The shade of blue is familiar, but just about everything else represents unexplored territory for recent San Marino High School graduate J.P. Shohfi who, since early July, has relocated to New Haven, Conn. to get a head start on his college football career as a Yale freshman.
“Everything has been really great here,” said the record-holding multi-sport athlete in his typical upbeat fashion. “We have gone through a lot of conditioning and bonding as a team. I feel really good and have been practicing at full speed.”
The latter part of that statement is key as Shohfi coming off a March 1 surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his knee. Though he had previously experienced discomfort in the knee, the event that eventually led to the son of Kim and Dr. John Shohfi going under the knife took place late in the Titans’ CIF soccer playoff overtime loss to Valley Christian. Desperate to score the deciding goal, Shohfi spun at the top of the box and attempted a strike on goal before collapsing to the turf. He did not return to that contest and was forced to sit out his entire senior year of baseball as well.
Though recruited by several Division I programs, Shohfi chose Yale, which actively pursued him last fall and sent representatives to multiple Titan football games. Whatever luggage J.P. brought to his new digs pales to the awards he carries across the country. Last season, Shohfi set an all-time national high school football record with 122 catches for 2,464 yards and 39 touchdowns. As a defensive back, he also caught six passes thrown by opposing signal-callers. For his glittering career at San Marino High School, Shohfi hauled in 203 passes for 4,285 yards and 64 touchdowns, all records, prompting head Coach Mike Hobbie to retire his jersey #81. Titan quarterback and classmate Carson Glazier’s #7 will also head to the wall of fame for tossing 98% of the balls caught by Shohfi.
His list of plaudits includes Titan team MVP, Rio Hondo League MVP, Pasadena Star-News Player of the Year, CIF Central Division MVP, All State 1st Team selection, Max Preps 1st Team All-American and Parade Magazine Honorable Mention All-American.
Impressive, all of it, but right now J.P. would just like to locate the field of play.
“I’m learning every receiver position for the offense, both of the outside and the slot positions,” he said earlier this week. “I’m just ready to compete every day. There are a lot of very talented returning receivers ahead of me, but I’ll do my best to push them and give myself a good chance to play.”
The Bulldogs’ 10-game slate begins on Saturday, Sept. 17 when Colgate comes calling and ends on Nov. 19 when Yale visits rival Harvard. That game might have tremendous local meaning as Shohfi could possibly line up across from former Titan teammate Tyler Spitzer, a sophomore defensive back for the Crimson.
That will all take care of itself. Right now, it’s a day-by-day process to learn what the next level is all about.
“I’m having the most amazing time here, and I can’t wait for season to begin,” he said.
