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Shepard’s legend started here
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| Russell Shepard, an All-American quarterback, graduated from Cy Ridge last week and enrolled at LSU earlier this week. Shepard stands beside his No. 10 jersey, which was retired last month by the Rams’ football program. |
By Michael Sudhalter
It was one of the most surprising (and nicest) telephone calls I’d ever received.
Working on a December weekday afternoon, I was making phone calls.
Then, I had an incoming call on the other line. I clicked over and it was All-American football player, Cy Ridge senior quarterback Russell Shepard.
This was less than a week after Shepard had wrapped up a sensational three-year, 9,000-yard, 101-touchdown high school football career with 523 yards and six touchdowns in a 55-48 loss to Copperas Cove.
Shepard, an LSU commit, just called to say he and his family appreciated the stories I’d written about him and the Rams over the past few months.
That may not seem like a big deal, but considering the frequency of which it happens – hardly ever – it was special.
But it didn’t surprise me because Shepard has always been a class act, on and off the field. Whether it’s congratulating opponents or shaking the hand of every last Cy Ridge fan and onlooker – win or lose – Shepard has always understood the importance of being a great person first and a great football player, second.
Given his unbelievable football skills, that might sound like a tall order.
When Shepard was a Cy Ridge freshman, he became a charter member on the board of the Oliver Foundation’s Y-E-A-H (Youth Excited About Health) to promote healthy lifestyles and curb childhood obesity.
Shepard spent his last day as a Cy Ridge High senior saying goodbye to classmates, celebrating his storied career with the Rams, and signing his National Letter of Intent to play football at LSU last Wednesday.
Shepard graduated Cy Ridge last week and enrolled at LSU earlier this week.
“It’s the end of one (era) and, the beginning of another,” said the reigning Touchdown Club of Houston offensive player of the year. “I look forward to doing some things at LSU.”
One of those things is putting the Bayou Bengals – who won the national championship last January – back atop their perch.
Another is continuing his community service leadership efforts in Baton Rouge.
“It’s something I love to do,” Shepard said. “It’s something I look forward to doing.”
Academically, Shepard plans on graduating from LSU in 3.5 years. Since he enrolled this week to take 15 credit hours and participate in spring practice, he’ll be ahead of the game.
By August, he’ll nearly be a sophomore, academically.
“I want to compete and see where I stand with the other quarterbacks,” Shepard said. “(I want to become an impact player on their team as a true freshman. I look forwarded to seeing how my freshman year will be.”
“Some freshmen only have one or two months (to get ready). I’m going to be compete and get my body ready. I look forward to showing the country that the Greater Houston area and Texas has the best football players.”
Shepard played in the ESPN Under-Armour All-American Game on Jan. 4, scoring two touchdowns in a 27-16 loss at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. It was there that he struck up a friendship with former Minnesota Vikings receiver Cris Carter and got some advice from NFL Hall of Famer and former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana.
“(Montana) assured me that I had the tools and tangibles to be a college quarterback, just to continue working hard,” Shepard said.
Getting praise from Joe Cool is one thing; having your high school retire your jersey less than a month after playing your last prep game puts Shepard into an entirely different stratosphere.
The jersey is currently framed inside a trophy case in a hallway on the Cy Ridge campus.
Rams coach Gary Thiebaud said last Wednesday was a special day, and he looks forward to seeing more great things from Shepard.
“We’ll always be connected, we’re proud for him and wish him the best,” Thiebaud said. “We’ll go out there and see him. We’ll visit with their coaching staff during spring practice.”
Whenever he leads the Tigers to an impressive victory or earns a big award, lots of us here in Northwest Houston will have our own Russell Shepard stories to tell.
I’m glad that I’ll have a few in the memory bank to share with my future children and grandchildren.
Working on a December weekday afternoon, I was making phone calls.
Then, I had an incoming call on the other line. I clicked over and it was All-American football player, Cy Ridge senior quarterback Russell Shepard.
This was less than a week after Shepard had wrapped up a sensational three-year, 9,000-yard, 101-touchdown high school football career with 523 yards and six touchdowns in a 55-48 loss to Copperas Cove.
Shepard, an LSU commit, just called to say he and his family appreciated the stories I’d written about him and the Rams over the past few months.
That may not seem like a big deal, but considering the frequency of which it happens – hardly ever – it was special.
But it didn’t surprise me because Shepard has always been a class act, on and off the field. Whether it’s congratulating opponents or shaking the hand of every last Cy Ridge fan and onlooker – win or lose – Shepard has always understood the importance of being a great person first and a great football player, second.
Given his unbelievable football skills, that might sound like a tall order.
When Shepard was a Cy Ridge freshman, he became a charter member on the board of the Oliver Foundation’s Y-E-A-H (Youth Excited About Health) to promote healthy lifestyles and curb childhood obesity.
Shepard spent his last day as a Cy Ridge High senior saying goodbye to classmates, celebrating his storied career with the Rams, and signing his National Letter of Intent to play football at LSU last Wednesday.
Shepard graduated Cy Ridge last week and enrolled at LSU earlier this week.
“It’s the end of one (era) and, the beginning of another,” said the reigning Touchdown Club of Houston offensive player of the year. “I look forward to doing some things at LSU.”
One of those things is putting the Bayou Bengals – who won the national championship last January – back atop their perch.
Another is continuing his community service leadership efforts in Baton Rouge.
“It’s something I love to do,” Shepard said. “It’s something I look forward to doing.”
Academically, Shepard plans on graduating from LSU in 3.5 years. Since he enrolled this week to take 15 credit hours and participate in spring practice, he’ll be ahead of the game.
By August, he’ll nearly be a sophomore, academically.
“I want to compete and see where I stand with the other quarterbacks,” Shepard said. “(I want to become an impact player on their team as a true freshman. I look forwarded to seeing how my freshman year will be.”
“Some freshmen only have one or two months (to get ready). I’m going to be compete and get my body ready. I look forward to showing the country that the Greater Houston area and Texas has the best football players.”
Shepard played in the ESPN Under-Armour All-American Game on Jan. 4, scoring two touchdowns in a 27-16 loss at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. It was there that he struck up a friendship with former Minnesota Vikings receiver Cris Carter and got some advice from NFL Hall of Famer and former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana.
“(Montana) assured me that I had the tools and tangibles to be a college quarterback, just to continue working hard,” Shepard said.
Getting praise from Joe Cool is one thing; having your high school retire your jersey less than a month after playing your last prep game puts Shepard into an entirely different stratosphere.
The jersey is currently framed inside a trophy case in a hallway on the Cy Ridge campus.
Rams coach Gary Thiebaud said last Wednesday was a special day, and he looks forward to seeing more great things from Shepard.
“We’ll always be connected, we’re proud for him and wish him the best,” Thiebaud said. “We’ll go out there and see him. We’ll visit with their coaching staff during spring practice.”
Whenever he leads the Tigers to an impressive victory or earns a big award, lots of us here in Northwest Houston will have our own Russell Shepard stories to tell.
I’m glad that I’ll have a few in the memory bank to share with my future children and grandchildren.
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