FYI about camp progress Overseas>>>
Marshall's Shannon helps U.S. military in Europe
By Jacob Messer
Daily Mail sports writer
HUNTINGTON -- Thanks to its newest assistant coach, Marshall University football has some new fans in Europe.
Thundering Herd offensive coordinator John Shannon recently returned from Germany, where he directed a football camp for American athletes who live on European military bases.
It was the third time in four years he had traveled overseas to share his knowledge.
Shannon started his European football camps in 2005 at the request of one of his former players, ex-Toledo center David Odenthal, a native of Germany who played for NFL Europe's Rhein Fire last season.
"He and I were good friends," said Shannon, the former Toledo offensive coordinator who left the Rockets to take the same position with the Thundering Herd in February.
"When he went back to Germany, he asked if I would bring some coaches over and give a clinic. I decided to give it a try. So, we put on a camp for a couple of days.
One of the participants was Dan Miles, who is the football operations manager for Team USA Football in Bavaria, Germany.
Miles asked Shannon if he would return and have a camp for the American athletes who live on German military bases. Shannon did so last year.
That is when he met Ray Bolton of the Kaiserslautern Red Cross, who organized this year's Kaiserslautern Youth Tackle Football Camp. Like Miles, Bolton asked Shannon to return for the same purpose.
"First of all, I would like to thank Marshall for allowing me to go," Shannon said. "This is something I had planned before I got here. (Coach) Mark (Snyder) was very supportive. He said it was good for the program and good for the university.
"It's very personal to me to be able to give something back to the military. These men and women don't get enough 'thank yous.' They are out there fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq and Iran. These kids are over there because their moms or dads or aunts or uncles are high-ranking officers. They are living over there and going to school over there.
"I go over and help the kids. I teach them techniques and fundamentals."
Shannon arrived in Germany on June 18 and spent most of the day securing credentials to get on and off the bases that belong to the Kaiserslautern Military Community. The three he visited were at Kaiserslautern, Miesau and Ramstein.
He participated in an American Forces Network radio broadcast on June 19 to promote the camp, sponsored by the Kaiserslautern Booster Club.
After his radio appearance, Shannon visited the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. He called it "the highlight of the trip."
"The biggest part of my visit is visiting the military hospital and being around the wounded soldiers and telling them thank you," Shannon said. "It's as important as anything else we do."
Shannon talked to soldiers and listened to their real-life war stories, including one who lost both of his legs and one of his arms in an explosion.
"Some of the guys we met had only been there one day," said Shannon, who spent several hours at the hospital. "Two medevacs flew in from Afghanistan. One of the guys was operating the gunnery on a Hummer. He saw a mine and told the driver to watch out. The driver didn't stop soon enough, and the mine blew up the Hummer. He was there to get his knee operated on.
"To hear these stories about the things that you see on the news ... these kids are right there in the middle of it ... It was very touching to me."
Richwood native Alva Gwinn was set to be released from Landstuhl the same day Shannon visited the military hospital. So, Army officials asked Shannon to present Gwinn with a prayer angel quilt that officers receive when they are released.
"That was real special to me," Shannon said. "He's fighting for us. He's fighting for you and me and everybody else in the state and across the nation."
At the June 20-21 camp, Shannon said there were players from Belgium, England, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands.
"There are about 1,500 to 2,000 American kids who play all across Europe at American schools," Shannon said. "The kids are hungry for coaching and exposure. The coaching isn't like it is in the United States because the coaches are retired military men."
Joining Shannon at the two-day camp were his son, Justin Shannon, the outside linebackers coach at Tennessee Tech; Andy Waddle, the defensive coordinator at Wittenberg (Ohio); Edgar Weiser, the offensive coordinator at Cumberlands (Ky.); and Rick Courtright, an assistant defensive backs coach for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.
The players appreciated the opportunity.
"I'm going to take everything I learn here and use it to make me a better football player," Ramstein High School rising junior defensive back Michael Wallace told Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the United States Armed Forces.
"The coaching is lot more in depth (compared to other European football camps)," Air Forces Northern International High School rising senior lineman Bo Butcher told Stars and Stripes.
"There's a lot more one-on-one instruction because there are a lot less people here."
Shannon, who visited Luxembourg and France with his wife before they returned to Huntington last week, said he expects to have future camps in Germany and perhaps other parts of Europe.
Coach John Shannon at present has left Coaching at Marshall and now coaching High School Football in Mississippi. Update 10 Mar 2012.
Marshall's Shannon helps U.S. military in Europe
By Jacob Messer
Daily Mail sports writer
HUNTINGTON -- Thanks to its newest assistant coach, Marshall University football has some new fans in Europe.
Thundering Herd offensive coordinator John Shannon recently returned from Germany, where he directed a football camp for American athletes who live on European military bases.
It was the third time in four years he had traveled overseas to share his knowledge.
Shannon started his European football camps in 2005 at the request of one of his former players, ex-Toledo center David Odenthal, a native of Germany who played for NFL Europe's Rhein Fire last season.
"He and I were good friends," said Shannon, the former Toledo offensive coordinator who left the Rockets to take the same position with the Thundering Herd in February.
"When he went back to Germany, he asked if I would bring some coaches over and give a clinic. I decided to give it a try. So, we put on a camp for a couple of days.
One of the participants was Dan Miles, who is the football operations manager for Team USA Football in Bavaria, Germany.
Miles asked Shannon if he would return and have a camp for the American athletes who live on German military bases. Shannon did so last year.
That is when he met Ray Bolton of the Kaiserslautern Red Cross, who organized this year's Kaiserslautern Youth Tackle Football Camp. Like Miles, Bolton asked Shannon to return for the same purpose.
"First of all, I would like to thank Marshall for allowing me to go," Shannon said. "This is something I had planned before I got here. (Coach) Mark (Snyder) was very supportive. He said it was good for the program and good for the university.
"It's very personal to me to be able to give something back to the military. These men and women don't get enough 'thank yous.' They are out there fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq and Iran. These kids are over there because their moms or dads or aunts or uncles are high-ranking officers. They are living over there and going to school over there.
"I go over and help the kids. I teach them techniques and fundamentals."
Shannon arrived in Germany on June 18 and spent most of the day securing credentials to get on and off the bases that belong to the Kaiserslautern Military Community. The three he visited were at Kaiserslautern, Miesau and Ramstein.
He participated in an American Forces Network radio broadcast on June 19 to promote the camp, sponsored by the Kaiserslautern Booster Club.
After his radio appearance, Shannon visited the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. He called it "the highlight of the trip."
"The biggest part of my visit is visiting the military hospital and being around the wounded soldiers and telling them thank you," Shannon said. "It's as important as anything else we do."
Shannon talked to soldiers and listened to their real-life war stories, including one who lost both of his legs and one of his arms in an explosion.
"Some of the guys we met had only been there one day," said Shannon, who spent several hours at the hospital. "Two medevacs flew in from Afghanistan. One of the guys was operating the gunnery on a Hummer. He saw a mine and told the driver to watch out. The driver didn't stop soon enough, and the mine blew up the Hummer. He was there to get his knee operated on.
"To hear these stories about the things that you see on the news ... these kids are right there in the middle of it ... It was very touching to me."
Richwood native Alva Gwinn was set to be released from Landstuhl the same day Shannon visited the military hospital. So, Army officials asked Shannon to present Gwinn with a prayer angel quilt that officers receive when they are released.
"That was real special to me," Shannon said. "He's fighting for us. He's fighting for you and me and everybody else in the state and across the nation."
At the June 20-21 camp, Shannon said there were players from Belgium, England, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands.
"There are about 1,500 to 2,000 American kids who play all across Europe at American schools," Shannon said. "The kids are hungry for coaching and exposure. The coaching isn't like it is in the United States because the coaches are retired military men."
Joining Shannon at the two-day camp were his son, Justin Shannon, the outside linebackers coach at Tennessee Tech; Andy Waddle, the defensive coordinator at Wittenberg (Ohio); Edgar Weiser, the offensive coordinator at Cumberlands (Ky.); and Rick Courtright, an assistant defensive backs coach for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.
The players appreciated the opportunity.
"I'm going to take everything I learn here and use it to make me a better football player," Ramstein High School rising junior defensive back Michael Wallace told Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the United States Armed Forces.
"The coaching is lot more in depth (compared to other European football camps)," Air Forces Northern International High School rising senior lineman Bo Butcher told Stars and Stripes.
"There's a lot more one-on-one instruction because there are a lot less people here."
Shannon, who visited Luxembourg and France with his wife before they returned to Huntington last week, said he expects to have future camps in Germany and perhaps other parts of Europe.
Coach John Shannon at present has left Coaching at Marshall and now coaching High School Football in Mississippi. Update 10 Mar 2012.
