Members
Inductee
SUGGS, SHAFER
SUGGS, SHAFER
Born on April 28, 1953
Elkhart, IN
Inducted On
August 5, 1989
Location Inducted
South Bend, IN
Region Number
2
Elkhart
Player
Elkhart
1972
Earned 2 letters each in football, basketball, and track; member of Boys Basketball State Finalist team in 1971; All-State 1st Team Defensive Back in 1970; All-Northern Indiana Conference Defensive Back 1970; played on North team for North-South All-Star game as a defensive back in 1972.
Ball State University
1976
Lettered in football and basketball in the same season as a freshman; earned 4 letters in football and 3 in basketball, skipping last year of basketball to play in football All-Star Games; established BSU career record for interceptions with 14 and tied school single season record of 8 interceptions in 1974; started in three college All-Star games in 1976 - East-West Shrine Bowl in San Francisco, the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL, and the College All-Star Game in Chicago; MAC Conference Defensive Player of Year 1975 and named to All-MAC First Team; AP 2nd Team All-American 1972 and All-American Defensive Back 1975.
Inducted into Ball State University's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987 as BSU's all-time interception leader.
Professional Background: 2nd round draft choice of the New York Jets in 1976; played in 56 games and started in 53 for the Jets 1976-1980; started in all 16 games in 1978 when he led the Jets in tackles; after being injured in fourth game of 1980 season, was acquired by Cincinnati Bengals, playing in the final four games that year; played for Montreal Alouettes of Canadian Football League in 1981 and New Jersey Generals in United States Football League in 1983; during his NFL career, had 7 interceptions, returning them for a total of 114 yards; scored his only NFL touchdown on October 15th, 1979, in a nationally televised Monday night game against Minnesota Vikings when he returned an interception 37 yards to lift the Jets to a 14-7 victory.
