Mohler sacks odds

Shaun Mohler spent his childhood within punting distance of the football field at Bonita Creek Park, where his passion for the primeval elements of the game softened the edges of what was often a frustrating existence.

The oldest of two brothers in a single-parent home in which love trumped disposable income, Mohler never lacked for achiever friends, a ride to the beach, or a hearty meal cooked by his devoted mother Deanna.

But when not at home, or on the gridiron, the baseball field or the basketball court — where his prowess made him special — he was often the butt of jokes at school. He was additionally burdened by self-consciousness about having spent 10 years in speech therapy, and not being able to read or learn at the same pace as some classmates already targeted for the Ivy League and other prestigious colleges.

His soft-spoken shyness was often confused for contempt and/or arrogance and it wasn’t long before his willingness to fight back with his fists, put him in danger of expulsion from Corona del Mar High.

Through it all, family, friends, including a growing group of father figures, combined to fuel Mohler’s motivation to play college football; to overcome the learning disability that began with an endless string of ear infections as a child, and to one day earn a scholarship to a Division I school.

That goal remained out of reach when the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder left CdM, having earned All-CIF Southern Section honors (compiled from players in all 13 divisions). He was also the Newport-Mesa Defensive Player of the Year and represented the Sea Kings, for whom he played linebacker, quarterback, receiver, running back and punter, in the Orange County All-Star Game.

While some of his teammates went off to football programs at Georgetown and Florida, Mohler, who failed to qualify academically for a four-year school, landed at Orange Coast College.

Mohler’s impact on the Pirates’ defense, and opposing ballcarriers, was immediate and substantial. Starting every game at outside linebacker, he led the 12-team Mission Conference in tackles (108), and tackles for loss (15 1/2 ) en route to earning first-team All-National Division and second-team All-American honors.

The Pirates (7-4) earned a bowl bid for the second straight season and led the Mission Conference in scoring defense (16.5 points per game).

Through five games this season, Mohler leads the conference in tackles (59) and tackles for loss (10). He has four sacks and has helped OCC (2-3 entering today’s 5 p.m. American Division opener at Palomar), rank No. 2 in the conference in total defense.

“He’s as good a linebacker as we’ve ever had,” OCC Coach Mike Taylor said.

Mohler, who has built a 3.23 grade-point average at OCC, has verbally committed to accept a scholarship from Nebraska, where he is a projected starter next fall.

When he receives his associate of arts degree in May, Mohler will quickly leave for Lincoln, Neb., where he plans to enroll in summer school and begin realizing his dream.

It has been a road filled with obstacles.

Deanna Mohler, divorced from Shaun’s father, when Shaun was a baby, began suspecting something was wrong when Shaun had yet to speak a word at age 2.

“My mom thought something was wrong and something was,” Deanna recalled. “He was having constant ear infections and he was constantly in and out of the hospital. In one year, I took him to the hospital 98 times. The infections led to frequent ruptured ear drums and repeated draining procedures,” Deanna said. “There was a lot of pain, but Shaun just grew to handle it. I would watch them drain cups of fluid from his ears and Shaun would never cry, because he had so much tolerance for pain.”

The infections persisted and eventually led to his adenoids being surgically removed.

“My dad finally got fed up with my [HMO] and so he paid for me to take him to a specialist in downtown Los Angeles,” Deanna said. “The doctor said he would grow out of the ear infections, but he never did. He still has them.

“While this was happening, it was affecting his speech. They told me to put him in speech therapy and that he would always be slower. He went to [speech therapy] until he was in the sixth grade.”

Deanna said the lingering learning disability made it difficult for Shaun to read and made it difficult for him to keep up with his classmates in school. Still less proficient in reading, Shaun needs more time to study to retain information. He is allotted more time to take a test, but no longer takes advantage of that opportunity.

“He definitely put up with a lot of [guff ] from kids and even parents who made fun of him,” Deanna said. “There were some fights at school.”

Shaun Mohler flourished in athletics, which helped bolster his confidence in other aspects of his life.

“Sports helped him 110%,” Deanna said.

Through sports, he developed friendships with his teammates, including former CdM standouts Matt Burgner, John Fairbanks and Matt Loyd.

In addition, former Junior All-American Football coaches Troy Harrison, who later worked as an assistant coach at CdM, and Bernard Lee entered his life, acting as mentors and advisors off the field, as well.

“Troy and Bernard became father figures in some ways,” said Deanna, who said her father, Shaun’s grandfather, Tom Burke, has “been like Shaun’s father,” as well.

Later, CdM assistant coach Bernie Terry also stepped in to provide guidance and encouragement, earning praise from Shaun, who remains thankful for his wisdom.

Deanna credits Taylor for helping Shaun take advantage of the academic support resources available at the school, and both Deanna and Shaun said OCC linebackers coach David Robinson has become another special person in his life.

In addition to the adult influences, including the parents of his friends, Shaun has benefited from the influence of his friends, Deanna said.

Burgner, a football star with better than a 4.0 GPA at CdM who is now a sophomore fullback and linebacker at Georgetown, continues to provide inspiration and advice, on topics ranging from school to football to life.

“Shaun and Matt are very close and they talk just about every day,” Deanna said.

“[Burgner] helps me a lot,” Shaun said. “He keeps me motivated to work hard to reach my goal [of playing college football].”

“I told Matt before he left for Georgetown last summer that Shaun wouldn’t be where he is without him,” Deanna said of Burgner. “Matt is a little more mature and he’s very, very intelligent.”

Deanna said OCC teammate Benjamin Soza, a former Newport Harbor High standout who has overcome personal struggles of his own to become a standout safety at OCC and earn attention from Division I recruiters, has taken Shaun under his wing, since he arrived at OCC.

“I love that Ben did that,” Deanna said.

Shaun credits trips to UCLA games with Fairbanks (now playing at Florida) and his parents for helping expose him to the pageantry and fanfare that make a college football game as much an event as a contest.

“That’s when I saw that college football is the most exiting thing,” Shaun said. “Since then, I’ve always wanted to play Division I college football.”

Shaun said he has no real relationship with his father, a reality he regrets. “But Bernard, Troy, Coach Robinson and Bernie have helped fill the void.”

Shaun said it was after his first semester at OCC that he decided to commit himself to succeeding in the classroom. Since then, his focus on academics has not wavered.

“That first semester [at OCC] was kind of rough,” he said. “I talked with Coach Taylor and he said I needed to get at least a 3.0 GPA for [Division I] schools to take a look at me. I decided to really start concentrating on school. I got tutors for all my classes and I started spending an hour a day after lunch doing my homework. I decided I needed to do whatever it would take.”

That hour spent after lunch and before practice only puts a small dent in the time required for Mohler to gain ground on his peers. So, he often gets up early to study, regularly cracks the books after returning home from practice, and spends up to 10 hours every Sunday on his studies, Deanna said.

“After playing on Saturday, he can hardly move on Sunday,” Deanna said. “I usually cook him a big breakfast on Sunday and he falls asleep on the couch and doesn’t move. But he wakes up around 2 p.m. and he’s at the kitchen table the rest of the night, sometimes until midnight, studying. His brother is in and out, the dog is running around and I’m always walking by, but it doesn’t bother Shaun. Once he makes up his mind, about something, that’s it. He considers [getting good grades] his job and he wants it so bad.”

Others, too, admire Shaun’s commitment to academics.

“I’m more proud of what Shaun has done in the classroom, than what he has done on the field,” Taylor said.

“Shaun has matured since he has gotten serious with sports,” said Cathy Burgner, Matt Burgner’s mother and a big fan of Shaun. “Shaun is a loyal friend, honest, has good morals and is a salt-of-the-earth kind of kid. I like his determination in life.”

Said Harrison, “I’ve really enjoyed seeing him succeed in the classroom at OCC. In college, there’s no one telling you that you have to go to class. To be doing what he’s doing with a learning disability ... I’m like a proud father.”

Shaun himself said he now enters into a test with confidence he has learned the material.

He also said he has learned to embrace the process and thoroughly enjoys his classes.

But it’s still a constant grind.

“I have to re-motivate myself,” he said. “But I know I have to get it done. [The AA degree] is getting close though, so I’m getting excited.”

Among all who have influenced him, Deanna remains at the center of Shaun’s world.

“He loves his mom like none other,” Cathy Burgner said. “She’s a great mom, who supports him very, very much. When he decided to go to Nebraska, one of the things he was most concerned about was that his mom might not be able to see him play.”

Harrison said he also has come to appreciate Deanna’s parenting skills.

“I always commend her for the great job she has done with Shaun,” Harrison said. “Without all she has sacrificed, Shaun wouldn’t be where he is without her. I think they have great admiration for each other, beyond the normal parent-child relationship.”

Mention Deanna to Shaun and he immediately smiles.

“She’s an amazing woman,” Shaun said. “She has done everything. She’s just always there, cooking, whatever. There have been some hard times, but she has done a lot and she means a lot to me.”

Deanna feels the same way about her son.

“To me, this is a true success story,” she said of Shaun’s journey to major college football. “He has beaten all the odds.”

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.