Shipley sparks Texas offense

By John Hillman  |   Thursday, October 30, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Texas Longhorns
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Colt McCoy garners most of the headlines. But when the Texas Longhorn offense needs a big play, it turns to the quarterback’s roommate, Jordan Shipley.

Commentary: Shipley has emerged as the Horns’ go-to guy this season. The senior wide receiver has caught a scoring pass in every game this year. In 2008, Shipley has snared 58 passes for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Clutch performances against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State highlighted key Texas victories. With the Longhorns trailing the Sooners 14-3 early in the second quarter, Shipley returned a kickoff 96 yards, giving Texas an immediate lift. Two weeks later, he caught a school-record 15 passes for 168 yards in the Horns’ 28-24 win over the Cowboys.

Shipley exhibited his poise and athleticism at a tender age. In his first high school varsity game for Rotan, the 14-year-old freshman returned three punts for touchdown and accumulated 454 all-purpose yards.

The following year, his father, Bob Shipley, took the head coaching job at Burnet, and his son finished his high school career as the most prolific receiver in Texas schoolboy history, catching 264 passes for 5,424 yards and 73 touchdowns. Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach spent three hours in the Shipley household attempting to convince Shipley to switch his commitment from the Longhorns to the Red Raiders.

Although the NCAA classifies Shipley as a senior, he will probably receive a sixth year of eligibility in the spring. The wide receiver missed the 2004 and 2005 seasons with injuries. Because McCoy has announced his intentions to stay at Texas for a fifth year, the stellar passing-receiving combo should remain intact.

Fan pulse: Texas fans have grown to appreciate Shipley’s abilities. Check out this link for their thoughts: [url="http://forums.hornfans.com/php/wwwthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=football&Number=5763990&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart;=" title="http://forums.hornfans.com/php/wwwthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=football&Number=5763990&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart;="]http://forums.hornfans.com/php/wwwthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=football&Number=5763990&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart;=.

[/url]Injury report: Last week, cornerback Chykie Brown suited up against Oklahoma State but did not play because of an ankle problem. His status remains uncertain this week.
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About John Hillman

John Hillman graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a BBA in accounting and earned an MBA from Baylor in 1987. He worked for accounting firms until 1982 when he became the chief financial officer for an independent insurance claims adjusting service, a position he still holds today. ...
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