Bio

For the last 40 years of his life, John “Shakey” McClellan was steadfastly dedicated to Tennessee Tech athletics, serving as a mentor to hundreds of student-athletes and as an ambassador to the sports programs that he loved following.

McClellan was also a groundbreaking pioneer on the Tennessee Tech campus, according to a book detailing the history of the University. He was the first non-athlete, black student to enroll at the University, and was admitted for the fall quarter, 1964.

Throughout the years, Shakey was a fixture among the fans at football, basketball and baseball games, rain or shine. He also worked part-time for Athletics in security and crowd control, and lent a hand whenever possible in assisting the tennis coaches.

Not only a fan and friend of the various teams, he became a mentor and advisor to countless Tech athletes, encouraging their educational attainment, character development and loyalty to the Tech tradition.

 Among the people who considered Shakey as a mentor is Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith.

According the Smith, The universal piece of advice that Shakey gave to every student-athlete was to ‘make sure you get your degree.’ Shakey knew the importance of a college degree, Smith said.

Shakey was honored posthumously, as he passed away in 2007. His wife, Mary Alice, accepted in his honor.