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A spirit that is not afraid

'So much respect for him': Tight end John Samuel Shenker transitions to the diamond

<p>LEFT: John Samuel Shenker (34) playing infield for Auburn baseball (Matthew Shannon / Auburn Athletics)</p>
<p>RIGHT: Shenker (47) runs out of the tunnel for Auburn football (Joshua Fisher / Plainsman Photographer)</p>

LEFT: John Samuel Shenker (34) playing infield for Auburn baseball (Matthew Shannon / Auburn Athletics)

RIGHT: Shenker (47) runs out of the tunnel for Auburn football (Joshua Fisher / Plainsman Photographer)

Coming to Auburn, John Samuel Shenker was a baseball commit looking to be a standout on the diamond. It seemed likely he would shine, considering he batted .359 with three home runs and 32 RBI as a junior en route to a state title. 

Shenker followed that up by winning another state title with Deerfield-Windsor, batting .352 while being named the No. 3 third basemen in the state of Georgia.

While lighting it up on the diamond, Shenker continued to play football and was named a top 100 tight end by 247Sports. Shenker had 30 receptions for 451 yards and two touchdowns during his senior season.

That’s when former offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee extended his first offer to a recruit since coming to Auburn. 

Shenker accepted the offer, opting to switch full time to football and leaving baseball and his high school baseball teammate and Auburn commit, Steven Williams.

While Shenker became a full-time football player, he never truly left baseball behind, constantly attending as many games as his busy schedule allowed at Plainsman Park. 

“It really hurt to watch the guys play that I was coming here with,” Shenker said. “That really was tough on me.”

The tight end redshirted his freshman season before getting involved in his second and third season, catching three passes each season for 21 and 40 yards with a touchdown in both seasons.

Watching the baseball team and feeling more comfortable in college football, Shenker was itching to get back into baseball and approached head football coach Gus Malzahn last May about potentially becoming a dual-sport athlete and what it would entail.

“I prayed about it and talked with my parents and tried to figure out the best time to do that,” Shenker said. “I felt like this year was the best time with kinda figuring out the whole football thing already, kinda knew my place there. I knew it was a time I could try and do both.”

After getting the approval from Malzahn in May, Shenker hit in front of head baseball coach Butch Thompson and assistant Karl Nonemaker during the summer, who told him to come back after football season.

Finally, last month he officially tried out for the team and made it but it wasn't easy to start, though.

“I mean, you’re playing Division-I baseball,” Thompson said. “I think anybody that’s played the sport or understands college baseball would tip their hat to him. He’s closed in on his at-bats. His first 15 at-bats were not as pretty. If our players hear this they’re gonna laugh. So would he. It just took a minute to see that live arm and get his timing down.”

Over Auburn's Opening Day weekend, Shenker was a pinch-hitter in the first game on Saturday and started at designated hitter for the second game and Sunday’s game. 

In those games Shenker went 3-of-7 with a double, two singles and two hit-by-pitches with two RBI.

“He got a double, he got a single, he got hit by a pitch, he drew a walk,” Thompson said. “He’s not just up there flailing. I have so much respect for him.”

Shenker is not the only one involved in baseball and football on his team, with assistant baseball coach Gabe Gross being a former quarterback and baseball player for Auburn in the late 90s. 

He’s not the only dual-sport athlete on the football team either, with Anthony Schwartz and Shaun Shivers both being involved in track.

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Like Shivers with track, Shenker plans to participate in football’s spring practice while also playing baseball.

With just six receptions for Auburn tight ends over the past two seasons, that number is expected to go up with new offensive coordinator Chad Morris in town. Morris is known for heavily utilizing tight ends and Shenker is the veteran of a group that includes Tyler Fromm, Luke Deal, Jeremiah Pegues and Brandon Frazier.

“I’ve talked to him (Morris) a pretty good bit about it, just trying to pick his mind and see how he thinks through things and plays and such,” Shenker said. “I’m hoping that’s how we work this spring, and we’ll see as we get into fall.”

Moving forward, Thompson feels comfortable with Shenker backing up Conor Davis at first base. And even with being removed from the game for so long, Shenker feels confident in himself.

“I had confidence in myself that I could do it,” Shenker said. “I didn’t know how long it would take, but I knew it was something that I felt like I could overcome, being that delayed for so long. It was just a matter of time and how much I wanted to put in the work. I’m starting to see some success. Hopefully that continues.”


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