New UConn RB D.J. Shoemate. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images).
STORRS, Conn. — High on D.J. Shoemate’s left deltoid is a tattoo of the Lion of Judah. The lion, adorned with a crown of jewels, views the horizon with an intense focus.
The Lion of Judah is held in high esteem by several religions, including Christianity and Judaism. And according to UConn’s new tailback, the tattoo’s owner is much like the lion in that both are blessed and focused.
The University of Southern California transfer began his new journey in earnest Monday when UConn opened its 2010 training camp. Because of his high profile origin, Shoemate, a junior, was the center of attention.
“It’s phenomenal,“ Shoemate said of UConn. “I really like the atmosphere as far as the work ethic, the guys getting after it day-in and day-out; they don’t take any breaks. They don’t take anything for granted. Every play, every rep — everything that they do is full speed, full go.”
He committed to USC as a 15-year-old sophomore from Servite High School in Anaheim, Calif., and chose to honor his word to then coach Pete Carroll. He arrived as a wide receiver, then moved to fullback.
The experience wasn’t what Shoemate had in mind, but he felt obligated to the program to do what was asked of him.
Used sparingly, he had two runs for two yards and two receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown with the Trojans.
“At fullback, I felt I had a lot more to offer,” he said of his time in Los Angeles. “As a player, I’m a little bit more diverse. They utilize the fullback a lot differently than other places in the nation. It just wasn’t for me.”
Even with the change of coaches from Carroll, now with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, to former Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin, Shoemate didn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.
That was until the NCAA levied punishment against the program earlier this summer. It opened the door for Shoemate to look elsewhere. He looked at Texas, Texas Christian, Boise State and North Carolina.
But it was a conversation with friend and high school teammate, Johnny McEntee, that turned his attention to UConn.
McEntee is a redshirt sophomore quarterback for the Huskies.
“I think when he came out here I think he really could see himself going here,” McEntee said. “Before, when he talked about Connecticut, he had no idea what it was. Connecticut, we don’t know where that is in California. He came and checked it out, then he realized it’s a cool place, a great program. Probably the facilities, coaches — everything. Everybody treated him well. They don’t have anything like this, from what I hear, at his school.”
Before Shoemate considered changing schools, McEntee invited him to UConn’s game at Notre Dame, a bye week for USC. That game, in which UConn rallied to win in overtime, along with McEntee’s encouragement, landed the one-time ESPN 150 prospect with the Huskies.
Coach Randy Edsall didn’t put on the full-court press. Instead, he treated Shoemate the same way he has countless others before him — by telling him to take his time and make the right decision.
“I was trying to guide him from more of a parental standpoint and just say, ‘Hey, here’s what I think you need to do,’ ” said Edsall. “Knowing that I wanted him here, but I didn’t want him here unless he felt good about being here and he knew that he could be happy being here. That’s all. It takes a mature person to figure all that out. He’s a mature person.”
Having never truly experienced the recruiting process, Shoemate did some soul searching before deciding whether he could change coasts.
Sure, he misses his family and the world he’s grown accustomed to. That includes In-N-Out Burger — the absence of which, Shoemate joked, will lead to noticeable weight loss.
“There were times when I was homesick, but you just got to get through it,” he said. “You have to realize I chose this decision, I sacrificed so much to follow my dream. I sacrificed so much to chase this game that I love so much.”
The offense run by coordinator Joe Moorhead is similar to what McEntee and Shoemate ran in high school. But what sealed the deal for the 5-foot-1, 225-pounder wasn’t the available scholarship or the opportunity to play, but his belief that his experience at UConn is going to be “for sure, it’s going to be genuine.”
Shoemate is absorbing everything his fellow running backs tell him as the team prepares for its season opener at Michigan on Sept. 4.
Starting tailback Jordan Todman said he isn’t feeling slighted by all the attention bestowed upon the new arrival, even though Shoemate has yet to produce on the field.
“It’s nice to have anybody on the team who is here to win, great competitors” said Todman, who added that he’s not worried about attention. “If he can help us win, that’s great. As for the running backs’ standpoint, we love it, we’ll take anybody in. He comes in, now he’s part of the family.”
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