Shuler and Wojciechowski Talk Careers and Life at UT
Vols for Life Heath Shuler and Gene Wojciechowski are no strangers to drawing crowds and Friday, September 13, was no different. Baker School and College of Communication and Information (CCI) students and their families, as well as the UT Alumni Board filled the Baker School’s Toyota Auditorium for a special Fall Family Weekend event.
Wojciechowski, a 1979 graduate, recently returned to CCI as a professor of practice after a storied career as a sports reporter and columnist with stops at The Denver Post, Dallas Morning News, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and finally ESPN. He utilized his award-winning journalistic skills to craft an intimate interview with Shuler, a celebrated former Volunteer and NFL quarterback and former U.S. Representative for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district. Wojciechowski’s wide ranging questions provided all in attendance with a portrait of a small town sports hero who realized his dream of playing in the NFL only to build a greater legacy in public service.
The afternoon displayed the tremendous impact the University of Tennessee had on the lives and careers of both Wojciechowski and Shuler. CCI Dean Joe Mazer shared in his introduction that Wojciechowski had recently been named the Edward J. Meeman Distinguished Professor of Practice. The name of the endowed professorship was familiar to its new recipient as it turns out Wojciechowski was also the recipient of a Meeman scholarship while he was a student.
“As a son of a single mother, that scholarship made the difference for me because I would not have been able to finish school without it,” Wojciechowski told the crowd as he took over the program from Mazer. He used how UT and CCI shaped his own life to start the conversation with Shuler.
Over the course of an hour, Shuler shared how his parents’ work ethics and volunteerism directed his moral compass. When it was time to choose a college, Shuler looked for the same close-knit community he was raised in, one where people looked out for one another. He quipped that he nearly committed to the University of Alabama, but his mother would not allow him to back out of his visit to UT. In that trip he found his next home, a place that would invest in him and a community that would support him.
Wojciechowski steered the conversation from his recruitment, through his time playing for the Vols, to his decision to leave a year early.
“I have said this before, it truly came down to me needing an NFL salary to pay my bills and take care of my family,” Shuler said. “Today, that decision and the process of making it would have been very different because of the NIL opportunities.”
As the conversation moved to his NFL career, Shuler shared how different it was to go from always being on a winning team, like he did in high school and college, to one of the basement dwellers. Shuler noted the business-first mentality in the NFL. After leaving a game with an injury and his back-up taking his place, he told himself he would never leave a game due to injury again. While that mentality impressed coaches who value toughness like Mike Ditka, it ultimately led to his early retirement.
Following his NFL career, Shuler returned to UT and earned a degree in psychology and went to work in real estate before moving back to North Carolina. Wojciechowski asked how he came to run for office. Shuler revealed that, much like football, he was recruited by many people trying to convince him to run. Ultimately, it was President Bill Clinton that closed the deal by asking him if he felt his country had given him the ability to reach his dreams. When Shuler answered that it had, the President challenged him, asking if he had done enough to let the next person achieve their dreams.
“That was it. I went home and told my wife that we were running,” Shuler said.
Throughout the interview, Shuler shared behind-the-scenes details from his service and the challenges he faced as a moderate Democrat who advocated for fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, and bipartisan consensus. “We sat in the back aisle, but close to the middle,” Shuler said. “We could vote on either side, wanting the right policy for the issue.” However, he started to see an erosion of political discourse and after three terms in the house, he opted not to run again.
Throughout the discussion Shuler discussed mentors that had shaped his career and provided opportunities for him. Fittingly, Wojciechowski closed the interview by asking what advice Shuler had for the students in the room.
“Do not go into politics if you are scared of losing your job or the election,” Shuler advised anyone considering a run for public office. “If you go into it and do what is right and don’t make political decisions because of the fear, you are doing the right thing.”
He also encouraged students to intern in our nation’s capital. “There is no greater internship than spending a summer in Washington. You will learn work ethic and see how government works.”
Above all else, he advised students, and even the parents in the room, to seek out mentors to challenge them and then step up to mentor the next in line. It’s advice Shuler is taking to heart as he has become more involved at the Baker School by speaking to student groups and raising funds for student scholarships.