Heath Shuler Interview
(His response to 10 Questions asked by the readers of this homepage)
4/7/96

1) What do you think that the 1996 'Skins need to improve on to reach at 
least the .500 mark?

I truly believe we'll reach the .500 mark this season. We have the talent. 
We have the discipline.  We simply need to be consistent and avoid
injuries. 

2)  What would you like to see the Skins do with the first round pick
(outside of trading up for Jon Ogden)?

I do not advise the coaching staff on recruiting.  I am confident Mr.
Casserly and Coach Turner will make good decisions. 

3) What does your off-season conditioning consist of?

A typical day in off season consists of:  Arrive at
Redskin Park at 7:00 a.m., eat breakfast and then play
raquetball for 90 minutes.  I spend another hour on
upper-body weight training.   In the afternoon, I watch game
tapes for l-2 hours.  After that, I run.

4) What is the hardest adjustment you had changing from college ball to 
the pros? Do you regret coming out early?

I essentially played football in college for two years, my sophomore and
junior years.  During my sophomore year, I learned the offense.  In the
pros, I didn't have a freshman or sophomore year to learn the offense.  I
was expected to know it immediately. That's tough.  The biggest difference,
of course, is the speed of the game.  I do not regret coming out early. 

5) Where do you feel your greatest improvements have been in terms of 
playing ability? What aspect of your game do you feel requires the most 
help? 

In college, I definitely was a scrambling QB.  I'm learning to stay in the
pocket.  It's also important to go through the progression of receivers. 

6) What types of hobbies do you do? What type of music do you enjoy?

Hobbies I enjoy include: horses, boating, fishing, traveling, web surfing. 
I like country music. 

7) Who were your heroes growing up?

Growing up, I guess my heros were my Mom and Dad and a few others like
George Brett. 

8) Do you have a girlfriend? Could you tell us a little about her? (If 
this question is too personal, by all means do not feel compelled to 
answer it)

Sorry, too personal.

9) What do you think is the greatest moment of your pro career so far?

I sure liked beating Dallas!  Look forward to doing it again this year! 

10)  This is kind of early, but have you thought of what you may do after 
your playing days are up?

My first goal beyond professional football is to complete my college degree.
 Hopefully, I'll be able to do this even before my career with the NFL is
over.   With selectivity, I am currently investing, along with my business
partner, Dr. J, in some new business start-ups.   After my pro career, I
would expect to transition full time into ongoing business ventures I will
have begun during football tenure.

Thanks alot for submitting all of your questions!