Out of the shadow: Christ School's Navy Shuler earns his own spotlight
PART I
Navy Shuler walks through the downstairs hallway of his Asheville home, stopping to look at the framed photos of his father that crowd the walls.
The images wrap around the hallway to create an almost linear history of Heath Shuler's public life. It begins with him as the University of Tennessee's star quarterback, where he finished as a Heisman runner-up in 1993 before being selected by the Washington Redskins as the No. 3 overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft.
There are pictures of Heath with former college and NFL teammates, and another of him posing with Super Bowl champions Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. His personal favorite — a postgame moment with Dallas Cowboy quarterback Troy Aikman — was taken right after his NFL debut.
Navy's eyes move from the right wall to the left, where the photos then turn from helmets and high-fives to suits and smiles.
Heath served North Carolina's 11th Congressional District from 2007-13, a time that is documented in photo ops with high-profile politicians on both sides of the aisle, including former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
"There is an expectation that comes with playing, with my last name," Navy said. "You get publicity and a spotlight that you wouldn't normally get, but you are also always in the shadow of his accomplishments. I'm striving to make my own name, but it's always going to be there."
Heath Shuler led Swain County to three consecutive state titles from 1988 through 1990. His picture graces the entrance to the school's hall of fame and still hangs at the popular Bryson City restaurant Na-bers Drive-In, where he's lauded as a hero by employees. Navy Shuler brought Christ School to the NCISAA Division I state championship last year before the Greenies fell to Charlotte Christian.
Navy enters his final season as Christ School's quarterback with expectations based on his talent but amplified by a famous father who became a local star at the same age. Daily, he faces the question of where his football legacy will rank in his own family and if one day, it will stand up on its own. But if Navy has learned one thing from his father, it’s that it’s OK to carve his own path.
"I think the most important thing I can do as a father is teach him the important lessons that I've learned," Heath said. "I have the desire to teach him all that I know, but there are a lot of ways that Navy is way ahead of where I was at his age."
'It felt natural'
Statistically, Navy already has exceeded his father in some categories. As a junior, he became the first WNC quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns in a season, breaking his father's records at Swain County.
"I told him that I still have him in all-purpose yards, though," Heath said, laughing.
Navy finished the 2018 season with more passing yards than any quarterback in the state and was ranked No. 22 in the nation.
Though his abilities have moved him into an elite category, Navy wasn’t always interested in playing football.
He grew up on a 10-acre farm in Waynesville and spent his time playing in the yard and helping his mother plant vegetables in their garden. He'd seen YouTube clips of his father playing football but was mostly uninterested.
"He was a Huckleberry Finn kind of country boy," Heath said. "He used to love working in the yard. He could tell you all about the track hoe or front-end loader and all the heavy equipment we had, but he had no idea what a football was."
It was Benjie Shuler, Heath's brother and former high school and college teammate, who pushed the idea of Navy playing sports.
"I remember him calling me and telling me there was a problem with Navy," Heath said, laughing. "Benjie said, 'He doesn't know the difference between a football, basketball, soccer ball or volleyball. You've got to give this kid at least a chance to play.' "
Navy was signed up for flag football in the third grade and was named the team's quarterback after showing he could throw the ball farther than the other kids. It was the first time people brought up the idea of following in his father’s footsteps.
"I remember it felt natural throwing the ball," Navy said. "It just kind of came to me."
Navy discovered his father's highlight clips but developed his own style at quarterback. He's more of a pocket passer with a soft touch, while Heath used his feet to make big plays.
"Sometimes when I'm watching Navy I see some flashes of Heath, but they are honestly two different quarterbacks," said Benjie Shuler, who is a volunteer assistant coach at Christ School. "The way they throw the ball is different. Navy is able to put the ball in places his father never could in high school."
PART I
Navy Shuler walks through the downstairs hallway of his Asheville home, stopping to look at the framed photos of his father that crowd the walls.
The images wrap around the hallway to create an almost linear history of Heath Shuler's public life. It begins with him as the University of Tennessee's star quarterback, where he finished as a Heisman runner-up in 1993 before being selected by the Washington Redskins as the No. 3 overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft.
There are pictures of Heath with former college and NFL teammates, and another of him posing with Super Bowl champions Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. His personal favorite — a postgame moment with Dallas Cowboy quarterback Troy Aikman — was taken right after his NFL debut.
Navy's eyes move from the right wall to the left, where the photos then turn from helmets and high-fives to suits and smiles.
Heath served North Carolina's 11th Congressional District from 2007-13, a time that is documented in photo ops with high-profile politicians on both sides of the aisle, including former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
"There is an expectation that comes with playing, with my last name," Navy said. "You get publicity and a spotlight that you wouldn't normally get, but you are also always in the shadow of his accomplishments. I'm striving to make my own name, but it's always going to be there."
Heath Shuler led Swain County to three consecutive state titles from 1988 through 1990. His picture graces the entrance to the school's hall of fame and still hangs at the popular Bryson City restaurant Na-bers Drive-In, where he's lauded as a hero by employees. Navy Shuler brought Christ School to the NCISAA Division I state championship last year before the Greenies fell to Charlotte Christian.
Navy enters his final season as Christ School's quarterback with expectations based on his talent but amplified by a famous father who became a local star at the same age. Daily, he faces the question of where his football legacy will rank in his own family and if one day, it will stand up on its own. But if Navy has learned one thing from his father, it’s that it’s OK to carve his own path.
"I think the most important thing I can do as a father is teach him the important lessons that I've learned," Heath said. "I have the desire to teach him all that I know, but there are a lot of ways that Navy is way ahead of where I was at his age."
'It felt natural'
Statistically, Navy already has exceeded his father in some categories. As a junior, he became the first WNC quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns in a season, breaking his father's records at Swain County.
"I told him that I still have him in all-purpose yards, though," Heath said, laughing.
Navy finished the 2018 season with more passing yards than any quarterback in the state and was ranked No. 22 in the nation.
Though his abilities have moved him into an elite category, Navy wasn’t always interested in playing football.
He grew up on a 10-acre farm in Waynesville and spent his time playing in the yard and helping his mother plant vegetables in their garden. He'd seen YouTube clips of his father playing football but was mostly uninterested.
"He was a Huckleberry Finn kind of country boy," Heath said. "He used to love working in the yard. He could tell you all about the track hoe or front-end loader and all the heavy equipment we had, but he had no idea what a football was."
It was Benjie Shuler, Heath's brother and former high school and college teammate, who pushed the idea of Navy playing sports.
"I remember him calling me and telling me there was a problem with Navy," Heath said, laughing. "Benjie said, 'He doesn't know the difference between a football, basketball, soccer ball or volleyball. You've got to give this kid at least a chance to play.' "
Navy was signed up for flag football in the third grade and was named the team's quarterback after showing he could throw the ball farther than the other kids. It was the first time people brought up the idea of following in his father’s footsteps.
"I remember it felt natural throwing the ball," Navy said. "It just kind of came to me."
Navy discovered his father's highlight clips but developed his own style at quarterback. He's more of a pocket passer with a soft touch, while Heath used his feet to make big plays.
"Sometimes when I'm watching Navy I see some flashes of Heath, but they are honestly two different quarterbacks," said Benjie Shuler, who is a volunteer assistant coach at Christ School. "The way they throw the ball is different. Navy is able to put the ball in places his father never could in high school."
