SPRINGDALE — Bobby Shaw thought selling scrap iron was the ticket to playing organized sports as an eighth grader in the 1950s.
Shaw and some friends wanted to start a football team in Elm Springs, but needed money to buy uniforms. After some scheming, Shaw borrowed his father's truck and the group drove around town trying to collect iron from farmers and anywhere they could find it.
After what they deemed an impressive haul, they sold the scrap metal and banked $98.
“That was quite a bit back in those days, but we found out that would have bought about three uniforms for football,” Shaw said. “So we bought five basketball uniforms and we played basketball.”
When Shaw began high school at Springdale, the school provided uniforms and he played every sport he could. He was a three-year letterman in football, basketball and track and field, while lettering twice in baseball once the program was started before his junior year.
“When school was out you were playing sports until it was time to go home and eat in the summer,” Shaw said. “That's just what you did every day.”
In August, the 1957 graduate will be among 10 inductees into the Springdale Hall of Fame.
“I told (athletic director) Wayne Stehlik in a letter, I don't know who nominated me, but they must be pretty desperate,” Shaw said. “Because I can't imagine even being considered with all the great young athletes that have come after and achieved so much.”
Shaw racked up a nice list of achievements as a Bulldog, though, especially on the football field, where he started both ways.
“I was a defensive end and an offensive end, like a split end now,” Shaw said. “I'm not sure they kept statistics back then, but I caught the ball a fair amount. One game I had broken my hand in practice, but I played the next game and caught a couple of touchdown passes. I had a few little episodes like that.”
Shaw did well enough to be recognized on the national level. He was named an honorable mention Wigwam Wiseman All-American following his senior season.
He was also named the Springdale Outstanding Lineman of the Year before playing alongside Arkansas Razorbacks All-American Wayne Harris and former Springdale football coach Jarrell Williams in the second Arkansas high school all-star game after his senior year.
“Arkansas' coach (Jack Mitchell) was trying to convince all of use to go to the university, but I didn't feel like I was big enough to play Division I football,” Shaw said. “I was only 17 when I graduated high school.”
Shaw served on a tour of duty in the army shortly after graduation, then played football at Hendrix, starting both ways.
Now, with five of his six grandchildren still in the Fayetteville school system, the 72 year old's main sports focus is attending the one-time rival Bulldogs games.
The uniforms and equipment have changed since his days as an athlete.
“Even the younger guys have so much better helmets,” Shaw said. “My first year in college, I practiced the first week with a helmet without any face guard on it. So I went to church that Sunday and my nose, cheekbones and everything else were skinned.
“The next week I got a helmet with the one-bar faceguard.”
He didn't have to sell iron for it, though.