Russell Shepard is an admitted Tim Tebow fan

TigerBait3

Tebow's plight impacted Shepard's move

LSU’s Russell Shepard is an admitted Tim Tebow fan. The same goes for his dad, Russell Shepard, Sr.

So it goes without saying that when they saw Tebow being picked apart by NFL scouts for all the things he supposedly couldn’t do as a quarterback, it left an impression.

And in a lot of ways, it made Shepard’s decision to convert from quarterback to receiver that much easier.

“Three or four months ago, Tebow was being labeled as arguably the best college football player ever, but the NFL doesn’t care at all. It truly doesn’t matter there,” Shepard said. “I’ve been playing this game for a long time and want to have a successful career at the next level, and the receiver position and special teams is the best route for me to do that.”

Initially, Shepard said his father fought the move to receiver.

“I’d always been a quarterback. That’s what I came to LSU to play and what my family was used to seeing me play,” said Shepard, who once rushed for 341 yards in a high school game, including five touchdowns of 40 yards or longer.

“Playing quarterback in college, you can get away with being an athlete sort of like what Florida did with Tebow. My father loved Tebow, but was amazed by how four months ago he was the best player ever and now he has such a low grade as a quarterback that some teams are saying they wouldn’t even draft him as a quarterback.”

Soon after the Tigers opened spring practice last week, Shepard got a call from his dad.

“He just said, ‘Son, I believe you made the best decision of your life, just looking at the whole Tebow thing,’ ” Shepard recounted. “I know it’s the right decision.”

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LaSalleAve

Damn.

Cajun Sensation

Seems like Russell and his dad are pretty sharp.

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Swerved

Yeah he had like 6 TD's total and 538 yards in that game



Also, here's another article about him at WR from the same page..

LSU's Shepard finds a home at receiver - SEC Blog - ESPN

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“In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry, and been widely regarded as a bad move."

JayB

not if it took them that long to realize tebow wouldn't cut it in the NFL as a QB.

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GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!!!

LEGACY TIGER

What a great kid. The more I see and hear from him the more I like him. We all knew we were getting someone special when we recruited him. I don't think any of us realized just how special he is. His maturity is refreshing to see for a kid his age. I know that this will transpire into his play on the field. Next season is going to be special for him, and for us fans who will be honored to watch him.

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LSUpathdoc

Yea guys I think we have a rare find here. I think this is some one you want on your team, and damn I'm happy we have him. I see him being the heart and soul of our team in a year or two if not next year. He is a leader this team needs.

stevescookin

So much for Meyer's ability to prepare QBs for the pros...Just another "Urban myth" I guess..

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lsudolemite

I just hope and pray that we have the coaches who can help Shep reach his full potential here. With the exception of Patrick Peterson I can't say I've been very impressed by LSU"s recent track record of production from star players. Tyson Jackson never lived up to his 2007 hype without Dorsey drawing double teams in the interior. Dickson was one of the best receiving TEs in the country and was virtually a ghost last year. Scott struggled mightily to get near 2008 form, and Ciron actually seemed to regress.

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tirk

yeah at least he isnt threatening to transfer anymore. thats a plus.

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Am I getting smart with you? How would you know?

Louisiananimal

@lsudolemite. Great point about Dickson, you barely even heard his name this past season. One reception against Florida, Didnt play against Alabama, One reception against Penn State makes you wonder what happened. As far as Charles Scott, I only have two memories of him in 2009. The final touchdown run against Georgia (Great Moment) and his run against Alabama where he was injured. And Ciron Black just had a dissapointing season. Anyways, really excited for 2009 and ready to see Randle, Shepard, and Richard Murphy all get into action.

houtiger

Gotta hand it to RS, kid has a very good head on his shoulders. He had an OK high school arm, not an SEC arm, not an NFL arm. He picks the correct option for himself to give himself a shot at the next level. Maturity and good judgment. And thanks Dad!

clair

Tyson Jackson was third pick in the NFL Draft.

Dickson was always kind of overrated, honestly. Kid had just one huge game on the biggest stage against Ohio State to steal some spotlight.

Scott was a victim of a pathetic offensive line last year and same for Ciron.

Just sayin'.

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TheDude

Have to agree with Clair. Although I have not seen every "star" shine here, plenty have. How did our LBs work out last year? Same, better or worse?

Shepard is smart. If allowed to focus on one position he will excel. He gets a couple of things correct, actually catches the ball, and every play is potentially "game over".

There will be plenty of highlights with this guy next year.

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I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. That, or Duder. His Dudeness. Or El Duderino, if, you know, you're not into the whole brevity thing...

lsudolemite

What I'm trying to look at is the actual level of player performance in their last year at LSU compared to the hype surrounding them as the next big thing at their position. Some of the dropoff may be a player simply being overrated, or it could be due to factors beyond their control. It's hard to argue that LSU has had that big playmaker on offense who is guaranteed to pick up needed yards since Hester and Doucet were here. Everyone could be right that Shep will be that kind of player for the next couple of years, but what I saw last year on offense is making me skeptical that he'll be put in the right position to make that impact. Your comment about Scott makes precisely that point; he was seldom put in a position to make those kinds of drive-extending plays consistently.

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StreetDiction

Dickson didn't play at Bama because he was injured.

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Tigernometry.com

JayB

but would it have mattered? would they have thrown to him?

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GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!!!

Bandit88

There is a line of thought that says the other TEs were so poor at blocking that Dickson didn't get the ball because he was needed there. I have trouble watching TE blocking when I rewatch games so I don't know how true that is.

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"I have a fairly strong feeling that his career for the most part will be wasted at LSU."

Forum member discussing Russell Shepard's future at LSU, January 26, 2009.

http://lsutigerbait.blogspot.com

bhelmLSU

Correct, plus he wasn't just injured for the Bama game but was hampered for the whole 2nd half of the season. Dickson was called on to help the struggling OL which was an ongoing problem all of last year.

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"Nothing's more annoying than someone asking a political question during a sporting event. It's not just impolite, it's criminal. If Les Miles goes 5-for-5 in fourth-down conversions, I don't care who he votes for." James Carville

LaSalleAve

Dolemite has a point, which LSU player under this coaching staff has made a buzz in the NFL other than the freak of nature Dwayne Bowe? Jacob Hester and Craig Steltz on special teams? Early Doucet in the playoffs this past season maybe? Tyson Jackson and Dorsey we haven't heard their names since. Craig Davis hasn't done anything, only time we hear Laron Landry's name is when he is getting burned or flagged. Who am i missing? Please tell me i am missing someone. It usually takes offensive and defensive linemen a few years to get acclimated to the NFL, so hopefully that is what is going on.

DRC

You cant help admire this kid because that kind of attitude is surely infectious. However, he has never played receiver before and nobody knows his potential at that spot. It remains to be seen how he develops and, more importantly, how we use him. That could be the biggest factor in what impact he has on the outcome of games.

I hope he shines but I am not going to place the same unrealistic expectations on him like many did last year.

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DRC

I spend a lot of time in KC. Dorsey has improved a bunch. His rookie season was really bad but he made a lot of progress in his second year. The problem for Dorsey is their scheme. KC runs a 3-4 and its not where Dorsey needs to be. He's too small for nose tackle. I believe they will trade him in the near future.

Jackson had a much better rookie season and plays his natural position in that 3-4. He's doing pretty well.

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houtiger

You are right, he hasn't played receiver. But, he's smart, I think he works hard, he wants his shot at the next level, and he's got wheels. I think he'll make it. Next Josh Reed???

clair

not if he wasn't open.

The fact of the matter is the injuries hurt him getting off the football, which meant he wasn't open very often.

Peterson > Dickson. at receiving (imo)

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pjnchamps

Good points...the development and overall growth of the players are something that LSU needs to improve on.

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