A quick scan of preseason All-American or All-Southeastern Conference teams reveals several LSU representatives.
LSU senior wide receiver Russell Shepard isn’t one of them.
Three years after entering the program as a top-ranked recruit almost surely destined for a spot in LSU lore, Shepard is entering a senior season that is a last grasp for glory instead of a chance to cement his legend.
It’s a sobering reality for the Houston native, one that hit him “like a brick wall” following LSU’s 21-0 loss to Alabama in January’s BCS National Championship Game.
Shepard, previously suspended for three games at the beginning of last season for violating NCAA compliance policy, was at the heart of a turbulent week for the Tigers following the title-game drubbing.
The 6-foot-1-inch receiver seemed set on the NFL, tweeting that he would “have to do what’s best for my family and myself,” while figuratively waving goodbye to the LSU community.
“It was pure frustration,” Shepard said of the decision. “Me not having the type of season I could have had with the suspension and not preparing like I should have when I was suspended. Only one thing could have made up for that: winning a national championship.”
It turns out the impulse move was a play-action fake, as Shepard reconsidered days later and decided to return to Baton Rouge for a final chance to meet his own high expectations.
A unanimous five-star dual-threat quarterback out of Cypress Ridge High School, Shepard came to LSU in 2009 lacking a true position.
The uncertainty showed on the field, as the shifty Shepard toiled at running back as a freshman during former quarterback Jordan Jefferson’s promising sophomore campaign.
Sensing an opportunity to contribute more, he switched to wide receiver prior to the 2010 season only to see LSU’s passing attack stall with the erratic Jefferson and Jarrett Lee under center.
“It was a growing experience,” Shepard said. “Just growing pains, coming in as hyped as I was not really knowing where your position is on a team like LSU.”
Shepard still managed to haul in 33 passes that season — second on the team — creating a renewed buzz for his 2011 potential.
The hype died before it began. He never settled into the season after the suspension, catching only 14 passes for 190 yards.
The suspension began a slow burn for Shepard — one that never boiled over while LSU rolled through every opponent in its path until Shepard’s tweet that he was only on the field for three plays in the Allstate BCS National Championship game on Jan. 9.
It was a rare outburst for one of the team’s most charismatic figures and a renowned leader.
“We didn’t think much of [Russell’s reaction], other than being sad that he was probably leaving,” said sophomore wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. “I didn’t get to talk to him much about the situation. He realized that he could impact our team and our lives by coming back. He made the right decision.”
Shepard has been a utility man in a run-heavy LSU offense throughout his career, shuffling from the backfield to the slot to the flat, making a limited impact on short throws and screens.
Those days appear to be over. With junior Zach Mettenberger taking the reigns as quarterback, a new position coach in Adam Henry and what Shepard called “his most productive summer yet” in the rearview, the coaching staff said it’s created a new attitude and role for the senior.
Offensive coordinator Greg Studrawa said Shepard’s deep routes will be rewarded with Mettenberger.
“That’s why Shep and those wideouts are excited,” Studrawa said. “They’ve run those routes before, and if it’s not wide open, it wasn’t thrown. You’d run 50 yards down the field and not get the ball a few hundred times. I know Russell’s excited.”
But Shepard has only hauled in six passes of 20 or more yards during his career, prompting him to overhaul his offseason focus in preparation for an enhanced aerial assault.
“I’ve been making sure my speed is where it needs to be, so that’s crucial,” Shepard said. “Knowing the routes is the best thing for that, though. Just knowing where the ball will be is how you play fast and get those home run balls.”
With so much to prove, it’s a serious time for the usually lighthearted Shepard, as a season with far-reaching personal, career and team implications approaches.
Still, the pressure rarely appears to infiltrate the psyche of Shepard, the undisputed leader of LSU’s relatively young receiving corps.
As if to prove it, Shepard jokingly barked, “Selfish, you’re selfish!” at junior James Wright during Football Media Day earlier this month.
Wright claimed he owed Shepard $7 for a Subway sandwich, while Shepard said the debt originated from Wright dropping two passes in that morning’s practice.
“Five dollars for the first drop, and $2 for every one after that,” Shepard said with a sheepish grin. “That’s my system. I’m like their older brother. [The wide receivers] are all accountable for each other this year, no doubt.”
