Former UM coach Randy Shannon’s son is transforming himself into FIU standout

Steven Shannon, the son of former Miami Hurricanes coach Randy Shannon, is in the middle of a body transformation he hopes leads to stardom as an FIU defensive lineman.

Shannon, a true freshman, is 6-3½, and he played at 255 pounds last year at Miami Killian High.

He now looks lean at 240 pounds, and his goal is to get all the way up to 275.

“I want to put on good weight – that’s the main thing I’m trying to do,” Shannon said. “Last year, I had a lot more fat on me.

“But since we’re practicing so much, I have to eat a lot more meals.”

With FIU’s season opener fast approaching on Sept. 1 against visiting Bryant, Shannon has been running with the second team on the Panthers’ 3-4 base alignment.

Shannon said he has been learning from FIU’s veteran defensive linemen such as Davon Strickland, Jeramy Passmore, Will Prendergast, Keegan Davis and Ty Danzy.

“I’ve got to keep my leverage lower,” Shannon said. “I can’t get too high or it won’t work out for me.

“In college, the offensive linemen are bigger and faster. I have to be more technically sound. I have to play my technique better.”

Shannon’s favorite sport used to be basketball. In fact, he didn’t play football at all during his middle-school years.

But then his father – who is now Florida State University’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach -- had a talk with him.

Former American Heritage standout contending for starting role on FIU offensive line

“My dad said, ‘Why don’t you try football again?’” Shannon said.

Shannon accepted his father’s offer, and now he’s at FIU, ready to make an impact.

FIU coach Mike MacIntyre, who was hired in December, was the first Panthers recruiter to visit Shannon.

“Coach ‘Mac’ said I had a chance to play here,” Shannon said. “I decided it was my best opportunity.”

Shannon, who plans to major in sports management, has some lofty goals for his career after his playing days are over, and they involve “owning a team or becoming an agent.”

But for right now, he is running with FIU’s second team defensive line.

“He’s having a real good fall camp,” MacIntyre said of Shannon. “We’re excited about Steven. He’s going to be a good defensive lineman for us as it goes along.”

THIS AND THAT

▪ Safety Pierce Withers, who had been running with FIU’s first team, has a shoulder/neck injury and is still being evaluated. He is the son of Everett Withers, who was FIU’s defensive coordinator last season. Everett Withers is now at Temple as chief of staff.

▪ FIU star wide receiver Tyrese Chambers, bothered earlier in camp by an ankle injury, is back to 100 percent.

▪ Ex-FIU punter Tommy Heatherly, cut by the Dolphins earlier this month, is looking for another NFL opportunity. With the Dolphins, Heatherly said, he learned a great deal about professionalism. “I couldn’t ask for a better place to learn at the beginning of my career,” he said. “The culture was great.”

▪ James Colzie III, who started his coaching career at FIU in 2000, is now in his first year as FAMU’s defensive passing game coordinator.

FIU punter’s recent 70-yard kick matches up with his imposing size