Where Are They Now: Doug Shanahan, Men's Lacrosse/Football

Recruited out of Sachem North High School in Sachem, New York, Doug Shanahan enjoyed a distinguished career on both the football field and the lacrosse field as member of the Hofstra football and men’s lacrosse teams from 1997 to 2001. Shanahan was a part of six NCAA Tournament appearances for the Pride – three in football and three in lacrosse – including a quarterfinal appearance in lacrosse in 2001.

On the lacrosse field, Shanahan was a three-time All-American and took home the inaugural Tewaaraton Award for the best men’s lacrosse player in the country, the Lt. Raymond Enners Award for the most outstanding men’s lacrosse player, and the McLaughlin Award for the best midfielder in college lacrosse. Shanahan was a three-time First Team All-America East Conference selection and was named America East Most Valuable Player his senior season. Shanahan finished his illustrious lacrosse career at Hofstra with 95 goals and 44 assists for 139 points and a Hofstra-record 450 ground balls.

On the gridiron, Shanahan was a two-time All-American at the free safety position with 279 career tackles, 13 interceptions, and five defensive touchdowns. In 2000 he was named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award for the best defensive player in Division I-AA. He was offered a training camp contract with the New York Jets and was one of the final players cut from the team roster before the 2002 season.

Shanahan was selected first overall in the 2002 Major League Lacrosse Supplemental Draft by the Bridgeport Barrage, and he enjoyed a 12-year MLL career playing in Bridgeport, Philadelphia, Chicago, Long Island, and Florida. He also represented his country at the 2002 and 2006 World Lacrosse Championships, winning the gold medal in 2002 and earning Most Valuable Player distinction.

Shanahan is currently the head coach of the Western High School boys lacrosse team in Florida, and was named head coach of Team England in September 2019.

What made you decide to attend Hofstra?

I was only looking at schools that would allow me to play football and lacrosse. Georgetown was in the mix, along with Hobart, Hofstra, and Delaware. I ended up selecting Hofstra because my brother was there, so I had family ties there. I remember having Wayne Chrebet over our house for family dinners, I remember going there to watch football games, so I had love for Hofstra.

I remember my high school coach telling me I was nuts and that I should’ve gone to Georgetown, but I ended up at Hofstra and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

What was behind the decision to play both sports in college?

It was my passion for both sports. I was a late bloomer, especially for football, so there were a number of people telling me I was nuts. I specifically remember the Delaware coach coming to watch me play and telling me that I couldn’t compete at that level. And it fueled me to compete and to prove people like him wrong.

What is your favorite memory from playing at Hofstra?

There’s plenty of memories. My first interception, I can remember feeling it coming during the game before it happened, like it was a premonition. I can’t explain it, and I know some other players have talked about that feeling before. Usually when I had that feeling, something was going to happen and it usually did.

I had hurt my ankle during my senior season of lacrosse during practice, and I remember scoring three or four goals against Duke with a bad ankle. I had to change up my release and my stick because I couldn’t put much pressure on that ankle. And in my senior season of football, I had hurt my other ankle and I had to battle throughout the whole season to stay on the field.

I’m proud of that, being able to battle through injuries and having that mental toughness to persevere through that pain. I’m proud to say that I never missed a game in football or lacrosse in all nine seasons that I competed in.

What does it mean to you to be a part of the Hofstra family?

They don’t call us Turnpike Guys for nothing! I’ve had a lot of wonderful experiences, and I was blessed to have made that decision to go to Hofstra. It provided me a great education and it set me up for the rest of my life because of the environment that it provided me. I’ve had great teammates, great coaches, and a great education, and I attribute all of that to choosing Hofstra.

How did competing as a student-athlete at Hofstra prepare you for life after college?

What I took from my time competing at Hofstra is having a great mental toughness and just being focused on my goal, then nothing will stand in my way of achieving my goal. And I owe that to my teammates, my coaches, and my experiences at Hofstra. Being here taught me that if I want something bad enough, I have to get it and I have to be persistent.

You were the first-ever Tewaaraton Award winner. What was the day like and how did it feel to be the first winner for that award?

It still touches me to this day. To be the first to do something and to always be remembered as the first, is special in and of itself. I can remember the flight down to Washington D.C., my brother David helping me with the speech, and I was like ‘I’m not going to win, I’m from Hofstra.’ I was going up against guys from traditional powerhouses of lacrosse. 

I remember writing that speech and all the moments and memories from the last four seasons, all the hard work, the blood, sweat, and tears came up through that speech. 

When I won, leading up to that, all I could remember was my heart rate and the anticipation, because I wasn’t sure if I was going to win. I was with five unbelievable candidates up for the same award. I remember how my adrenaline was going, it was almost like I was on the field. And I get up there, and thank God for my brother Dave for helping me with that speech, because it was a good speech. 

It was a great memory for me, and it was great for Hofstra. It’s a place that had given so much to me, and I was able to give something back to them.

How did the training camp invite from the New York Jets come about?

It’s the second day of the NFL Draft, and I was with my agent and my family at my brother’s house. As the rounds are going on, we’re waiting for the call. In the final round, the phone rang, and it was the Indianapolis Colts, and they said that they were going to draft me with their next pick. When I hang up the phone, the whole family starts jumping up and down. We’re watching the picks go by and then we see the Colts on the clock, and they pick a safety from Miami. So I’m thinking ‘Well, maybe they’ll select me with another draft pick’, and the draft ended. It was very disappointing, especially after speaking with the guy. Someone must’ve gotten overruled somewhere. 

I got a call the next morning from the Jets, who were on the Hofstra campus at the time. My agent called me and said ‘Why don’t you go ahead and walk over to the Jets facility, they’re gonna sign you’. So I walked through the guard gate, which was the first time I ever did that because the Jets had their own security. I walked into the offices, and there was a secretary there who had my contract. She passed me my contract, I signed it, and I left a New York Jet.

The 2002 World Lacrosse Championship was around the same time as New York Jets training camp. What was it like splitting time between those two?

That was one of the best times of my life, as a competitor. When I was with the Jets, they originally weren’t going to let me go to Australia and play for Team USA. It had been close to a year since I’d played lacrosse, since I stopped playing after I won the Tewaaraton and had focused on just football going into that season. [Army Head Coach] Jack Emmer was the head coach for the 2002 Team USA, and lucky for me he was also drafted by the Jets in the 1960s. So the Jets had originally told me no, because I had asked, and because the way the World Games had fell was in the Fall, and I would’ve only missed a few voluntary sessions.

But the way things worked out, it being one year since 9/11 and having a West Point coach as your coach who had been drafted by the Jets, and long story short he had written a letter without me knowing. He had gotten the letter to Herm Edwards, who was the coach of the Jets at the time, and to this day I don’t know what that letter said. I had come out of a film session with my position coach at the Jets facility, and I’m walking down the hall, and Herm comes walking down the hallway and goes ‘Hey Doug, how are you doing? By the way, we’re going to let you go.’ I thought I was going to get cut! He said it was the right thing to do.

I remember Team USA training camp at Stanford, and I hadn’t had a stick in my hand for close to a year. I remember how tough those practices were, I was getting checked and losing the ball. Thankfully we had a week-long training camp, because I was able to find my footing. 

So between training camp with the Jets and training with Team USA in California, I’ve also got my brother’s wedding in New York. The team goes to Australia without me, so I’ve got to fly all the way back across the country for his wedding, which was a great time, and then I have to fly to Australia all by myself. 

Being a young kid at the time, I didn’t realize Australia’s seasons were opposite of ours. So I remember landing in Sydney from California wearing shorts and a t-shirt and it was snowing! I had to head outside in the snow and run to the terminal to fly to Perth, which is like flying LA to New York.

So I played in the World Games, and it was very successful for myself and the team. I was able to win MVP and be named All-World, it was a great time. I think to this day I’m still the only player to win the Tewaaraton and be named World MVP.

When I got back to the Jets, there was another form of communication between Jack Emmer and Herm Edwards, because after one of our team meetings and Herm called me up to the front of the room and gave a presentation to the room about me and all that I accomplished in Australia while representing the country.

You were the top pick in the 2002 Major League Lacrosse Draft. What was it like playing lacrosse professionally in a new outdoor league?

Truthfully, it was difficult. It was difficult because I didn’t value the MLL as much as I did, honestly, and I didn’t value it as much as I should have. When you’re coming from the New York Jets, the difference between the two leagues was great. The MLL was this new, fledgling league compared to the NFL, and when I got cut by the Jets I was bitter. I’m still a little bitter about it to this day, but that’s the competitor in me.

It was difficult, but I’m also blessed because not many have that opportunity to get as far as I did in two sports. While I was successful, I should’ve been more successful in professional lacrosse. I should’ve been more grateful for that opportunity, and that’s something you learn as a person as you grow up and become more mature.

But being the first overall pick was special, too. I’m proud to say I’ve been a member of the MLL and its history. I was able to play for 12 years and do some great things.

What is one piece of advice you would give to current Hofstra student-athletes?

First, you’ve got to be coachable, and that’s something that I learned along the way. Second, you’ve got to bring that mental toughness every day. When you step on that field, your personal feelings need to be left outside. You have to be a hard-worker, you need to be a great teammate, but most of all you’ve got to be competitive. Whatever it is that you do, do it to the best of your ability.