Magee High School will honor Harold Shaw this Friday night, and his jersey #14 will be joining the other Trojan greats.
Shaw played for Magee High School from 1991 through 1993, and graduated with the class of 1994. He was an outstanding football player, and is regarded as one of the most physical running backs to ever play for Magee. Shaw ended his high school career with several accolades He was named an All-American, 5 Star Recruit, Dandy Dozen, and was ranked number 20 in the top 100 of his recruiting class.
Shaw played under coaches Perry Wheat, Todd Mangum, Tim White, Bo Huffman, and Randy McIntire. Shaw explained that his senior year the team was small in number, but packed with talent. Players such as Treymane Williams, Josh Sanders, Marcus Allen, and his own brother Eddie Shaw helped lead the team to a South State Championship. Unfortunately they came up short in the State Championship game against Louisville. They didn’t win the ring but the strong bonds of brotherhood remained.
Some of his biggest influences in football were received as a Trojan. Shaw said, “Growing up I used to love to watch Chuckie Allen play he wore number 14. I loved how he caught the ball and got open that’s why I wore 14. I watched the late Tony T-Bo Smith and how tough he ran the ball that made me want to run the ball just as hard.”
Shaw’s family played a big role in his motivations to excel. He said, “My mom supported four of us on a low income job, and once she got involved and coming to games it pushed me to work even harder on the field.” Harold’s brother Eddie Shaw was also a good athlete. Harold credited Eddie with pushing him to be better.
Shaw said, “Growing up in Magee playing football taught me a lot. Football taught me how to be a leader, loyalty, a hard work ethic, and being accountable for your actions.” Shaw said he felt blessed to grow up in a town and receive so much support. He said, “When you see all the fans that came to watch us play we wanted to play good for them.”
Shaw said, “It was like a holiday, and we were going to put on a show.” He expressed that he was thankful for the support the team received through the high and rare lowlights of the season. The lessons he learned as a member of the Trojans like sportsmanship and how to be a good teammate prepared him for the next level as a football player. Harold learned early that the same effort on the field was necessary in the classroom. He said, “Magee helped me prepare for school. I always learned education first. The further you go you see how much education and football intertwine with each other.”
When he left Magee to attend the University of Southern Mississippi his work ethic drove him to be great on and off the field. He explained that he was motivated to not let anyone down from his hometown that believed in him. His hard work paid off and he was drafted by the New England Patriots where he played from 1998-2000. Even though he is far removed from the small town of Magee he still relies on the lessons and experiences the town offered him. Shaw’s Jersey was retired by USM in 2016. The ceremony for Magee will take place this Friday October 19 during halftime of the Trojans football game.
Shaw said, “It means a lot to me to have my jersey honored. I put in a lot of hard work and it payed off. It’s an honor and a pleasure that people thought enough of me to do this.” Since retiring from football Shaw has been heavily involved in charity work. He said that he plans to get more involved with the community in Magee, and revealed that he plans to move back to Magee next summer.
Shaw said, “I plan to come back and give back to the community because it’s all about support. If parents can get behind their kids and show support it makes a difference. We need to support and push these kids in education and in sports. ”
