When he was in high school, Brian Shannon played football for the Wilmington Greyhounds. Fifteen years later, he's back on the field, but now he's on the sidelines as the team doctor.

"I'm from here, I have a lot of family and friends here," Shannon said. "I've always kept in contact ... I liked the area, and I liked the people."

Shannon is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip and knee replacements, hip and knee revision surgery, arthritis surgery, fracture care, osteoporosis and sports medicine. He moved back to New Wilmington in July and now practices out of Dr. David Tonnies' office in Hermitage. He also sees patients on Fridays at the Brookfield Medical Center.

Shannon hadn't lived in the area since he graduated in 1987 from Wilmington High School, where he also played basketball and baseball.

During his time away from the Mercer County area, he earned an undergraduate degree from Notre Dame University in South Bend, Ind., where he also played football.

"I played for Lou Holtz. We were national champions in 1988 ... I played in four bowl games," Shannon said. He also boxed in the off-season.

Shannon attended medical school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he also did his residency.

After about a decade in the nation's capital, Shannon did a fellowship in lower extremity -- hip and knee -- reconstruction at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

"I spent a few years on the Midwest, a few years on the East Coast," Shannon said.

With his athletic background and his specialty in sports medicine, Shannon said he is happy to take care of other athletes.

"As team doctor, I get to be on the sidelines," he said. "It's nice to be on the sidelines for games. It's been a while ... it's nice to come back and take care of them," he said.

As a high school student, Shannon was coached by Terry Verrelli. Now he works alongside him. Shannon also covers some of Westminster College's games with Tonnies.

"I live in New Wilmington now, so I get involved in some of the activities there," he said.

Although he has spent time in big cities, Shannon likes the small-town atmosphere this area has to offer.

"I wanted an opportunity to come back ... fortunately it all worked out," he said.