Mohler sacks odds

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.