Chiefs 2011 NFL Draft Pick Shane Bannon Honored By His Alma Mater

by Chris Thorman on May 23, 2011 3:47 PM CDT

There may not be much news out there about the Kansas City Chiefs but at least what is out there is good stuff.

Yale FB Shane Bannon reportedly visited with the Kansas City Chiefs before being drafted No. 223 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft last month. At the time, you may have been thinking, "Why are the Chiefs wasting a vist with a fringe fullback from an Ivy League school?"

As we've discussed here a number of times, those off season workouts and visits are less about finding the next great talent and more about just figuring out who that player is as a person.

Obviously, the Kansas City Chiefs liked what they heard in regards to Shane Bannon and I'm not surprised after reading about Bannon receiving Yale University's Meyer Humanitarian Award this past Saturday.

Here's more on the award from Yale's release:

What the award is given for: "The award is given each year to a varsity athlete in the senior class 'whose character exemplifies selfless devotion along with compassion and concern for their team and the community at Yale and beyond.'"

Why Bannon was deserving: "Bannon, a fullback who was recently selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League draft, has been active in a cause that has helped save peoples' lives. For three straight years he has worked extensively on the annual Mandi Schwartz Marrow Donor Registration Drive at Yale. The football team is one of the teams that lead these drives, which have added 2,500 potential donors to the Be The Match Registry for patients with life-threatening illnesses in need of genetic matches for transplants. Bannon is a member of Calhoun College, the same college that Yale women's ice hockey player Mandi Schwartz was in prior to passing away this past April after battling leukemia for more than two years. Yale has led the nation in registrants each year, and to date six genetic matches for patients in need of transplants have been identified through the Bulldogs' efforts.

Bannon has also been a mentor for elementary school children at Shepherd Glen School in Hamden since 2009 and has volunteered with Special Olympics. He has participated in Youth Days and the athletics department's annual holiday gift giving drive for underprivileged children all four years he has been at Yale."

Props to Shane Bannon for his charity work. He'll fit in well in Kansas City.

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He's got my vote!

by Full Metal Jayhawk on May 23, 2011 4:32 PM CDT reply actions

It's crazy because he was a fringe 7th rounder

But the Chiefs don’t ask that much of a fullback. A big, smart, good citizen like Bannon could easily take the starting fullback job as a rookie. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’s the only FB on the 53…

"When I was just a baby, my momma told me "Son... always be a good boy. Don't ever play with guns." But I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die..."

by nmchief on May 23, 2011 5:12 PM CDT reply actions

I wonder who else they were considering with that pick.

Bannon could be the greatest humanitarian ever, but can he play football.

I hope that he can, and I trust in the Chiefs scouting department though the picks of Gabe Miller, Allen Bailey and Bannon left me wondering.

You can’t get to huffy over a seventh rounder, they can’t all be Page or Succop.

meh...

by Chief-blinders-on on May 23, 2011 5:42 PM CDT reply actions

I like this guy

Hope he can play. Its amazing we were able to do what we did with the running game last season without a solid fullback. At the very least, I hope the kid makes the team and can stick around for a season or two — seems like a good person to have in the locker room.

by hornetchiefsfan on May 23, 2011 8:03 PM CDT reply actions