« Football 2014

Deterrian Shackelford

School
Ole Miss
Position
Linebacker
Major
Higher Education

Classroom

Shackelford already owns two degrees from the University of Mississippi. He graduated in three years with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in English and then completed his master’s degree in higher education this summer. He is a five-time selection to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was a semifinalist for the 2013 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award. He is currently taking graduate classes toward a second master’s degree and has mentioned being a school administrator among his career goals.

Character

Despite being a starting SEC linebacker that boasts a master’s degree in higher education, perhaps Shackelford’s defining attribute is his character. Here is someone that had to sit out of competition for two years due to a knee injury and multiple surgeries and yet remained a vocal team leader in the locker room and showed incredible determination in returning to the gridiron and playing at a high level. He is a passionate player on the field and an emotional leader off of it. He even was known to deliver dynamic locker room and huddle speeches to his teammates while he missed those two years due to injury. He is a role model to his teammates by his positive attitude, football knowledge, passion, academic achievement and community service. He is, as they say, “the whole package.”

Community

Shackelford has been a leader among Ole Miss student-athletes in serving his community, both in Oxford and elsewhere. The last two spring breaks, he has led a group of Ole Miss football players on mission trips to Panama and Haiti. He spent one summer as a pre-college program counselor for Ole Miss’ Division of Outreach and Continuing Education and counseling programs Gear Up and JumpStart. He has visited hospital patients and nursing homes and has volunteered with Relay for Life, the Oxford Food Pantry, Reading with the Rebels and many other groups and activities. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., with whom he also participates in service activities. He was selected to the 2013 SEC Community Service Team and is a two-time nominee for the AFCA Good Works Team.

Competition

Now fully healthy and in peak condition after missing the 2011 and 2012 seasons, Shackelford enters his sixth year of eligibility as the Rebels’ starting middle linebacker. Last year, he returned to the field as a defensive end and linebacker and was named to ESPN.com’s SEC All-Bowl Team after helping the Rebels to a Music City Bowl win over Georgia Tech. He is the first ever two-time winner of the prestigious Chucky Mullins Courage Award, which is presented annually to an Ole Miss upperclassman defensive player that embodies the spirit of the late Mullins - courage, leadership, perseverance and determination. His three-year career totals so far include 112 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 7.0 sacks, three fumble recoveries and an interception. He was a 2009 SEC All-Freshman pick by the league coaches.