aztecs for life blog

Feature Friday: D.J. Shields

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 4 Comments

D.J. Shields scores his first career touchdown vs. Wyoming in 2010 (Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations)

SDSU’s Shields shines in the classroom and on the field

For many Division 1 athletes, their sport is their top priority. Skipping class or putting aside homework to get some extra rest is a common occurrence, and performance on the playing field is often more important than performance in the classroom.

For San Diego State football player D.J. Shields, however, this is not the case.

“Ever since I was younger, I’ve always been into school and enjoyed it,” Shields said. “I realized at an early age that if I put a lot of time and effort into it, it would get me places in life. I knew I was here to play football, but I also wanted to take full advantage of my opportunity to get an education.”

A native of San Diego, Shields grew up in Bonita, Calif. and attended Bonita Vista High School. A versatile athlete, he played football, basketball and baseball in high school.

At Bonita Vista, Shields excelled in the classroom as well as on the football field. He earned over a 4.0 GPA, and had 44 catches for 532 yards his senior year. He was named the Mesa League’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2007.

After receiving multiple scholarship offers, Shields, who grew up watching SDSU football, chose to stay close to home and play for the Aztecs.

Shields redshirted in 2008, but saw action immediately as a redshirt freshman. He played in all 12 games in 2009, finishing the year with 11 catches for 109 yards.

In 2010, Shields was a big contributor once again, playing in all 13 games and scoring his first career touchdown. He also recovered two onside kicks to help secure a victory in a crucial game against No. 23 ranked Air Force.

Although the onside kick recoveries didn’t show up in the box score, they were arguably two of the most important plays of the season, as they helped SDSU defeat a ranked opponent for the first time in 14 years.

On top of his accomplishments during the season, 2010 was memorable for Shields because he was able to help the Aztecs defeat Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl in his hometown.

“The Poinsettia Bowl is one of my most memorable moments,” Shields said. “It was cool going from 2-10 my first year to a bowl victory. It was also special that it was here in San Diego, because all my family and friends got to watch.”

Shields played in seven games in 2011, missing multiple games due to a foot injury that hindered him all season. Ironically, he recovered an onside kick against Air Force once again, when SDSU defeated the Falcons in another close game.

Never straying away from his mentality about education, Shields has also had incredible success in the classroom at SDSU. A civil engineering major, he has earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in three different semesters.

For each of those semesters, Shields was awarded the Malik Award, an award presented at the annual SDSU Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet for student-athletes who achieve the department’s highest GPA.

In the summer of 2012, Shields was able to land an internship with Kiewit, a well-known construction and engineering company that is currently working on a project with the San Diego International Airport. Throughout the summer, he balanced a hectic schedule that included 40-plus-hour work weeks, summer school and daily football workouts.

After recovering from his foot injury, Shields is healthy again and has played in the first two games of the 2012 season. Once the season is over, however, he thinks it will be time for him to move on to a new chapter in his life.

“I know that once December rolls around, that will probably be it for football for me,” he said. “I feel like my body has had enough, and the best opportunities for me to succeed are using my brain in the engineering field rather than on the football field.”

Shields will graduate in May of 2013, and hopes to end up working full-time for Kiewit or catching on with another construction or civil engineering firm. As for future plans and goals, he is still trying to figure out what he wants to do with his civil engineering degree.

“I passed my engineer-in-training exam last April, and that was a big step for me.” Shields said. “The next step would be to pass the PE (professional engineer) exam, but I’m not sure if I want to go down that route or stay with the construction side of things and work my way up. I’d love to be a head superintendent or a project manager.”

Although he is unsure of his future, one thing is for certain: unlike many Division 1 athletes, Shields has his priorities straight.

Highlights from the 2010 victory vs. Air Force. Shields’ second onside kick recovery can be seen at the 2:15 mark

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by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Warrior Wednesday: Dr. SaBrina “Bre” White

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 1 Comment

Dr. SaBrina “Bre” White

If you take one look inside Dr. SaBrina White’s office, it’s clear that she cares about the student-athletes at San Diego State.

Dozens of pictures cover the walls and sit atop the desks, displaying many of the former student-athletes that she has worked with since she became an academic advisor at SDSU in 2000.

Look a little closer, however, and it’s clear that they care about her as well.

“You do it all, thanks for your help,” wrote former Aztec and current New York Jets wide receiver Chaz Schilens on an autographed photo.

Kirk Morrison, Kassim Osgood and several other Aztecs in the NFL have done the same, giving White a signed photo and thanking her for helping them.

These gestures are what inspire White to come to work every day. Now in her 18th year as an academic advisor (she spent six years at Utah State), she has seen student-athletes go from thinking they would never graduate to eventually receiving their diploma.

“Sometimes when they come in, they don’t think they can do it,” White said. “Then they come in years later and say look at what we did. It means a lot when they give me credit, but I always feel that they did themselves.”

As the assistant director of academic services and an academic advisor, White is always making sure her student-athletes are staying on top of their schoolwork. She helps them pick their classes, keeps them organized throughout the semester, and closely monitors their academic progress.

On top of her academic advising, White also coordinates community service projects for the student-athletes. She says her favorite project has been the adopt-a-family event, where student-athletes team together and give Christmas gifts to under-privileged families.

Maybe the most impressive thing about White’s time at SDSU is that while helping student-athletes with their academics, she was still working on her own.

White received her master’s and doctoral degree in educational leadership from SDSU in 2007 and 2011, respectively. Her doctorate degree didn’t come easy, either, as she authored a 132-page dissertation titled “Transfer Shock and the Student-Athlete.”

“I was going through the trenches at the same time,” White said. “I was studying late, I was here in study hall too. I was working on my own stuff while helping them do theirs.”

Over the past 12 years, White has been a very important part of the success of SDSU athletics, and for that reason she is this week’s Wednesday Warrior.

Autographed pictures from former Aztecs in White’s office

LINKS:
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Hunter Hewitt: BrandYourself – http://hunterhewitt.brandyourself.com/
Hunter Hewitt: GoAztecs.com Player Profile – http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/hewitt_hunter00.html

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Week 3

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 5 Comments

Week 3 has arrived!

Hello Aztec fans!

I hope you are all having a great week! I also hope you were able to see us defeat Army on Saturday, 42-7.

Saturday was fun, but we have already moved on to North Dakota. Although they are a Division 1-AA or FCS team, we can not afford to look past them. This season, several Division 1 or FBS teams have already lost to Division 1-AA teams, and we do not want to find ourselves on that list.

A new week also means a new set of stories on AztecsForLife.com.

On Wednesday, I will publish a story on Dr. SaBrina White, an academic advisor who has helped countless football players and other student-athletes en route to receiving their diplomas.

On Thursday, I will publish a story on two former Aztec football players who are now coaches. Offensive line coach Mike Schmidt and strength and conditioning coach Adam Hall will be highlighted in this week’s Throwback Thursday.

This will be the first in a three-week series showcasing players-turned-coaches. Next week, I will post a story on quarterbacks coach Brian Sipe. The following week, I will highlight former players and current graduate assistants Doug Deakin and Lynell Hamilton.

To finish the week, senior tight end DJ Shields will be the subject for Feature Friday.

Stay tuned!

GO AZTECS