By Lloydrica Hudson, Sports Editor

Shawn Paschall grew up playing football wherever he could find room in Deerfield Beach, Florida. If he and his friends did not have a ball, they filled a bottle with dirt and water and played with that instead.

The games were rough, often played without pads. Paschall loved them. Football was part of his family, too. His older brother played, and Paschall watched him closely as he began to imagine a future in the sport.

Now a sophomore running back at VSU, Paschall is learning that speed alone is not enough. He has had to learn when to wait for a gap, when to change direction and how to protect his quarterback. Listed at 5-foot-9, he wants people to remember the heart he brings to each play. 

“It just comes from the heart,” Paschall said. “You gotta have heart to do this. Football ain’t for the weak. You gotta really love it.”

Getting to VSU took persistence. Paschall said an Achilles injury and ankle sprain kept him out for his junior season at Blanche Ely High School. He returned for a strong senior year, but his college plans remained uncertain. When VSU began recruiting him, he looked into the program and saw a place where he could compete for championships.

The move from South Florida was harder than he expected. Valdosta felt quiet compared with home, especially during summer workouts when few other students were on campus. Paschall said he struggled during his first months before finding friends and spending time with family members in the area.

He also had to find his place on the team. Paschall came to VSU as a running back, but he said he played receiver on the scout team before getting more opportunities at his own position and on kickoff returns.

His first major chance at running back came against The Citadel in October 2025. Paschall rushed for 62 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, even as VSU lost the game. Two weeks later, he returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown against North Greenville. He finished the season as the Gulf South Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year. 

Paschall remembers being proud after those games, but he also remembers how much he had to learn. In high school, coaches often used his speed to get him the ball in space. At VSU, he said, running backs coach Tyray Devezin has taught him more about reading blocks and picking up defenders in pass protection. 

“People think, ‘Oh, running back, it’s so easy. You just get the ball and run,’” Paschall said. “No. That’s a lot.”

Kickoff returns require the same judgment. An opening can look inviting, Paschall said, but rushing into it can send a returner straight toward a defender. He tries to stay patient long enough for his blockers to create a lane, then use his speed.

That approach has carried into his second season. Paschall said he wants to break records and help VSU reach the national championship game. He also wants the other running backs to get their chances. When he was hurt during a game this season, he said he trusted the players behind him to produce.

“We all the same to me,” Paschall said. “I’m never gonna be that one person that’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m the best out of all of them.’”

Off the field, Paschall describes himself as friendly and quick to joke. He said he makes a point of speaking to people around campus and tries to encourage others when they are going through something difficult.

He gives younger players similar advice about football. Paschall said they should work on their skills every day and keep going even if they are overlooked because of their size or recruiting ranking. He knows what he wants the VSU community to remember when his playing career is over.

“The smallest on the field,” he said, “but the biggest heart.”