Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/662215
When it comes to sports, Steve Shawley ('74) was quick to admit that football "always has been the number one sport in my heart ever since I played touch football in my backyard as a kid." Being a Virginia student-athlete has impacted Shawley throughout his work career. "It meant everything to my professional life," said Shaw- ley, who retired recently as a senior executive for Inger- soll Rand Company. "I came from a humble background, and I would never have had the means to attend Virginia without financial help. "I would not have achieved anything close to the profes- sional career I've had with- out my diploma from UVA." S h a w l e y w r e s t l e d a n d played baseball in addition to football at Bald Eagle Area High near State College, Pa. "I had several offers from other schools, but none were of the academic and athletic quality offered by Virginia," Shawley said. "Being able to play in a conference like the ACC and being able to play high caliber, non-conference schools was a phenomenal experience for me. "Academics were of an even greater impor- tance than football. "Back in my day, Virginia was well known for its academics and its unique history and culture," Shawley added. "Professional football wasn't going to be my life. My goal was to have a degree from a great academic school, play competitive football and experience something that changed my life. "The academic training and the athletic dis- cipline gave me the life skills that carried me to this day." That experience is one reason why Shawley has been a VAF member since 1999, support- ing the Annual Fund, the endowment, Scott Stadium expansion, McCue Center renovations and the George Welsh Indoor Practice Facility. " S o m e t i m e l o n g a g o , alumni whose names I will never know gave their finan- cial support to the Virginia St u d e nt Ai d Fo u n d at i o n , making my education at Vir- ginia possible," Shawley said. "Giving back to the univer- sity has helped bring my life at UVA full circle, and that is a very gratifying thought." The scope of the athletics depar tment during Shaw- ley 's years as a student- athlete differed greatly from the athletics department of recent years. " The athletic department went from a fairly narrow focus on major sports with limited facilities to one that has expanded to a nationally competitive environment," Shawley said. "Today, we have our fair share of the best student-athletes and facilities in the country. We've been able to field some of the finest men's and women's teams in the history of the school. "What we have today only could be dreamt about by old Wahoos like me. I can't wait to see what the future will bring." — Mike Scandura WAHOO NATION STEVE SHAWLEY Shawley played football at UVA in the early 1970s, and he credits the academic training and the athletic discipline he received there for the success he has had in his life. PHOTO COURTESY STEVE SHAWLEY