Heath Shuler, ever the football player

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Here’s the story:

MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Heath Shuler says he would like to be in Los Angeles a week from Monday when Tennessee opens its 2008 football season, but has more pressing business.

Shuler, a former runnerup for the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at Tennessee in 1993, will be tending to duties in Washington, D.C., where he is a U.S. Congressman representing Western North Carolina.

But Shuler, who went on to be drafted third in the 1994 NFL Draft and played for the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints in the NFL, has a personal tie to this team that runs deeper than just being an alumnus of Tennessee. Shuler is also a personal mentor to current Vol starting quarterback Jonathan Crompton.

“I am so proud of Jon,” said Shuler on Thursday while at Milligan College to speak on faith, character and athletics at Milligan College’s Seeger Memorial Chapel as part of Milligan’s commitment to Character Counts! “On and off the field, he has really matured since he’s been there. Personally, he’s matured and become a leader.”

The relationship with Shuler goes back to high school when Crompton worked as a laborer on Shuler’s farm in Waynesville one summer.

“Jon’s a better football player than he is a worker,” said Shuler. “That’s not to take away from his work ethic because he was a hard worker for me. But he couldn’t wait until we got done for the day so he could throw the football. We used to sit and watch high school film together and he picked my brain about playing quarterback.”

Shuler is from nearby Bryson City and Crompton played at Tuscola High School in Waynesville.