Louie Shaffer represents the ideal ray of sunshine that programs like Deerfield need to weather tough times.
Amid the Warriors’ one-win season in 2025, Shaffer not only emerged from a yearlong injury absence to secure his place on the field with his caliber of play but also generated confidence in the possibility of a quick turnaround.
“I’m stoked about this season, and everyone on the team has a really positive outlook on the season right now,” Shaffer said. “Losing wasn’t fun last year, but everyone’s mind is focused on changing things around.”
Shaffer, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior linebacker/slotback, is one of the main reasons. Sidelined in 2024 after suffering a broken collarbone during an early practice, he claimed starting spots on both sides of the ball last season and played at a high level at both positions.
Shaffer made 56 tackles, including seven for loss, and recovered two fumbles, and he also had four catches for 66 yards and 17 carries for 90 yards.
But Shaffer’s positive attitude was no less important for the Warriors, who will start the season on the road at Lake Forest on Friday.
“To come back as a junior and play the way he did was remarkable,” Deerfield coach Brandon Geuder said. “Besides his play, he’s a great locker room presence. He’s incredibly kind and generous to everyone, and everyone just likes him.
“You can tell he loves every second of being involved in football, and he’s a great balancing force for our program.”
Becoming that force, Shaffer remained engaged, even productive, as he recovered from his injury during the 2024 season. Instead of retreating from view, he became even more involved.
“I had plates and screws inserted in there, so I wasn’t able to do much for a while,” he said. “I have a brother who’s three years older than me, and I saw how committed he was to the entire process, and my dad and I talked about finding a silver lining in my situation.”
Shaffer made a point to be present at every practice and other team activity. He also accompanied Deerfield’s coaches into the press box during games to help chart plays and perform other duties.
“It gave him a little behind-the-curtain look at the coaching world,” Geuder said. “I think it definitely helped with his development mentally as a football player.”
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Shaffer would have preferred being on the field with his teammates, even in a more secondary capacity as a sophomore, but he couldn’t agree more that he benefited from the additional exposure to the sport.
“It was a piece of football that I got that no one else got, and it kept me interested,” Shaffer said. “By the end of the year, I could almost predict the calls that would be made because of what I had observed. My football acumen definitely went up.”
That made the start of the 2025 season a special time for Shaffer, who kept the initial good vibes going despite the Warriors’ losses.
“At that first game, I almost couldn’t believe I was playing football again because it had been almost two years,” he said. “I was so thankful to be back. I was a little nervous. But there was a lot of excitement, and because I was a sponge and had absorbed all of the information, I felt like things came a little easier to me.”
Being a step ahead proved very important for Shaffer. In the Central Suburban League South, he and his teammates routinely competed against schools with much bigger enrollments — and larger linemen.
“There were some pretty big boys, and a lot of the teams we played were bigger than us,” Shaffer said. “I had to rely on my speed and athletic ability in being able to rip outside to make tackles.
“I trusted what my coaches were telling us and learned how to make plays by not necessarily making the tackle. I wasn’t looking at my stats.”
Shaffer’s stats accumulated anyway. But his impact can’t be measured by numbers alone, as Deerfield sophomore quarterback Cooper Crane learned even before they were teammates.
“I was at a hockey game last winter, and he came up to me and said we would have to start talking,” Crane said. “He leads by his voice, and he also leads by example, which is really appreciated.
“And on the field, he’s always flying around. He’s definitely going to cause issues for other teams.”
So Geuder was not surprised when Shaffer was elected one of three team captains by his peers. Competing in the newly established CSL Central along with Glenbrook North, Highland Park and Niles West, Shaffer is ready to lead the charge.
“I was extremely honored to be named as a captain,” he said. “I feel very prepared going into the season, but being a captain means getting all the boys excited to play football and ready to win some games.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.