Russell Shepard
Encyclopedia
Russell Shepard is an American football
Wide Receiver
for the LSU Tigers
. He attended Cypress Ridge High School
in Harris County, Texas
, United States.
As a senior, the 6-1, 179-pound Shepard rushed for 1,946 yards and 28 touchdowns and threw for 1,843 yards and 20 touchdowns. Shepard also led Cy-Ridge to a 17-5A district championship in 2007. Alongside Matt Barkley
, Shepard is considered the top quarterback of the high school class of 2009 by both Rivals.com
and Scout.com
.
He has been compared to Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin
by Scouts, Inc. reporter.
Although Shepard was heavily recruited by Texas and received interests from Florida
, Michigan
, and USC
, he announced his decision to accept a scholarship from Louisiana State University
on March 3, 2008. He committed to LSU since he believed he will get the best chance at playing quarterback there. Texas told Shepard that if he didn't win the starting job at quarterback, then he could play other positions. USC likewise found him to be a Reggie Bush
-type player in their offense.
He graduated in December 2008 to start his college career a semester early. Shepard stated that he intended to learn the team's football system during LSU's spring practices that year.
He played in the 2009 Under Armour All-America Game
on January 4, 2009.
As of March 2009, he was ranked as the #3 Athlete on ESPN150 for the high school class of 2009.
, Shepard's mother is a medical recruiter for a local hospital, and his father runs his own construction business.
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...
Wide Receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports . Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger...
. He attended Cypress Ridge High School
Cypress Ridge High School
Cypress Ridge High School is a secondary school located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. It was established in 2002 as Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District High School #7.-Feeder patterns:Schools that feed into Cypress Ridge include:...
in Harris County, Texas
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
, United States.
As a senior, the 6-1, 179-pound Shepard rushed for 1,946 yards and 28 touchdowns and threw for 1,843 yards and 20 touchdowns. Shepard also led Cy-Ridge to a 17-5A district championship in 2007. Alongside Matt Barkley
Matt Barkley
Matt Barkley is an American football quarterback and student athlete at the University of Southern California, playing for the Trojans football team. As a high school player, Barkley was named 2007 football Gatorade National Player of the Year, and then the 2007 Gatorade national male athlete of...
, Shepard is considered the top quarterback of the high school class of 2009 by both 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...
and Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
.
He has been compared to Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin
Percy Harvin
William Percival "Percy" Harvin, III is an American football wide receiver, return specialist, and running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League...
by Scouts, Inc. reporter.
High school career
Shepard started his high school career as quarterback.Although Shepard was heavily recruited by Texas and received interests from Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, and USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, he announced his decision to accept a scholarship from Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
on March 3, 2008. He committed to LSU since he believed he will get the best chance at playing quarterback there. Texas told Shepard that if he didn't win the starting job at quarterback, then he could play other positions. USC likewise found him to be a Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
-type player in their offense.
He graduated in December 2008 to start his college career a semester early. Shepard stated that he intended to learn the team's football system during LSU's spring practices that year.
He played in the 2009 Under Armour All-America Game
Under Armour All-America Game
The Under Armour High School All-America Game is a high school football all-star game typically held in early January in the U.S. state of Florida created to spotlight the nation’s top high school seniors. The game was first played on January 5, 2008 and is annually been played at the Citrus Bowl...
on January 4, 2009.
As of March 2009, he was ranked as the #3 Athlete on ESPN150 for the high school class of 2009.
Awards and honors
- Selected to the 2008 All-Greater Houston Team by the Touchdown Club of Houston.
- Won the 2008 Offensive Player of the Year award given by the Touchdown Club of Houston.
- First-team selection on Dave Campbell’s Texas FootballDave Campbell's Texas FootballDave Campbell's Texas Football is an annual publication, previewing football teams in the state of Texas.It is unique in that it is the only publication to preview every team in Texas , from the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, through every level of college football, to the roughly 1,400...
Super Team - 2009 PARADEParade (magazine)Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-American
Personal
According to a December 1, 2008 report by the Fort Worth Star-TelegramFort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
, Shepard's mother is a medical recruiter for a local hospital, and his father runs his own construction business.