 Shemonski as a senior at Maryland | |
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Positions | End,halfback, back |
| Personal information | |
| Born | c. 1931 Archbald, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | c. 2001 |
| Career information | |
| College | Maryland |
| NFL draft | 1952: 30th round, 356th overall pick |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Bob "Shoo Shoo" Shemonski (c. 1933 – c. 2001) was an Americanfootball player. He playedcollege football as anend andback for theMaryland Terrapins and was selected in the1952 NFL draft by theChicago Bears.
A native ofArchbald, Pennsylvania, Shemonski was born circa 1933.[1] He attended theUniversity of Maryland and played on the varsity football team under head coachJim Tatum from1949 to 1951.[2] During that period, Maryland posted a 26-3-1 record. Shemonski scored five touchdowns in the 1950 game againstVirginia 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 guardBob 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-rankedMichigan State. In the postseason, Shemonski scored two of the Terps' three touchdowns in the1950 Gator Bowl win overMissouri.[4] In 1950, Shemonski was theSouthern Conference season scoring leader with 97 points. At the time, that was also a new school record and exceededLu 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 their1952 Sugar Bowl victory over first-ranked Tennessee. He set the Maryland record for single-gameinterceptions with three, which was later tied byTom Brown and Bob Sullivan in 1965.[6] He participated in the 1952Senior Bowl, alongside fellow TerpsEd Modzelewski andBob Ward.[7]
TheChicago Bears of theNational Football League selected Shemonski in the thirtieth round (356 overall) of the1952 NFL draft.[8] After two years in theUnited States Army,[9] he played for theOttawa Rough Riders as ahalfback in 1955.[10] He died prior to 2001.[3]