Living a normal life: Shawn Murphy always considered his all-star father just his 'Dad'

While growing up, Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium was Shawn Murphy's playground.

He spent many summer days playing catch on the field with his brothers and father, running in the tunnels, or just hanging out in the clubhouse waiting for the game to start.

His dad played for the Braves, was a national and local hero, and was on TV regularly.

At the time, it was normal. That's just what Dad did.

Even today, 13 years after his father Dale, a two-time National League MVP, retired after 18 seasons, Shawn still has a difficult time seeing it any other way.

"I think it still hasn't even sunk in really," said Shawn, Utah State's starting left tackle.

"People know him. We'll be out in public with him and people will ask for autographs, but it still never sinks in that other people looked up to him and watched him on TV and respected him in that way. He's just my dad," he said.

Looking back, Shawn, 23, realizes it was his father's ability to perfectly mix family life and baseball that made him feel that way. He and his six brothers and one sister have never taken a back seat to baseball.

"Baseball was part of our family and still is," Shawn said. "He was really good at splitting his time. When he had to work, he was at work. That was his job. He was really good at not bringing his work home with him. ... He was a family man and put us before anything."

Two years ago, Shawn called upon that carefully fostered father-son relationship.

Shawn played one year at Ricks College in 2001 before serving an LDS Church mission to Brazil. He knew the school was dropping athletics and he would have to find another school when he returned or quit playing.

"I figured I would have two years to see what I was going to do," he said. "The whole time I was out there I went back and forth on what I was going to do. There were times I had decided I wasn't going to play anymore and then there were days I would want to get home and play again."

He asked his dad for his input.

"His advice was to do what I wanted to do and do what would make me happy. He offered his whole support in whatever choice I made," Shawn said. "I grew up around kids whose parents were a little more forceful as far as sports and extra-curricular activities and it's such a relief to know whatever I do, my parents, especially my dad, will support me."

Still undecided, Shawn attended the BYU-Notre Dame football game two years ago with a field pass his father gave him.