Jordan Shipley (born December 23, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Shipley played college football for the Texas Longhorns, receiving consensus All-American recognition in 2009. He was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and also played in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jordan Shipley
refer to caption
Shipley with the Bengals in 2010
No. 11, 16, 84, 12
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1985-12-23) December 23, 1985 (age 38)
Temple, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:188 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High school:Burnet (Burnet, Texas)
College:Texas
NFL draft:2010 / Round: 3 / Pick: 84
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:79
Receiving yards:858
Receiving touchdowns:4
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years edit

Shipley was born in Temple, Texas.[1][2] He played high school football at Rotan High School in Rotan, Texas as a freshman in 2000, and then from 2001 to 2003 at Burnet High School in Burnet, Texas, where his father, Bob Shipley, was the head coach. Shipley holds almost every high school career receiving record for the state of Texas, including career receptions (264), receiving yards (5,424), and receiving touchdowns (73).[3] In 2000, in his first varsity game as a freshman at Rotan High, Shipley totaled 454 all-purpose yards and returned three punts for touchdowns.[4]

With former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Stephen McGee, Shipley helped lead the Burnet Bulldogs to back-to-back Class 3A State championship games of which they lost in 2002 and 2003.[5] Following his record-setting high school career, Shipley played in the 2004 U.S. Army All-American Bowl with fellow Texas Longhorn Frank Okam and former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

College career edit

 
Shipley in a 2006 game at Rice
 
Jordan Shipley catching a pass in the 2008 A&M game

Shipley attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he played for coach Mack Brown's Texas Longhorns football team from 2004 to 2009.

2008 season edit

Shipley had a stand-out game in the 2008 Texas vs. Oklahoma football game against the #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners. He returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown; it was the longest kickoff return in the 103-year history of the Red River Shootout. He also caught a touchdown pass. The Longhorns won 45–35.[6]

On October 25, 2008, Shipley set a Texas Longhorn record for receptions, catching 15 passes for 168 yards as #1 Texas defeated #6 Oklahoma State 28–24.[7]

Shipley was a senior in 2008, but filed paperwork with the NCAA to request an extra year of eligibility to make up for games missed due to injuries. On December 22, 2008, the NCAA granted Shipley's hardship request for a sixth season of eligibility.[8]

Shipley made the All-Big 12 second-team after the 2008 regular season.[9]

Following the 2008 season, Shipley underwent shoulder surgery for what he stated was "an injury I aggravated a couple of times during the year, but was able to play through. I worked hard to rehab it and kept playing. But now that I have time, I got it cleaned up and can get back to full strength for next season."[10]

2009 season edit

Shipley proved to be a vital member of the 2009 Texas Longhorn football team, including scoring a touchdown off of a Texas Tech punt in the Longhorns' 34–24 victory. On November 7, 2009, Shipley caught 11 passes for a school record 273 yards during a home game against the UCF. Shipley's play during the season helped lead Texas to the 2009 Big 12 Championship Game against Nebraska. He caught seven passes for 71 yards in the 13–12 win and helped Texas earn a spot in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. Shipley caught two touchdown passes during the game, but Texas lost to top-ranked Alabama, 37–21.

Track and field edit

In addition to college football, Shipley ran track at the University of Texas, where he posted personal bests of 10.85 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.76 seconds in the 200 meters.

Personal bests edit

Event Time (seconds) Venue Date
100 meters 10.85 Austin, Texas April 3, 2004
200 meters 21.76 Austin, Texas May 14, 2004

Professional career edit

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 11+14 in
(1.81 m)
193 lb
(88 kg)
30+12 in
(0.77 m)
9+58 in
(0.24 m)
4.64 s 4.22 s 36+12 in
(0.93 m)
10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)
16 reps
All values from NFL Combine, except shuttle and broad jump, which are from Texas Pro Day

Cincinnati Bengals edit

Shipley was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft (84th overall).[11] On July 27, 2010, he signed a four-year contract for $2.54 million with a signing bonus of nearly $757,000. The contract included standard base salaries of $320,000, $405,000, $490,000 and $575,000, as well as a fourth-year escalator clause that could significantly boost the maximum value of the contract.[12]

In Shipley's first NFL preseason game, he returned a punt 63 yards late in the fourth quarter to set up the Bengals' only score against the Dallas Cowboys.[13]

In Week 4 of the regular season, Shipley was hit in the head by Cleveland Browns safety T. J. Ward, causing a concussion that kept him sidelined in week 5.[14] Ward was fined $15,000 for the helmet-to-helmet contact.[15] On October 21 against the Atlanta Falcons, Shipley recorded six receptions for 131 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown catch. He finished the season with 52 receptions for 600 yards and three touchdowns.[16][17]

During the next season, 2011, in a game against the Denver Broncos in week 2, Shipley tore two ligaments in his knee – anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) – causing him to miss the remainder of the 2011 season.[18]

After struggling to fully recover from the knee injury during the 2012 preseason, the Bengals waived Shipley on August 17, 2012.[19] Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden explained, "Right now, we have a lot of good players at that position, and something had to be done."[20] Regarding the move, Shipley later commented, "I am honestly not sure what the [Bengals'] thought process was."[21]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers edit

Shipley was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on August 20, 2012.[21] He was released less than two weeks later during final roster cuts on August 31, but was re-signed on September 18 following an injury to starting slot receiver Preston Parker.[22][23] The Buccaneers released Shipley again on September 25, two days after a game against the Dallas Cowboys in which he fumbled a punt return.[24]

Jacksonville Jaguars edit

On November 20, 2012, Shipley signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.[25] He played in six games, catching 23 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns.[26]

The Jaguars officially re-signed him on March 21, 2013.[26] He was released on September 1, 2013.

Retirement edit

On February 18, 2014, Shipley retired from football.[27]

Television career edit

In 2018, Shipley joined the Texas GameDay crew on the Longhorn Network following Emmanuel Acho's departure for ESPN2.[28] He had previous on-air television experience co-hosting The Bucks of Tecomate on the Outdoor Channel.[29]

Personal life edit

Shipley was a college roommate of former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.[30] His younger brother, Jaxon, was also a wide receiver at Texas, where he played alongside Colt's younger brother, Case McCoy.[31] In 2016, Jaxon played with the Arizona Cardinals. His cousin, Braden, is a baseball player for the Kansas City Royals.[32]

On May 21, 2011, Shipley married Nashville songwriter Sunny Helms.[33] The two first met in 1999 in Rotan, Texas, where Shipley was an eighth-grade quarterback and Helms was a freshman on the cheerleading squad. Shipley's father coached at Rotan for two years before moving to Burnet in 2001.[34]

References edit

  1. ^ Shipley, Jordan. "Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997". FamilySearch.org. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  2. ^ Shipley, Jordan. "Player Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  3. ^ "All-Time Individual Records". Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  4. ^ "Before he could star for Longhorns, Shipley had to succeed for Rotan".
  5. ^ "Burnet has its own air Jordan". News 8 Austin. Retrieved October 29, 2008.
  6. ^ "{5} Texas 45 - {1} Oklahoma 35 - Texas builds on second-half momentum to drop Oklahoma". ESPN.com. The Disney Company. October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  7. ^ "Fake executed by Shipley was key to win". www.statesman.com. Austin American Statesman. October 26, 2008. Archived from the original on September 12, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2008.
  8. ^ "NCAA grants Shipley a medical sixth year of eligibility". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
  9. ^ "2008 All-Big 12 Football Awards Announced".
  10. ^ Tim Griffin (January 23, 2009). "WR Shipley undergoes shoulder surgery". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  11. ^ "2010 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  12. ^ "Bengals sign Jordan Shipley | National Football Post". Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  13. ^ "Rookies Shipley, Atkins up to speed". Bengals.com. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  14. ^ "Bengals WR Shipley Out With Concussion". Associated Press. October 10, 2010. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  15. ^ "Report: T.J. Ward fined $15K by NFL". Associated Press. October 6, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  16. ^ Kirkendall, Josh (April 19, 2011). "Bengals WR Shipley Out With Concussion". cincyjungle.com. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  17. ^ "Jordan Shipley career". Bengals.com. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  18. ^ "Bengals' Shipley suffers torn ACL, out for season". Dayton Daily News. September 19, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  19. ^ "Bengals waive WR Jordan Shipley after injury". The Associated Press. August 17, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  20. ^ "Bengals waive Jordan Shipley". Cincinnati Enquirer. August 18, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  21. ^ a b "Buccaneers giving WR Jordan Shipley a chance". The Associated Press. August 21, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  22. ^ Sessler, Marc (August 31, 2012). "Jordan Shipley, Brett Ratliff among Bucs' final cuts". NFL.com. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  23. ^ "With Preston Parker ailing, Bucs re-sign receiver Jordan Shipley". Tampa Bay Times. September 18, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  24. ^ Starkey, JP (September 25, 2012). "Buccaneers release Jordan Shipley, sign Roscoe Parrish". SB Nation. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  25. ^ "Jaguars sign WR Jordan Shipley". jacksonville.com. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
  26. ^ a b Wilkening, Mike (March 21, 2013). "Jaguars re-sign Jordan Shipley". NBC Sports. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  27. ^ "Jordan Shipley".
  28. ^ Daniel, Cody (August 14, 2018). "Former Longhorns Jordan Shipley, Michael Griffin joining Texas GameDay crew". Burnt Orange Nation. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  29. ^ "The Bucks of Tecomate". December 6, 2012.
  30. ^ Rubin, Roger (January 6, 2010). "Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley Texas' Biggest Weapons in BCS National Championship Game". The Daily News. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  31. ^ "Jaxon Shipley Player Profile". ESPN. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  32. ^ Fitt, Aaron. "Nevada's Shipley maturing into total package". USA Baseball. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  33. ^ "Texas Country Chic Wedding.Jordan and Sunny".
  34. ^ Barnes, Michael (October 8, 2012). "Jordan Shipley and Sunny Helms: A romance of football and music". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved April 4, 2013.

External links edit