Shaban Shatku is like a human Swiss Army knife, a fact that Shawn O’Connor is quickly finding out. So far during practice for the Empire Challenge all-star football game, the Tottenville senior has played at defensive back, kicker, punter and long snapper. With players missing time for Regents, proms and graduations, Shatku has stepped into numerous roles.
“He was the first guy on the field,” said Lincoln’s O’Connor, the New York City defensive coordinator. “As a coach, you always love stuff like that. The kid is not only here to fill his position, but also to fill wherever you want him to fill. Defensively he’s looked pretty good also.”
Shatku has impressed O’Connor so much that the coach nominated him to be one of the team’s captains Tuesday night when NYC takes on Long Island in the annual clash at Hofstra University.
“He’s kind of been our leader out there defensively this week,” O’Connor said.
None of this has been a surprise to Tottenville coach Jim Munson, the city team’s offensive coordinator. Shatku has played cornerback, free safety, quarterback, running back, slot, wide receiver, kicker, punter and holder in his four years with the Pirates.
“He has done it all,” Munson said. “As a coach, I was spoiled because I knew at any point in time, I could put him anywhere on the field and he would be able to make a play. He’s good at everything.”
Shatku had five interceptions this season as a defensive back, had one of the best highlight-reel catches for a touchdown against Curtis this year and nailed a 37-yard field goal in the PSAL championship game versus Curtis. Yet he rarely gets the headlines on a team dotted with talent like Syracuse-bound Alvin Cornelius and Gil Mendoza, the PSAL’s top rusher in 2011.
“I like that,” Shatku said. “All I know is for my team. I get my team hyped before the game and we win the game, that’s all I care about. I’m not one of those selfish guys that need the press.”
Shatku never played a down of JV football. His freshman year at preseason camp, Munson was incensed with the play of his team and the longtime coach walked over to the junior varsity field.
“I said, ‘I’m looking for anybody who wants to play varsity football,’ and he raised his hand,” Munson recalled. “I said, ‘C’mon.’”
He did a little bit of everything, but Shatku perhaps found his true calling as a junior when Tottenville was looking for a kicker. Crediting his “Albanian soccer leg,” Shatku was a natural from his first kickoff.
“I ended up kicking one kickoff all the way to the 10-yard line, first time I ever kicked,” he said. “[Munson] was like, ‘Where the [heck] did you learn how kick?’”
Shatku ended up making all five of his extra points in his first game placekicking and became Tottenville’s kicker and punter his last two seasons. Next year, he’ll likely play at Nassau Community College and kicking is definitely an option, as well as defense.
“He can kick anywhere in the country,” Munson said. “He can be a field goal kicker and an extra-point guy and a kickoff guy at any school in the country.”
On Tuesday, Shatku said he’ll likely be playing cornerback and punting. The city team has a pretty good kicker in Xaverian’s Michael Marando, who will be kicking for Fordham University next year. But if anything happens – at any position – there’s little doubt that Shatku will be the first one raising his hand and offering to go in. He won’t expect any credit for it either.
“When Gil was running it and [quarterback] Brandon [Barnes] was throwing it and Steven Browne and Alvin were doing their thing, he knew what his role was and he did it well,” Munson said. “This is his reward. If he would have bitched and moaned and complained, he would have never made it here.”
