Shamar Graham wears jersey No. 36, but an octagon stop sign in maroon and steel colors might better describe his gridiron duties.

Not much in the way of ball carriers or pass receivers get past Virginia Union University’s aggressive, always ready to rumble linebacker out of nearby (3.2 miles apart) Thomas Jefferson High.

“You don’t get 80 tackles standing around in a great defense like ours,” Coach Alvin Parker said. “Shamar makes plays ... he’s a playmaker.”

In his first season as a starter, Graham had 84 tackles in 2022, including 7.5 for losses. He added two sacks, and three passes broke up.

“I like to go full speed to the ball, sideline to sideline ... and never give up on a play,” Graham said.

His ability to crush opponent’s best-laid plans has earned him a nickname – “Showtime.”

Among all returning CIAA players, Graham has the most tackles from the 2022 season.

“He plays at such a high speed,” Coach Parker said. “He sees where the ball is going, and he goes after it.”

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Graham was here, there and everywhere in a defensive unit that dominated opponents in a 9-2 season that produced an NCAA Division II invitation.

Allowing just 17.9 points per game, VUU ranked second in the CIAA behind only conference champion Fayetteville State (17.3).

Graham hails from a winning background. As a TJ senior in 2019, he earned All-State honors as a running back and linebacker as the Vikings reached the Class 2 state semifinals.

The Richmonder is just warming up at VUU. Despite his tackling heroics, he didn’t make All-CIAA as a sophomore.

That’s an award he’s in line for in 2023. The stop sign isn’t going away.

There is good news and bad news regarding players coming and going.

All-CIAA receiver John Jiles entered the transfer portal and will not likely be back, according to Coach Parker.

The North Carolina native caught 40 passes for 627 yards and nine TDs last season after transferring to VUU from Fort Scott Community College in Kansas.

On the plus side, 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback J’Bore Gibbs, a former starter at FCS power South Dakota State, has transferred to VUU where he will compete with returnees Christian Reid and R.J. Rosales.

Gibbs, a native Chicagoan, had a banner freshman year at South Dakota State in 2019 before suffering a knee injury. He later transferred to the University of Idaho where he had yet another knee injury.