Football Fan Targets Shuler's Campaign

Washington Redskins quarterback Heath Shuler puts his hand to his helmet during the Redskins 14-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in this Nov. 26, 1995 photo at RFK Stadium in Washington. In the mountains of western North Carolina, former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler and the man he is trying to oust from Congress, Rep. Charles Taylor, R-N.C., are debating issues like illegal immigration, foreign trade and the war in Iraq.Thousands of miles away, in San Diego, Jason Woodmansee worries that one crucial issue is being overlooked in one of this year's most competitive U.S. House races:"From an objective, quantitative viewpoint, Shuler was a terrible NFL quarterback," Woodmansee writes on his blog www.StopShuler.com.(AP Photo/Doug Mills, File) (Doug Mills - AP)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In the mountains of western North Carolina, former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler talks about illegal immigration and the Iraq war as he tries to oust Republican Rep. Charles Taylor in one of the more competitive House races.

Thousands of miles away, in San Diego, Jason Woodmansee fears a crucial issue is being overlooked.

"From an objective, quantitative viewpoint, Shuler was a terrible NFL quarterback," Woodmansee writes on his blog, http://www.StopShuler.com . "He completely failed at the one thing he was trained to do out of college, and yet was paid millions of dollars. The last thing we need in Washington is someone who gets paid a lot of money to do a lousy job."

Don't go to Woodmansee's site if you want nuanced debate on the candidates and their positions. Woodmansee has only one thing on his mind: Keeping Shuler from getting back to Washington.

"There are certainly former athletes that run for Congress or office, happens all the time," he said in an interview from his home. "But there are very few who played in Washington and would be returning. And there certainly haven't been many cases where the person has failed in Washington and now wants to go back.

"(You) don't want Shuler's stench of failure rubbing off on the current Redskins," said Woodmansee, noting the team made the playoffs last season.

Shuler's campaign has followed Woodmansee's online campaign with amusement.

"He is a very fervent Redskins fan, and we applaud that kind of devotion," Shuler spokesman Andrew Whalen said Friday. "My fantasy team is especially hoping for a good season from (Redskins running back) Clinton Portis."

Woodmansee, 34 and a graduate of George Washington University, was living in Washington in 1994 when the Redskins selected Shuler with the third pick in the NFL draft. Shuler was highly regarded, having finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy the previous year while at the University of Tennessee.

The Redskins were just two years removed from a Super Bowl win, and Dallas Cowboys coordinator Norv Turner had been hired to succeed then-retired coach Joe Gibbs. As Woodmansee recalls, the idea was that with Shuler, running back Stephen Davis and receiver Michael Westbrook, Turner would duplicate the Troy Aikman-Emmitt Smith-Michael Irvin trio that led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s.

Instead, Shuler held out during his rookie training camp for a big contract and played in just 19 games over the next three years, with the Redskins winning just four.

So far, Woodmansee hasn't been impressed with the efforts by Taylor, an eight-term Republican incumbent, to beat back Shuler's challenge. So he decided to take matters into his own hands.