A. Q. Shipley
Encyclopedia
Allan Quay "A. Q." Shipley (born May 22, 1986) is an American football
center
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers
in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft
. He played college football for Penn State
.
Shipley has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
.
in Moon Township, Pennsylvania
. As a team captain, he helped the football team reach the 2003 WPIAL
Class AAA semifinals. He was a named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Fabulous 22, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Terrific 25, and the Harrisburg Patriot-News
Platinum 33 lists and played in the 2004 Big 33 Football Classic
. He also was a three-year starter in basketball, helping to lead the team to win the 2003-2004 PIAA
state championship.
Regarded as four-star recruit by Rivals.com
, Shipley was listed as the No. 12 defensive tackle prospect in the class of 2004.
on the Lombardi
, Outland
, and Rimington Trophy watchlists. By October, he had earned mid-season All-America
n honors from Sports Illustrated
, College Football News
, CBS Sports
, and Phil Steele
. At season's end, he was awarded the Rimington Trophy
, awarded annually to the best center in college football. He was also named an All-America
n, a consensus first team All-Big Ten selection, and the conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year.
During his career at Penn State, Shipley switched positions on the offensive
and defensive
lines, several times. Shipley's redshirt
freshmen season at Penn State began with him playing on the offensive line and ended with him playing defense. At the beginning of the 2006 season
Shipley was switched back to the offensive line and he spent the season as the starting center and anchored the offensive line for Tony Hunt's record-setting senior season. Shipley is known for his engaging personality and has served as the team Santa Claus
for the Nittany Lions annual Christmas
party. He is a team leader who has sought out leaderships positions.
Shipley earned a Bachelor of Science
in labor studies from Penn State in 2008.
He was a 2008 team captain
for the Nittany Lions. He was the recipient of the 2008 Dave Rimington Trophy
.
ed 33 reps of 225 lbs. (fifth among offensive linemen at the combine) and measured a 31-inch vertical jump
(eighth among offensive linemen at the combine). He ran 7.46 in the 3 cone drill
and 4.40 in the 20 yard shuttle
(second and fifth, respectively, among offensive linemen at the combine). Shipley turned heads when he scored a 40 on the Wonderlic Test
—double the average score for NFL draft prospects.
. He signed a three-year contract with the team on June 18, 2009. He was waived on September 4, 2009. He was re-signed to the practice squad on September 6.
on January 11, 2010. He was waived on September 4, 2010, and re-signed to the team's practice squad on September 5, 2010. He spent the entire season on the practice squad, and was re-signed to a future contract on January 10, 2011. He was waived during final cuts on September 2.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He played college football for Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
.
Shipley has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Shipley attended Moon Area High SchoolMoon Area High School
Moon Area High School is a public high school located in the Moon Area School District in Pennsylvania. The school serves students in grades 9 through 12 from Crescent and Moon townships. It is now located at 8353 University Boulevard...
in Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Moon Township is a township along the Ohio River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Moon is a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area and is located northwest of Pittsburgh. The origin of its name is unknown for certain, although it has been suggested that it derives from a...
. As a team captain, he helped the football team reach the 2003 WPIAL
Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league is colloquially known as "WIP-ee-al"...
Class AAA semifinals. He was a named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
Fabulous 22, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
Terrific 25, and the Harrisburg Patriot-News
The Patriot-News
The Patriot-News is the largest daily newspaper serving the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. In 2005, the newspaper was ranked in the top 100 in daily/Sunday circulation in the United States...
Platinum 33 lists and played in the 2004 Big 33 Football Classic
Big 33 Football Classic
The Big 33 Football Classic is an all-star American football game featuring the top high-school football players in Pennsylvania. Played since 1957, the game is often described as the "Super Bowl of High School Football." The last 14 contests have pitted players from Pennsylvania against players...
. He also was a three-year starter in basketball, helping to lead the team to win the 2003-2004 PIAA
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....
state championship.
Regarded as four-star recruit by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, Shipley was listed as the No. 12 defensive tackle prospect in the class of 2004.
College career
Shipley began the 2008 season2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the 2008 college football season. The team is coached by Joe Paterno and plays its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.-Previous season:...
on the Lombardi
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
, Outland
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
, and Rimington Trophy watchlists. By October, he had earned mid-season All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors from Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
, CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
, and Phil Steele
Phil Steele
Phil Steele is an American sportswriter and analyst who focuses exclusively on college and professional football. He currently writes a column for the Orlando Sentinel, and is considered a "highly respected prognosticator" within the sports media...
. At season's end, he was awarded the Rimington Trophy
Dave Rimington Trophy
The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979-1982....
, awarded annually to the best center in college football. He was also named an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n, a consensus first team All-Big Ten selection, and the conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year.
During his career at Penn State, Shipley switched positions on the offensive
American football positions
In American football, each team has eleven players on the field at one time. Because the rules allow unlimited substitution between plays, the types of players on the field for each team differ depending on the situation...
and defensive
American football positions
In American football, each team has eleven players on the field at one time. Because the rules allow unlimited substitution between plays, the types of players on the field for each team differ depending on the situation...
lines, several times. Shipley's redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshmen season at Penn State began with him playing on the offensive line and ended with him playing defense. At the beginning of the 2006 season
2006 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2006 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2006–2007 college football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania....
Shipley was switched back to the offensive line and he spent the season as the starting center and anchored the offensive line for Tony Hunt's record-setting senior season. Shipley is known for his engaging personality and has served as the team Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
for the Nittany Lions annual Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
party. He is a team leader who has sought out leaderships positions.
Shipley earned a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in labor studies from Penn State in 2008.
He was a 2008 team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
for the Nittany Lions. He was the recipient of the 2008 Dave Rimington Trophy
Dave Rimington Trophy
The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979-1982....
.
Pre-draft
Shipley was invited to the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine where he bench pressBench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
ed 33 reps of 225 lbs. (fifth among offensive linemen at the combine) and measured a 31-inch vertical jump
Vertical jump
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is...
(eighth among offensive linemen at the combine). He ran 7.46 in the 3 cone drill
3 cone drill
The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting...
and 4.40 in the 20 yard shuttle
20 yard shuttle
The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting...
(second and fifth, respectively, among offensive linemen at the combine). Shipley turned heads when he scored a 40 on the Wonderlic Test
Wonderlic Test
The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is a twelve-minute, fifty-question test used to assess the aptitude of prospective employees for learning and problem-solving in a range of occupations. The test was developed by industrial psychologist Eldon F. Wonderlic...
—double the average score for NFL draft prospects.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Shipley was drafted 226th overall in the 7th round of the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He signed a three-year contract with the team on June 18, 2009. He was waived on September 4, 2009. He was re-signed to the practice squad on September 6.
Philadelphia Eagles
Shipley was signed to a three-year contract by the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on January 11, 2010. He was waived on September 4, 2010, and re-signed to the team's practice squad on September 5, 2010. He spent the entire season on the practice squad, and was re-signed to a future contract on January 10, 2011. He was waived during final cuts on September 2.
Further reading
- "Shipley has become a mainstay on Penn State offensive line", Neil Geoghegan, DailyLocal.com, May 9, 2008.
- "I spy ... A.Q. Shipley", Flounders, Bob, The Patriot-NewsThe Patriot-NewsThe Patriot-News is the largest daily newspaper serving the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. In 2005, the newspaper was ranked in the top 100 in daily/Sunday circulation in the United States...
, November 24, 2008 - "A Jokester and Mentor", Jeff McLane, The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, December 26, 2008. - Shipley feels the buzz as he trains for draft in Tempe By Ron Musselman, Pittsburgh Post-GazettePittsburgh Post-GazetteThe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
, January 27, 2009