Doug Shanahan was able to add yet another achievement to his lengthy resume this weekend when he was inducted to Hofstra’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Shanahan was one of seven individuals and two teams to be recognized at a reception on campus Saturday afternoon. He previously had his No. 26 men’s lacrosse uniform number retired at Hofstra as well.
A 1997 graduate of Sachem High School, Shanahan was a two-sport star in football and lacrosse and continued his athletic prowess in both sports at Hofstra.
The Shanahan File (via Hofstra)
- A three-time All-American in lacrosse, Shanahan was also named the top player in the sport as a senior when he earned the inaugural Tewaaraton Trophy. He was also the recipient of the 2001 Lt. Raymond J. Enners Award as the Division I Lacrosse Player of the Year and the 2001 Lt. Donald J. McLaughlin Jr. Award as the Division I Midfielder of the Year.
- Shanahan scored 95 goals and 44 assists during his career, ranking ninth and 12th, respectively, on Hofstra’s all-time lists. He also scooped up a school record 450 ground balls and won 528 of 868 face-offs for a .608 winning percentage.
- On the gridiron, Shanahan posted 279 tackles and 13 interceptions from his free safety position. He returned five interceptions and fumble recoveries for touchdowns and earned All-America honors in 2000 and 2001. Shanahan was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as a junior in 2000.
- He was a part of six NCAA Tournaments during his tenure – three in football and three in lacrosse – including a lacrosse quarterfinals appearance in 2001. Following graduation, Shanahan was a member of the United States World Lacrosse Team in 2002 and 2006, earning the ILF’s 2002 Best and Fairest Award, which is the equivalent of the Championships’ Most Valuable Player Award. He was also voted to the All-World Team. He was also a free agent signee by the New York Jets and was the final defensive back released on the last day of training camp in 2002.
- Shanahan was drafted first overall in the 2002 Major League Lacrosse Supplemental Draft by the Bridgeport Barrage and played with the team through the 2005 season, helping the Barrage (who had moved to Philadelphia) win the 2004 MLL Championship. The Chicago Machine selected him with the fourth pick of the 2006 MLL Expansion Draft. He spent three full seasons in Chicago, before getting traded to the Long Island Lizards in 2009. He also played for the New York Saints of the National Lacrosse League during the 2002 season.
Today Shanahan is a high school lacrosse coach in Florida and a member of the Long Island Lizards of Major League Lacrosse. His No. 26 lacrosse number is also retired at Sachem.
Hofstra’s 2013 Hall of Fame Inductees
- Lena Malinowski (1998, Volleyball)
- Kathleen (Mikowski) Durnin (2003, Lacrosse/Soccer)
- Greg Polli (1986, Baseball)
- Norman Richardson (2001, Basketball)
- Lance Schulters (1998, Football)
- Doug Shanahan (2002, Lacrosse/Football)
- Alicia Smith (2000, Softball)
- The 1959-60 Men’s Basketball Team
- The 1981-82 Women’s Basketball Team
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro