By Ryan Tipps
D3sports.com

Most players will tell you that teammates treat one another like brothers -- close-knit, supportive and defined by common experience.

The concept of this football family, though, takes on a different -- more traditional -- form for Robin and Shawn Shannon, two biological brothers who spend their Saturdays together in helmets, pads and Gallaudet jerseys.

Though they line up on opposite sides of the ball -- Robin a linebacker, Shawn a wideout -- their expectations are in perfect alignment.

“We always wanted to be teammates so that the Shannons will kick everyone's butt,” Robin said lightheartedly via e-mail. “We were always supportive of each other, saying he’s skilled in speed and I’m skilled in agility. So we are always supporting each other and working together. We’re definitely competitive with others.”

Just with others? Hardly. Sibling competitiveness is almost an inherent part of growing up, and whether the Shannons were playing in major events such as the deaf national flag football tournament or simply horsing around the house, each often jockeyed for the edge.

“My brother and I are very competitive and usually clashed during games,” Shawn said, also over e-mail. “Growing up we would put holes in the walls in the garage due to wrestling, boxing, playing basketball and even tackling each other. But with any team, Robin and I know now that working together brings the best results.”

Though they have differences, they are able to embrace them and use them to complement each other.

“Robin and I know and understand each other very well,” Shawn continued. “Robin understands the game better than me and I am willing to listen to his advice and act on it. Robin is very competitive and serious anytime he is playing football including pick-up games, while I like to play more for the fun and don’t take things as personally.”

The brothers, both of whom are completely deaf, have played football most of their lives, and their competitiveness has been especially crucial for the Bison team, which has rejoined Division III for the first time since 2002. The new level of play has ushered in opponents with more speed and improved coaching, among other advantages. And though Gallaudet has just one win on the season -- against St. Vincent in the opening week -- coach Ed Hottle sees the silver lining.

“We’re getting better. That to me is very important,” Hottle said. The improvement “might not be reflected in the scores of the games, but when we sit down and evaluate where we are as a program, we are getting better. And that’s also our goal, to continue to build the program.”


Robin, who statistically ranks second in the country with 1.6 sacks per game, says that while there are several similarities between the level of play last year and the level this year, one difference stands out to him.

“The difference is speed,” he said. “Club and Division III players have basically the same physical size and mentality. Club and Division III players are basically the same ones who have the desire to play and win. The speed is what amazes me.”

Shawn, on the other hand, spots several factors that he and his teammates face being back at this level.

“Division III teams are bigger, stronger and faster,” Shawn said. “Division III teams are also more likely to have players with a stronger commitment to their team with weight lifting through the entire year. Edward Hottle has taken football very seriously here, and I admire him for that. If he was here when I was a freshman, I think I would have seen a good example and taken things more seriously as far as being in the weight room and feeling more of a commitment.”

Their performances on the team have exemplified their strengthening foundation to commitment this season. After five games, Shawn is averaging 14.4 yards per catch and is second on the team in touchdowns. On defense, Robin has been a role model for the team, leading Gallaudet with 41.5 total tackles and 14 tackles for loss that total 68 yards. Robin is well aware that his stats make him a mark on the national stage.

“I sometimes feel I need to prove to the nation that I am what I am statistically,” Robin said. “So every time on game day, I always kneel and talk to myself with my eyes closed. ‘Am I good enough for the nation and making my parents proud?’ All I think about is being competitive with other stat leaders, so that gives me the motivation and a reason why I should play harder than I usually play. My parents made me who I am, so I try harder.”

The Shannons’ relationship with each other and with their family is evident. Growing up, their parents made education a priority. And when things didn’t work out at the Iowa School for the Deaf, which Robin and Shawn attended in their younger years, they chose to pursue other options.

“We visited three deaf schools: Illinois, Indiana and Maryland,” Robin recalled. “Shawn wanted to go to Indiana, but I wanted Maryland. Later on, we decided on MSD even though Indiana and Illinois were near Iowa” because MSD was better than the other schools.

Maryland also held more options for the brothers, and they were already familiar with the school because an older sister, Tracy, was a graduate from there. But the shift to the Maryland school forced the family to split apart, with their father moving with them to Maryland and their mother staying behind in Iowa because of her teaching job. 


After graduation from the Maryland School for the Deaf, the next step was easy. The Shannons are quick to point out that Gallaudet is the world’s only university for the deaf. They are immensely proud of that, proud of their school and proud of the way they fit in there. They have also shown that they can excel there. Robin, a master’s student who got his undergraduate degree in American Sign Language, and Shawn, a physical education major, are as much students as they are athletes.

“They are great kids,” Hottle said. “They do the things they need to do to be successful. ... They’re both excellent students, they both do the things we ask them to do off the field, which is as important if not more important than what they do on the field. They’re good people, good guys to have in the program.

“Any program where we are, you need those kinds of guys. I think they lead by example in the classroom and just as well on the field.”

Part of leadership is understanding your limitations as well as your strengths. Robin and Shawn know their shortcomings, but it’s obvious they’re not deterred come game time.

Robin notes: “The difficult part of being on the field is definitely my physical (size). I’m really small compared to the standard measurement for being a footballer -- even worse for an outside linebacker. I’m only 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds. My advantages of speed and guts are what brought me to overcome my difficulties. I had to struggle through some heavy blockers. ... It’s been a challenging and fun experience.”

Shawn has his own concerns about his stature, but shares the same sense of drive as his brother.

“I am a small player compared to most of my opponents, and I know I am injury prone. Neither of these things could stop me from playing Division III with the program here at Gallaudet. I have grown up playing football, and it is what I love to do. I am grateful to have the experience.”

Hottle, who came to Gallaudet to help usher the team into Division III and to improve recruiting, said that the team’s obstacles mimic those found elsewhere.

“The challenges are fairly similar to the things you face in other programs: the academic part, making sure guys are doing what they’re suppose to in the classroom; making sure we’re good citizens on campus and in the community; not that different than other Division III program’s that I’ve been involved in.”

He had difficulties at first, but he credits the family atmosphere that the players provided that helped him through in the early stages.

“The communication was challenge. It was as challenging for me as it was for the guys. It’s one of those things where we had some difficulties communicating early on, but to their credit, they were patient with me. ... I learned more standing on the football field as far as sign language goes than I ever did in the classroom.”

And there the football family again emerges, unique yet similar to the biological one in so many ways.


“I feel like I am playing with about 50 brothers on my team, including Robin. It is a good feeling to have Robin on the same team, and I love to watch him play,” Shawn said. “While he is playing defense, I can watch him until I go in for offense, then he can watch me. Sometimes I wish I could play defense with him and be on the field at the same time, but at least we are on the same team.”

Robin notes the fact that bonds of all levels exist at Gallaudet.

“It’s always great to have another family to live with, eat, drink, play, enjoy and talk,” he said. “We make jokes, understand our different backgrounds, learn new religions and beliefs. You know, GU is the only deaf university in the world, so we have diversity of race, sex, level of deafness, religion, etc. It’s great that not only classes are educational, but also on the football team.”