Talk to us about.......Heath Shuler

[Born a VOL]

He was as highly anticipated as anybody could be in the pre-internet era. He played well early in 1992, but he flat showed out against UGA. He made a throw on 4th and long on our last drive that was an absolute laser beam for a gain of 20+ and went on to win.

Here it is cued up . . . an absolute dart.

I sure want to beat the Dawgs in near future!! It was cool to watch video. Thanks for sharing. GBO

 

[sjt18]

oftentimes Heath was the best athlete on the field. He was NEVER scared to take or deliver a hit. I actually heard him recently say he didn't feel at his best until he took the opposing teams best hit. An extremely high character player who is the epitome of leadership!

He was all state in HS as a Safety.

It would have been interesting to see how his career would have turned out if he had played DB or RB. He was a head hunter on D.

 

[Majors]

A buddy of mine met him in a restaurant a few months ago. Said he couldn't have been nicer.

Very genuine, what you see on tv is what you get in person. He was in a suite at the Orange Bowl and interacting with fans in section (Clemson section taken over by Tennessee)

 

[Majors]

He was all state in HS as a Safety.

It would have been interesting to see how his career would have turned out if he had played DB or RB. He was a head hunter on D.

Two time all-state DB

 

[sjt18]

He was as highly anticipated as anybody could be in the pre-internet era. He played well early in 1992, but he flat showed out against UGA. He made a throw on 4th and long on our last drive that was an absolute laser beam for a gain of 20+ and went on to win.

Here it is cued up . . . an absolute dart.

I had almost forgotten how well he threw rolling left.

 

[real orange]

Driving to knoxville to see mom,kids asleep in the truck cab I listened to John Ward describe him leading a comeback win over Georgia including a clutch 4th down conversion. I became a lifelong Heath Shuler that night.

I was at that game and it was a fourth and sixteen if I remember correctly He scored the winning td on a qb keeper. In Athens

 

[Wolfeman_Vol]

My favorite Heath memory is the 1992 Florida game. We had a lead but Florida scored twice right before halftime to get close.

During the 3rd quarter, there was an Armageddon-like thunderstorm. It rained so hard that the sidelines flooded.

Brent Musberger was calling the game.
The Tennessee fans were off the chain, cheering every peal of thunder. Musberger marveled about how loud we were.

Then came the 60 plus yard TD pass from Shuler to Mose Phillips. Mose was splashing in ankle deep water right by the UF sideline. It was the first time I ever saw Spurrier throw his visor.

After we son the game, we were soaked despite our rain suits. My wife and I got in line to get hot dogs at a Sabrett's cart outside the south ramp. Musberger got in line behind us. He said that he'd never seen anything like it and that the UT fans were the craziest fan base he'd ever seen live. I'll never forget it - he had a Bar Elina Dragons helmet sticker on his briefcase.

I hated that we didn't beat Florida again until 1998, but I'll always savor the first time I ever saw Spurrier throw his visor.

I was at this game! Row 7 in the student section, right behind the Florida bench. I was soaked in places I didn't know could be soaked. What a memory that is.

I also happened to be standing in line in TBA to pay my tuition and fees, and Heath was waiting with his girlfriend (I suppose she was paying hers as well). And he just struck up a casual conversation. Fantastic guy.

 

[GAVol]

My favorite Heath memory is the 1992 Florida game. We had a lead but Florida scored twice right before halftime to get close.

During the 3rd quarter, there was an Armageddon-like thunderstorm. It rained so hard that the sidelines flooded.

Brent Musberger was calling the game.
The Tennessee fans were off the chain, cheering every peal of thunder. Musberger marveled about how loud we were.

Then came the 60 plus yard TD pass from Shuler to Mose Phillips. Mose was splashing in ankle deep water right by the UF sideline. It was the first time I ever saw Spurrier throw his visor.

After we son the game, we were soaked despite our rain suits. My wife and I got in line to get hot dogs at a Sabrett's cart outside the south ramp. Musberger got in line behind us. He said that he'd never seen anything like it and that the UT fans were the craziest fan base he'd ever seen live. I'll never forget it - he had a Bar Elina Dragons helmet sticker on his briefcase.

I hated that we didn't beat Florida again until 1998, but I'll always savor the first time I ever saw Spurrier throw his visor.

It's never not a good time to watch Mose Phillips run through a lake and then check his watch in the endzone. The field looks insane.

 

[volsfan125]

He QB'ed the most prolific offense Tennessee had ever had up until 2021.

During the 3rd quarter, there was an Armageddon-like thunderstorm.

aka the remnants of Hurricane Andrew. I was surprised the game was not postponed once the "downpour" started.

 

[GAVol]

aka the remnants of Hurricane Andrew. I was surprised the game was not postponed once the "downpour" started.

In today's game, lightning detectors would have gone off around halftime and they probably wouldn't have restarted it for a long time.

 

[turbovol]

Thanks for posting that great '92 victory over Georgia. I believe that was the early part of a stretch where we beat Georgia 9 straight times.
Georgia had some good teams during those years--a couple of excellent backs (including Hearst, in this game, who was a star) and talented QBs--and many of the games were competitive and tight, like this one, but we were tough and talented and always prevailed in that stretch. How about a 14-play, 80-yard drive, starting with 5 minutes to go in the game, for the winning TD, and Shuler converted a 4th and 14 along the way. And Georgia had some absolutely back-breaking turnovers, including the last one.

James Stewart and Mario Brunson were two all-time greats in the backfield for the Vols. Stewart was a true workhorse back over four years in our power I running attack--not the most talented RB we ever had but strong and durable, and Brunson was a beast of a blocker at fullback--a 240+ pound bruiser who would put opposing linebackers on their backs. I miss those days of power football--and Shuler was athletic, could throw, and was a master of making big plays with the QB draw, which we ran a LOT during his stint with the Vols. Good memories!

 

[volsforever27]

Mom got me his autograph when he stopped by her work. Said he was awesome to everyone. I was probably 14, made a huge impression on me.

The bowl game against Boston College is a great memory. The beat down of Louisville in 93 top. Of course the Georgia wins also.

 

[imw8n4u]

I remember an interview with him and Craig Faulkner. Shuler had been having back spasms and they blamed it on him working out too much, so they were asking how he was doing with that. Faulkner commented "Yeah, you look more like a line backer than a QB." To which Heath said, "Well you look more like a kicker than a receiver."

 

[LadyVolette]

Tim Tebow before Tim Tebow, except he was a better passer.

He mauled Georgia in that game @GAVol is speaking of.

Him and Huepel together? Wow, would have 50+ every game.

Ikr, young Heath with Heupel.. forget about it … like buttah lol.. he was also QB when I was a freshman at UT, by all accounts a pretty nice guy too

 

[VolDorado]

One of my all time favorites. Could run and throw, and definitely a "rock star" QB. Met him at a gun show in Kingsport once.....nice as could be.

I seem to recall hearing a story (or maybe it's just a legend), that in some game that we were trailing going into a late 4th quarter drive (maybe the GA game?), Heath got the team in the huddle and said something to the effect of "Alright men, it's time to put the women and children to bed and end this thing."

Am I imagining that, or can someone else verify/add to the story?

 

[Ratvol]

If you needed a first down, then Heath Shuler got you a first down. Wish he had stayed his senior year.

Go VOLS

 

[VolDorado]

It's never not a good time to watch Mose Phillips run through a lake and then check his watch in the endzone. The field looks insane.

Man that brings back great memories!!!

 

[overseasorange2]

If you needed a first down, then Heath Shuler got you a first down. Wish he had stayed his senior year.

Go VOLS

I bet he does too.

 

[utvolpj]

One of my all time favorites. Could run and throw, and definitely a "rock star" QB. Met him at a gun show in Kingsport once.....nice as could be.

I seem to recall hearing a story (or maybe it's just a legend), that in some game that we were trailing going into a late 4th quarter drive (maybe the GA game?), Heath got the team in the huddle and said something to the effect of "Alright men, it's time to put the women and children to bed and end this thing."

Am I imagining that, or can someone else verify/add to the story?

I believe that was Joe Kane not Heath

 

[Ratvol]

[QUOTE="VolDorado, post: Met him at a gun show in Kingsport once...[/QUOTE]

Kingsport is my home town. Left there in 1975. Had some good times cruising Broad Street back in the day.

Go VOLS

 

[RatchedVol]

At practice, threw a bullet from his knees 50 yards hitting a plexiglass square cracking it into two pieces.

Went to spring break to the Virgin Islands that next year and they were forever known as The Islands when he came back.

 

[Illinoisvolfan2]

Maybe my favorite Tennessee QB of all time. Tough as nails and an absolute winner.

 

[YankeeVol]

(*sorry this is late, got caught up packing yesterday for our trip today. This is also a change from the original subject of this post, I was gonna use one of the lesser-known WRs in Tennessee history, but changed it as I was writing it. I'll do the WRs in another version of this, I promise.*)

Every denizen of Rocky Top pretty much knows ad verbatim the story of Number 16, "The Sheriff", "Sir Peyton of New Orleans" (hat tip to the incomparable OMG), and the greatest QB in Vols history, Peyton Manning. Not only great at the college level, he was absolutely incandescent in the NFL as well.


The fella that chucked the rock prior to him wasn't exactly a slouch in the Orange and White, though (let's not go into his NFL career or his post-playing days, shall we??). Peyton set a bunch of records, this is inarguable, but Heath Shuler's name was all over them prior to Peyton. I can semi-remember Heath at UT, mostly how weird I thought it was that a QB wore #21. So help me refresh my memory, talk to us about the pride of Bryson City, NC.....Heath Shuler.

You still in MO?

 

[greenbacknative]

He had the arm of Milton, with mobility. He could throw a football thru a carwash and it wouldn't get wet.

 

[tennrich1]

I heard a story many years ago when he was with the Redskins about an elder woman who was flying for her first time by herself from DC back to Knoxville. She had gotten so confused about the gate, flight number etc and was sitting crying in the concourse area. HS saw her and ask her what was wrong. When she told him she was trying to get to Knoxville but didn’t know what to do he told her “ that’s where I’m flying to as well…come with me”. He stayed with her, got his seat changed to sit beside her and saw her all the way home. When her son was waiting for her at the terminal she explained what had happened and introduced him to her son. The son was freaking out when he recognized it was HS. That is an awesome story about a man of character.