Bob Shemonski

Bob "Shoo Shoo" Shemonski (c. 1933 – c. 2001) was an American football player. He played college football as an end and back for the Maryland Terrapins and was selected in the 1952 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

Bob Shemonski
Shemonski as a senior at Maryland
Born:c. 1931
Archbald, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died:c. 2001
Career information
StatusRetired
Position(s)End, halfback, back
CollegeMaryland
NFL draft1952 / Round: 30 / Pick: 356
Drafted byChicago Bears
Career highlights and awards
  • SoCon season scoring leader (1950)

Biography

A native of Archbald, Pennsylvania, Shemonski was born circa 1933.[1] He attended the University of Maryland and played on the varsity football team under head coach Jim Tatum from 1949 to 1951.[2] During that period, Maryland posted a 26-3-1 record. Shemonski scored five touchdowns in the 1950 game against Virginia Tech, which remains a school record to date.[2] Shemonski remains in the school's top-ten in numerous other categories as well: career and single-game yards per carry; career, single-season, and single-game rushing touchdowns; single-season all-purpose yards; career yards per kick return; single-season punt returns; career and single-season punt return yards; career and single-season yards per punt return; single-season points; career and single-season touchdowns.[2] He earned the nickname "Shoo Shoo", as explained by Maryland guard Bob Ward, "The guy stood right in front of me in the huddle and never said one word the whole time we played together."[3]

In 1949, Tatum's third year, Maryland posted a 9–1 record with a loss only to 13th-ranked Michigan State. In the postseason, Shemonski scored two of the Terps' three touchdowns in the 1950 Gator Bowl win over Missouri.[4] In 1950, Shemonski was the Southern Conference season scoring leader with 97 points. At the time, that was also a new school record and exceeded Lu Gambino's 96 points in 1947.[5] That year, he was the team's leading rusher with 101 carries for 560 yards and kickoff-return leader with ten returns for 259 yards.[2] In 1951, he was again the team kickoff return leader with six returns for 126 yards (a 21.0 yard average).[2] Shemonski played for Maryland in their 1952 Sugar Bowl victory over first-ranked Tennessee. He set the Maryland record for single-game interceptions with three, which was later tied by Tom Brown and Bob Sullivan in 1965.[6] He participated in the 1952 Senior Bowl, alongside fellow Terps Ed Modzelewski and Bob Ward.[7]

The Chicago Bears of the National Football League selected Shemonski in the thirtieth round (356 overall) of the 1952 NFL Draft.[8] After two years in the United States Army,[9] he played for the Ottawa Rough Riders as a halfback in 1955.[10] He died prior to 2001.[3]

References
  1. Ottawa Signs Shemonski, The New York Times, July 15, 1955.
  2. Year-By-Year Results Archived October 26, 2018, at the Wayback Machine (PDF), 2007 Terrapin Football Record Book, University of Maryland, 2007, retrieved January 16, 2009.
  3. 50 years ago, Terps ruled; Time has smudged memories of '51 team, but not even '01 UM is match for its feats; College Football: 1951 Terps, The Baltimore Sun, November 23, 2001.
  4. 5th Annual Gator Bowl Archived July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Gator Bowl Association, retrieved February 3, 2009.
  5. Terrapin, University of Maryland Yearbook, Class of 1951, p. 276.
  6. FOOTBALL RIVALS QUIET, SUBDUED; Terps' Nugent, Clemson's Howard Bury Hatchet, The Baltimore Sun, November 10, 1965.
  7. Players By School Beginning With: M thru R Archived December 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Official Website of the Senior Bowl, retrieved February 2, 2009.
  8. 1952 NFL Draft Archived January 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Database Football, retrieved February 3, 2009.
  9. Flashy Half, Quarterback Rossi Report for Rider Drill, Ottawa Citizen, July 14, 1955.
  10. Morris sparkles for Calgary club, The Leader-Post, August 8, 1955.
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