For Former UW Standout Rashaan Shehee, the Impersonal NFL Wasn't for Him
Rashaan Shehee was a sensational football talent coming out of the University of Washington, yet a deeply introspective person, as well. He was guided by his blockers and his passion.
He went to the Kansas City Chiefs, an NFL franchise known for its adoring fans and Midwest welcome. He was a third-round draft pick. The 88th player selected in 1998.
It was all such a dream come true.
Shehee returned kickoffs the first year for the Chiefs. Started at running back for five games during his second season.
All of it turned him off.
Shehee appeared in 25 NFL games and that was it. He drew his release at the end of his third training camp, probably helping his departure along with his honest yet internal appraisal of an unfeeling pro football atmosphere.
"The business side for me took away the love of the game," Shehee said. "Playing at Washington in college, you get a chance to grow with your teammates. In the NFL, it's a little different. You see guys here one day, gone the next. It's pretty cutthroat."
The NFL disconnect became real for him when his parents broke up, creating a family situation requiring him to leave camp and go home. Once he came back, Shehee realized right away he wasn't long for the Chiefs.
"I truly knew it was over for me," he said. "The love of the game left my heart. When I came back, things weren't the same for me. The competitive nature wasn't there. My will to fight wasn't there. You get to the point where you no longer care about the football side of it."
Shehee, a 2,381-yard rusher at Washington but limited to 295 for the Chiefs, stayed out of football for a year before joining the XFL and the Los Angeles Xtreme. Drafted once more, he was the 49th draft pick.
He experienced far more fun in this start-up environment, wearing a uniform that bore his nickname "The Truth" across the back. Unfortunately for him, the new pro football league created by Vince McMahon, the very visible pro wrestling promoter, folded after just one season.
"I don't think Vince McMahon knew what audience he wanted to cater to," Shehee said. "Did he cater to a football audience or a wrestling audience? It just didn't work out that first year like we wanted it to."
With that, Shehee packed up his shoulder pads and went home to Bakersfield to became a high school teacher, a job he's held for nearly 20 years. Most of all, it's made him happy.
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