Jim Shanely (July 27, 1936 – July 10, 2019) was an iron man athlete from North Bend who became an outstanding two-way player for Len Casanova’s Oregon teams of the 1950s.
Shanley came to the Ducks from North Bend High School, where he starred not only in football, but also as an outstanding basketball player and a sprinter on the track. He was an All-State halfback, both his junior and senior years, scoring 24 touchdowns his junior year and another 15 his senior year, even while slowed with a broken ankle his final three games.
At Oregon, Shanely was named to PCC All-Conference teams in 1955, ’56 and ’57. Jim was named to several 1st, 2nd, and 3rd team All-American squads in 1957. He was co-captain during the Rose Bowl season and was elected a member of the U of O’s all-time all-star team in 1992. During his three varsity seasons, Shanley played virtually every play on offense and, at the same time, was an outstanding defensive back. Jim scored the only Oregon touchdown in that 1958 Rose Bowl game vs Ohio State.
For decades Jim Shanley still ranked among Oregon’s top ten performers in nine separate categories., he averaged 6.5 yards on offense every time he touched the ball.
Shanley played one season in the NFL, mostly returning punts for the 1958 Green Bay Packers. He worked as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Jim Sweeney at Washington State before beginning a career in the insurance industry.
Shanley has been recognized by the University of Oregon President’s Associates for his generous financial contributions. He is a member of the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame.