At first, the three-yard touchdown catch by former Ashland University All-American tight end
Adam Shaheen on Sunday afternoon for the Miami Dolphins at the San Francisco 49ers seemed garden-variety.
What Shaheen's score ended up being was the first six points of the Dolphins' 43-point explosion in a 43-17 rout of the 49ers in improving to 2-3 in 2020. The 43 points represent Miami's best single-game output since Oct. 25, 2015 at home vs. the Houston Texans (44).
Through five games of the 2020 National Football League season, Shaheen has two catches for seven yards and a touchdown, as one of three tight ends the Dolphins utilize. In his fourth NFL campaign, Shaheen has 28 career grabs for 256 yards and five scores.
On July 26, Shaheen was traded to the Dolphins by the Chicago Bears for a 2021 NFL Draft choice, either in the sixth or seventh round. He originally was a second-round pick by the Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Shaheen is one of four Eagle football players to be drafted into the NFL, is the highest-drafted Ashland player ever, and is one of nine Eagles to play in an NFL regular-season game. The 2020 NFL season is the 18th in the 21 seasons this century in which a former Ashland football player has been on a regular-season roster.
Shaheen came to Ashland following a year as a basketball player at Pitt-Johnstown, and in his last two seasons, arguably turned in the best stretch for any tight end in NCAA Division II history. His 16 touchdown catches in 2016 not only are an Ashland football record, but they also are the D-II single-season record for a tight end. Shaheen tied the Eagle football single-game record with four touchdown grabs against Northwood on Oct. 8, 2016.
Among Shaheen's numerous honors were his being a Harlon Hill Trophy (NCAA Division II Player of the Year) candidate as a junior, first-team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in both 2015 and 2016, and from D2Football.com and the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) in 2016; two College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America selections, including first-team in 2016; Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Male Student-Athlete of the Year in 2016-17; and two first-team All-GLIAC picks.
Despite only starting for two years, Shaheen is ranked sixth in Ashland's 100-year football history with 129 career catches, and is 10th all-time with 1,755 receiving yards.
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