CLEMSON, S.C. – Former Clemson midfielder Oliver Shannon was one of 52 ACC student-athletes who were selected as 2018 Weaver-James-Corrigan Award recipients, as announced by the conference office on Wednesday. Shannon will be one of nine honorary recipients, or student-athletes who plan to pursue professional careers in their respective sports.
During his four-year career, Shannon started 74 of the 82 matches he played in, totaling just under 7,000 minutes. He scored 13 goals, seven of them game-winning, with 17 assists. He was a team co-captain for his final two seasons, earned All-ACC honors three times (Third Team-2015, Second Team-2016, First Team-2017), and was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Third Team following the 2017 season. He also was a three-time member of the Clemson Honor Roll and a two-time member of the Dean’s List. He graduated in December of 2017 with a degree in sports communication.
The Liverpool, United Kingdom native was selected by Atlanta United with the 36th overall pick of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft and signed a contract with the team on Feb. 21. The 2018 MLS season is set to start this weekend, with matches beginning on Saturday.
Shannon marks the fourth recipient of the award that Mike Noonan has coached at Clemson. Ara Amirkhanian earned the honor in 2015, and Thomas McNamara and Alex Stockinger were named recipients in 2014.
ABOUT THE WEAVER-JAMES-CORRIGAN AWARDThe Weaver-James-Corrigan and Jim and Pat Thacker postgraduate scholarships are awarded to selected student-athletes who intend to pursue a graduate degree following completion of their undergraduate requirements. Each recipient will receive $6,000 toward his or her graduate education. Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community.
The Weaver-James-Corrigan Award is named in honor of the late Jim Weaver and Bob James, as well as Gene Corrigan, the first three ACC commissioners.
The league’s first commissioner, James H. Weaver, served the conference from 1954-70 after a stint as the Director of Athletics at Wake Forest University. His early leadership and uncompromising integrity are largely responsible for the excellent reputation enjoyed by the ACC today.
Robert C. James, a former University of Maryland football player, was named commissioner in 1971 and served in that capacity for 16 years. During his tenure, the league continued to grow in stature and became recognized as a national leader in athletics and academics, winning 23 national championships and maintaining standards of excellence in the classroom.
Eugene F. Corrigan assumed his role as the third full-time commissioner on September 1, 1987, and served until August of 1997. During Corrigan’s tenure, ACC schools captured 30 NCAA championships and two national football titles.
Prior to 1994, the Weaver-James postgraduate scholarships were awarded as separate honors. The Jim Weaver Award, which originated in 1970, recognized exceptional achievement on the playing field and in the classroom, while the Bob James Award, established in 1987, also honored outstanding student-athletes.
