Xavier University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1996
- Class:
- 1969
John Shinners had an illustrious football career at Xavier. A member of the prestigious Legion of Honor, the 6-foot-3, 245-pound offensive guard earned All-America honors from The Sporting News as a senior in 1968, becoming Xavier's first and only football All-American.
As a Musketeer, Shinners and his teammates compiled a 25-14-1 record (.638) in four seasons: 8-2 in 1965, 5-5 in 1966, 6-3-1 in 1967 and 6-4 in 1968. Xavier took three of four victories from local rival Cincinnati during the four-year stretch.
Following his All-America season, he was selected in the first round of the 1969 AFL-NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints, where he spent two seasons. He started off 1972 with the Baltimore Colts before being traded mid-season to the Cincinnati Bengals, and finished off his professional career with the Bengals in 1977. He played in nearly 100 games during his nine-year NFL career.
Shinners youngest daughter, Rebecca, graduated from Xavier in 1997.
