Shyoun Petteway is being patient with his recruiting process. Currently, he only holds one offer from Kentucky Christian University but has been talking to schools such as Marshall University, Toledo and Kent State about potential offers. His commitment decision won’t come until National Signing Day (February 1, 2017) so there is still a lot of time for offers to come in.
“I would say it’s slow, patience is key. It’s been picking up this summer, a lot faster than last year. The number one thing is patience, you can’t control that, I just worry about what I can control,” he said.
He has high interest in Kent State and Toledo at the moment and is going to take visits to Marshall and Youngstown State July 24 and 25 respectively. He was supposed to go visit Toledo at one point but he was battling a hamstring injury at the time and was unable to do so. He’s back to 100 percent now he said and is looking to commit to a school that has a good environment, good athletic facilities and somewhere that is close to home.
Speaking of home, Shyoun Petteway calls Steubenville, Ohio home and attends Steubenville High School.
“Yes, I grew up in Steubenville. In Steubenville, it’s weird. There are kids that have great talent and they just waste it running around in the streets and doing whatever when they should be playing football.”
“I started playing football when I was five years old. I wasn’t old enough to play on the team but I still practiced and stuff. I started playing because my older brother played in high school and that’s when he told me ‘Sports can get you somewhere.’ He graduated from WVU, was a two-year starter and he signed free agent deal [with] the [San Diego] Chargers,” Petteway said.
Shyoun Petteway is not ranked by any of the major recruiting services (247Sports, Rivals, Scout) but he is a cornerback in the 2017 class. He also sees playing time at wide receiver. See his junior highlight film here.
“The best part of my game is being a good offensive player and a good defensive player. On defense, you know what the receiver is trying to do and I watch a lot of film and stuff to see what guys like to do. I would say my ball skills.”
Shyoun Petteway likens his game on offense to Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin because he’s a shifty kind of player like Austin. On defense, he tries to model his game after Arizona Cardinals Safety Tyrann Mathieu.
“He’s a lot smaller than people realize. He’s only five-foot-nine playing in the NFL but he gives a lot of guys hope,” Petteway said.
For the Steubenville Big Red (13-1, 1-0 Conference) in 2015, who lost the OHSAA Division IV championship game to the Bishop Hartley Hawks 31-28, Petteway recorded 54 tackles, four interceptions, and seven pass breakups.
“As a senior, you just have to realize it’s your last year and whatever it takes to win that state championship, you’re going to do. I feel like this here we’ll [get over] that hump and get it done,” Petteway said in reference to getting back to the championship game and winning in his last year.
Shaquille Petteway also played for Steubenville High School, was coached by Shyoun Petteway’s current coach Reno Saccoccia, and he earned these accolades while there: named All-Valley captain as a senior, Two-time All-Ohio First Team, Two-time Wheeling Intelligencer All-Valley First Team, and Dapper Dan Special Achievement Award.
“His brother was a linebacker and running back and he’s a receiver and a corner. The positions are different but I would say the performance is at the same level right now. Shyoun will be going against a different style of players. …I think he has great hips at his position, that’s what a corner needs to have but he’s also tough enough to be a cover four safety,” coach Saccoccia said about how the two brothers compare as football players.
Petteway said he will miss the fans, the younger fans in particular because they look up to the football players. He also wants to leave Steubenville High knowing he gave 100 percent every time he suited up.
Staying healthy is key to finding success in sports, which is why being in the know about a number of diseases and ailments, from the common cold to pilonidal disease, can help you stay on top of your game.