Adam Shaheen made an impact on Ashland University football and NCAA Division II football in a relatively-short period of time.
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That impact recently was recalled as part of quite an impressive list of D-II football players over the last 25 years, as the former Eagle tight end was placed on the first team offense of D2Football.com's Brandon Misener's Division II All-Quarter Century Team.
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Shaheen came to Ashland following a year as a basketball player at Pitt-Johnstown, and in his last two seasons, turned in arguably 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.
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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 (GLIAC) Male Student-Athlete of the Year in 2016-17; and two first-team All-GLIACÂ selections.
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Despite only starting for two years, Shaheen ranks seventh in Ashland's 100-plus-year football history with 129 career catches, and is 11
th all-time with 1,755 receiving yards.
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Shaheen is one of four Eagle football players to be drafted into the National Football League, is the highest-drafted former AU football player (second round, 45
th overall in 2017 by the Chicago Bears), and is one of nine Eagles to play in an NFL regular-season game. In five NFL seasons with the Bears (2017-19) and Miami Dolphins (2020-21), he caught 50 passes for 509 yards and seven touchdowns.
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