Where Are They Now?: John Shinners
By David Driver
Next year marks the 40th anniversary of the end of Xavier football. It was a turning point in the history of the University. Agree with it or not, one thing can’t be argued: Xavier produced some quality players—and people. We tracked down some of them to see what they’ve been doing in the years since they left campus.
John Shinners ’69
Athletes and the media have always had a tenuous relationship. Except with the Shinners family. They seemed to love them both. After a standout career at Xavier, John Shinners became a first-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints and spent eight years butting heads with players in the NFL. After retiring in 1977, Shinners followed in the footsteps of his father, a former minor league baseball player who began the Hartford Times-Press in 1933. In 1954, he became the co-owner of the Menomonee Falls News in Wisconsin, and in 1969 he bought several weekly newspapers in the Milwaukee area. “That is the environment I grew up in,” says Shinners, a liberal arts graduate. Shinners eventually became president of Shinners Publications before selling the company in 1997. He now lives in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., works as a business consultant and does work with a local radio station. Shinners was the 17th overall pick in the NFL draft—a move that even surprised him. “Being drafted in the first round was exciting,” he says. “I was not highly recruited out of high school, let me put it that way. I never thought I would play professional football.” He was playing golf with NFL quarterback Billy Kilmer when he learned he got traded to the Baltimore Colts prior to the 1972 season. There, he got to snap the ball to Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas. He then played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1973-1977 and was roommates for several years with quarterback Ken Anderson. In all, Shinners played in 97 games in the NFL, 66 with the Bengals.
Tim Dydo '74
Bill Howe ‘74
Mark Pfeiffer ‘73
Mike Dennis ‘73
Herman “Buck” Moss ‘54
Steve Bailey ‘68
Carroll Williams ‘69
Bob Pickard ‘74
Web Exclusives
More Players from the Past
The Next Generation
Did You Know?
Why the Program was Dropped
The Silver Years
The Three Musketeers
