William & Mary Athletics

For nearly 50 years, Bob Sheeran was Mr. Football for the W&M athletics family, from his days on campus as a student until his retirement from broadcasting in 2012 and early passing in February of 2013.  Sheeran held a number of hats as a member of the Tribe, including the department's Sports Information Director from 1971-85, founder of the Quarterback Club, and color analyst for more than 460 consecutive football games over a 40-year span.
 
Sheeran graduated from William & Mary in 1967, following in the footsteps of his father, Robert Sr., who played football for the Tribe before graduating in 1938, and his mother, Bertha, also a member of the class of 1938.  He saw his first W&M football game as a child in the 1950s, sparking a love affair that would last over 60 years.  After graduation, he returned to his alma mater in 1971 to direct the publicity efforts of the athletics department and began broadcasting both basketball and football.  Over the next 15 years, he oversaw the external communications efforts of historic W&M Athletics achievements, including W&M basketball's upset of No. 2 North Carolina at W&M Hall in 1977 and the hiring of Jimmye Laycock as the Tribe's head football coach in 1980.
 
After stepping down as SID in the mid-1980s, Sheeran stayed connected to the program through his position on the broadcast team and as founder, host, and auctioneer of the Quarterback Club, roles that stayed with him until the end of his life.  Through those offices, he grew both a depth and breadth of not just knowledge about Tribe football, but a deep and lasting connection to the extended family of players, coaches, alumni, parents, and friends.  Sheeran was awarded the Douglas N. Morton '62 Alumni Service Award in 2004.