He has his eye on professional football, but his family would prefer that he stick with kicking "because it's not so hard on your body."
Shields has made 37 of 47 field-goal attempts, but what's really amazing about it is this: Eight of the 10 misses were blocked, including two last week at Boise. "You'd think that the coaches would get that fixed," said Arslanian.
With his special abilities, Shields obviously thinks about what it would have been like playing for a bigger-name program, but he has no regrets.
"There are times, like the first game when we only had 8,000 people, that you wish you were playing in front of 100,000," he said. "But I'm happy where I'm at. This is a passing conference, so I get the best of both worlds (as a defensive back and as a kicker with plenty of chances to score)."
The Wildcats are more than happy to have Shields and look forward to keeping him for one more year after this one.
"He's as good a football player as there is, in any one of those three spots," said Arslanian. "He's the best of the best."
*****
Additional Information
Scott Shields
6-5, 220
Junior
San Diego, Calif.
Prep highlights: Helped lead Bonits Vista to 10-0 record his senior year. Hold school records for longest punt (61 yards), most PATs/game (7) and most nterceptions/season (7).
Skills: Plays free safety, kicker and punter. The level of Shields' 1996 performance at all three positions was so high that Associated Press named him First Team Division 1-AA All-American in the category of All-Purpose Player. There were no second or third team selections in that category.
"Slash": He gained the moniker midway through last season from a local sports columnist because he was listed weekly in Weber Sports Information depth chart at three positions.
1997* 1996
Interceptions 3 10
Tackles 26 73
Field Goals 3-5 18-24
Pats 6-7 35-38
Punting Average (Yards) 45.5 40.4
* through three games
Source NCAA/Big Sky rankings