Shaw signs letter of intent with ASU

Derek Shaw, who lived in Fallbrook for five years and played Fallbrook Pop Warner for three years, has signed a letter of intent to play football for Arizona State University.

Shaw, who played quarterback for the Oceanside High School team which won the 2004 CIF Division II championship, signed the letter of intent February 1.

“It was a cool experience, too, signing my first real contract. It was a big load off my shoulders, too,” he said. “I felt real good about it. I wasn’t hesitant at all. I felt that I made the right decision,” Shaw said. “It’s a great program, great coaches.”

Shaw had previously given a verbal commitment to the University of Miami, but his official visit to that school caused doubts about spending four years in Florida and Shaw rescinded that verbal commitment January 12. Arizona State, which had always been high on Shaw’s list, was his next choice.

“I felt that I made the right decision this time,” Shaw said of selecting Arizona State.

Shaw, who spent his freshman and sophomore football seasons at Murrieta Valley High School, transferred to Oceanside High School in the middle of tenth grade when his family moved from Murrieta to Oceanside. Shaw was named second-team all-league and second-team all-CIF as a junior after Oceanside finished 9-3 and reached the CIF semifinals.

In his senior year Shaw completed 139 of 255 passes for 2,796 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. Shaw had 282 passing yards and three touchdown passes in Oceanside’s 27-10 win over Helix for the CIF championship. He earned a berth on the all-CIF first team and was named as the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Shaw began receiving interest from colleges as a sophomore with Murrieta Valley. Restrictions on college recruiting do not limit unofficial visits, where a high school student-athlete pays his or her own expenses to visit the campus and meet coaches, and Shaw made unofficial visits to the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, UCLA, USC, and Arizona, as well as to Arizona State and to Miami. Shaw’s unofficial visit to Miami came during the summer between his junior and senior years. That trip was his first visit to Florida.

“It was like a vacation for me,” he said. “It was real pretty; it was tropical.”

Shaw spent two days with Hurricane coaches, including head coach Larry Coker and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Don Warner. “The coaches were nice, people were nice,” Shaw said.

Shaw saw Miami’s current quarterbacks practice during his visit. “I felt like I could compete with them,” Shaw said.

The trip to Miami lasted considerably shorter than the actual amount of time he would be spending away from his family if he attended school in Florida. The separation from his family wasn’t included in Shaw’s considerations. “I just got caught up in that instead of what really matters,” he said.

Shaw’s official visit to Miami took place while he was in that city for the California vs. Florida high school all-star game in early January. The reality of the distance set in during that visit. “It’s a nice place over there. It’s just too far,” he said. “I might have stayed committed if they were closer.”

Warner told Shaw that he was disappointed but understanding and noted that Shaw’s performance would probably be adversely affected if he was not happy in Miami.

The airplane flight to Miami took six hours. Shaw noted that he could drive to Arizona in that time, and Phoenix (Arizona State University is in Tempe, which is a suburb of Phoenix) is a 45-minute flight. “Overall it’s just a lot closer, and it’s easier for my family to come see me play,” he said.

Ironically, Shaw will now be playing annual conference games against two schools associated with his family. His grandfather, Dick Enright, played at USC and was later an assistant coach and head coach at the University of Oregon. Shaw’s uncle, Steve Enright, also played at USC and was on the Trojan team which won the 1980 Rose Bowl.

“It will be neat, because I grew up watching them and hearing all the stories,” Shaw said of playing against USC and Oregon.

Shaw’s playing time will depend on his performance. Andrew Walter, Arizona State’s starting quarterback in 2004, is a senior and is projected to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Walter’s 2004 backup will be a senior in 2005 and will likely start for the Sun Devils.

“I’m third-string right now,” Shaw said.

That could change if he beats out the other backup in the pre-season. Shaw and Arizona State’s coaching staff haven’t discussed the possibility of Shaw redshirting in 2005.

Not only will Arizona State be close to Shaw’s family, but he also feels comfortable with the team. “I made friends right away from the team,” he said.

“It’s going to be awesome,” Shaw said of playing at Arizona State. “I’ve got a lot to work on, and I’m just going to go out and do my best and hope for the best.”