Quarterback Navy Shuler carries on family legacy at Tennessee
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (BVM) — At a breakneck pace, it seems like college football has transitioned into a businesslike mode of operation. In transferring to the University of Tennessee, Navy Shuler wasn’t concerned with anything of the sort.
He just wanted to be somewhere familiar.
“I really like being back,” Shuler said. “Knoxville is my home pretty much … Everyone knows my family’s history with Tennessee football.”
The son of former University of Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler, Navy is the fifth in his family to pull on a light orange jersey. He joins his cousin, West Shuler, a fourth-year junior linebacker, on the team.
He spent the initial two years of his collegiate career at Appalachian State, a Sun Belt school in Boone, North Carolina. He didn’t get any playing time, meaning he still has four years of eligibility remaining.
Navy has fond memories of tailgating and watching the Volunteers on Saturdays as a youngster. The raucous stadium environment was one he wanted to soak in.
“Really, ever since I was able to walk, I was going to Tennessee games,” Navy said. “My first memory of Tennessee football was when Jonathon Crompton was the quarterback … I’ve been told multiple times that I wasn’t really there to experience the glory days, but I thought those days were still pretty good.”
Along with a chance to at some point see the field, a big part of the reason why Navy decided to don the block T was his desire to restore the program’s prestige. He wants the atmosphere around the team to again resemble that of the 1990s, when his father was behind center. Peyton Manning and Tee Martin followed.
“To get Tennessee back to where it needs to be, that’s my goal,” Navy said. “Our goal is to be in Atlanta and then later compete for national championships.”
During spring practice, Navy donned his father’s No. 21, a cool nod to the Shulers’ legacy. Heath passed for 4,089 yards and 36 scores in his time at UT. He came second in Heisman Trophy voting in 1993 and was taken third overall by Washington in the NFL Draft that following spring.
High school was when Navy first became acquainted with Vols head coach Josh Heupel, who was then under the headset at Central Florida. The pair’s prior relationship – along with the way in which the mentor runs his attack – was one of the main reasons Navy decided to come aboard at UT.
“Watching that offense really evolve (with) what they did with Hendon Hooker, that was definitely something I wanted to be part of,” Navy said.
Under Heupel, Tennessee’s scoring offense skyrocketed. The program set eight new single-season standards, including total offensive yards, touchdowns, and passing efficiency. Hooker paced the Southeastern Conference in passing efficiency and was the Vols’ first semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award since 2006.
Navy figures to add depth at the signal-caller position this season while competing for a backup role. Along with Hooker, the Vols’ quarterback room includes redshirt senior Joe Milton, freshman Tayven Jackson, and redshirt sophomore Gaston Moore.
