For Shanle, it's been one giant step
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BY KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
The family and consumer science class at Lefler Middle School in Lincoln might have some leanings toward the New York Giants in this year’s Super Bowl.
Former substitute teacher Andrew Shanle is practicing with the Giants and will accompany the team to Glendale, Ariz., for the Feb. 3 game against the heavily favored New England Patriots.
“It’s so unbelievable to think that I was subbing at Lefler just a few weeks ago and now I’m with a team going to the Super Bowl,” said Shanle, who played for Nebraska from 2003-06.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound former All-State player from St. Edward got a call from his agent in early December.
“I figured football was kind of in my past, when I got this call out of the blue telling me that if I could get on an airplane to New York in the next two hours, I had a job with the Giants,” Shanle said.
“I said, yeah, I’ll be there.”
That night, Shanle’s wife, Sarah, said she was excited. “Then, she said, ‘Are you ready for football physically?’” he said. “The thing is, I have such a routine about keeping in shape and since I’ve had a lot of time away from football, I think my focus is better than ever.”
Shanle signed a one-year contract to work on the Giants’ practice squad. He didn’t travel to road games and he’ll likely not suit up for the Super Bowl but he gets two free tickets to the game.
“I wear a uniform and a Giants jersey,” he said. “But in practice I wear a green practice jersey on top of my uniform when I’m on defense and a red one when I’m on offense.”
He could get a ring if New York wins the Super Bowl, but it would probably not include the real diamonds. He gets at least $4,700 a week and lives in a hotel just a third of a mile away, and about 18 lanes of expressway, from Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.
A practice player can be dropped from the roster at any time. Each team gets eight practice players in addition to its 53-man roster.
“I get a shot at football again and I’m having a lot of fun,” he said. “You never know what could happen. There are injuries, teams make quick changes. This could help my future in the NFL. It could be my last shot. I don’t know, but it’s worth giving it a try.”
Shanle is the younger brother of Scott Shanle, a former Husker standout and current starting linebacker for the New Orleans Saints.
“Scott called and congratulated me and the family is pretty happy for me,” Andrew said. “Scott said I’m getting to the Super Bowl and there are a lot of players who were in the league for 15 years or more who never got that opportunity. I know I won’t be playing, but I’m a part of the team right now.”
Andrew signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago Bears last summer and lasted until the final roster cut in August.
So he and Sarah stayed in Lincoln
Sarah has a job with a banking firm and Andrew’s substitute teaching was pretty steady.
“I loved teaching and I really love kids,” Shanle said.
Kelly Schrad, principal at Lefler Middle School, said the students appreciated Shanle, too.
“I think a lot of the students were excited because here was a guy in a field that is typically a female role,” she said. “Now, the kids are talking about the Giants.”
Actually, Shanle is a Patriots impersonator these days.
“I’m on the scout team for offense and defense, so for the Super Bowl, I’m Rodney Harrison on defense and a receiver on offense,” he said. “Randy Moss? No, probably more of a Wes Welker- type of receiver.
“It’s a lot of fun because the coaches are great and the players have accepted me and what I can offer the team,” he said.
There are no concerns about being crushed in practice either.
“This time of the season, the hitting is limited and all I have to do is give the best picture of our opponents I can,” he said. Shanle, who ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 player and started at safety through his senior season at Nebraska. He was a special-teams standout for four seasons.
He was a standout quarterback in high school but his only play on offense for Nebraska was a fake-punt pitch from Dane Todd that turned into disaster in NU’s loss to Auburn in the 2007 Cotton Bowl.
As for the Super Bowl, Shanle said fans shouldn’t overlook the Giants.
“We played them better than anybody else this year and we’re a team on a roll,” he said. “Sunday, when we beat the Packers, I probably annoyed everybody in the hotel, but I really think we had the better team.
“You have to believe in yourself to win and we know we can compete with New England.”
Two former Huskers play for the Patriots. Russ Hochstein, who has been part of three Super Bowl championship teams, is a backup offensive lineman and LeKevin Smith is a backup defensive lineman.
Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or at khambleton@journalstar.com.
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