Early Life
When Shannon was three years old, his father was murdered. His older twin brothers, who became addicted to crack cocaine when Shannon was 10, both died of aids, as did his older sister. Shannon attended Miami Norland High School, where he earned all-state for playing football at the position of linebacker in his senior year. He also excelled at basketball, averaging 19 points a game, and was a member of the track and field team.
He played college football for the University of Miami, starting at outside linebacker for the 1987 national championship team. After graduating in 1988, Shannon played briefly as a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, having been drafted by Jimmy Johnson "in order to teach his bigger, faster linebackers how to play the position."
Read more about this topic: Randy Shannon
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