LSU wide receiver Russell Shepard recently signed a free agent contract, as many players do at the conclusion of the NFL draft. Shepard, however, didn't wait for the draft's seven rounds to conclude before signing his deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to a report Tuesday from James Haralson of LouisianaDaily.com.
Russell Shepard signed with the Eagles before the NFL draft ended
Who needs to hear their name called? The wideout from LSU opted to go the undrafted free agent route before we even knew who Mr. Irrelevant was.
Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE
Here’s what Shepard had to say in an interview with Matt Moscona of WNXX 104.5 in Baton Rouge, La.:
“I actually took myself off the draft board during the draft. Teams started calling me probably in the middle of the sixth round asking me ‘is it true that you’ve signed with a team already,’ and I actually got it out of the way before the draft was over.”
Shepard plans to participate in Philadelphia’s rookie mini-camp and will report next Thursday, May 9, according to Haralson.
Over four seasons with the Tigers, Shepard was used as both a receiving and rushing threat. In 2012, he caught six passes for 92 yards in 13 games, rushing for 161 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. A season before that, Shepard was primarily used as a receiver, recording 14 receptions for 190 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for 52 yards on only seven carries in 2011.
Shepard’s most balanced season at LSU was 2010. He posted 226 yards rushing on 32 carries with two touchdowns that season, also catching 33 balls for 254 yards and a touchdown. On LSU’s pro day in late March, Shepard posted a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and a 38.5-inch vertical leap.
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