2026 NEMFCA 8-Man Hall of Fame Inductee Salutes - Shannon Messersmith, Hayes Center High School

This is our tenth of fifteen 2026 Nebraska Eight Man Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductees. We proudly salute one of 8-Man football’s finest two-way stars, Shannon Messersmith of Hayes Center.

SHANNON MESSERSMITH – HAYES CENTER HIGH SCHOOL

From 1985 to 1988, Shannon was a dynamic all-around athlete for the Cardinals, becoming one of the all-time great players for Hall of Fame Coach Jim Cole in the process. In his decorated four-year career, he amassed 4,124 rushing yards, scored over 400 Points, and added 500+ tackles on Defense. Along the way, he helped Hayes Center to multiple playoff appearances and as a senior, he led the team all the way to the 1988 State Semi-Finals.

As a playmaker on both sides of the ball, Shannon was named 1st Team All-Conference, 1st Team All-Area, and 1st Team All-State on multiple occasions. Then in the summer of 1989, he was also selected to play for the West All-Stars in the 12th Annual Eight-Man All Star Game. These experiences later inspired him to return to the Eight-Man ranks at Wallace High School, where he proudly coached the football team for 15 seasons- making 4 state playoff appearances along the way.

His proudest moments as a player and coach were always found in the immense display of small-town community pride that accompanies Nebraska Eight-Man Football. The NEMFCA is honored to now welcome him into the Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

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*1000 Yard Guy sez…..Shannon Messesmith is the perfect model for the NEMFCA Hall of fame. He was an awesome two-way player that loved the game of 8-Man football enough to go on to be a fine coach at Wallace, teaching others to love and respect the game as much as he and his former football coach Jim Cole did.