Tag: Sterling Shepard

How Sterling Shepard’s NFL journey got him to Tampa Bay

Sterling Shepard and Baker Mayfield were a dynamic duo for the 2015 Big 12 Champion Oklahoma Sooners. Now the pair has reunited with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[autotag]Sterling Shepard[/autotag]’s [autotag]NFL[/autotag] career was thought to be over.

The former Oklahoma Sooners star had a productive career in the National Football League. But after eight seasons with the New York Giants and multiple injuries, Shepard’s time in the league looked to be wearing thin.

Shepard explains that he was in “straight daddy mode,” taking care of his children and trying to figure out what was next for him with life after the NFL.

That’s when his former OU quarterback picked up the phone.

[autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], who played with Shepard during the latter’s senior season in 2015, sent a text asking Shepard how his body felt. That set off a conversation and a chain reaction that led to Shepard signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Mayfield is entering his second season.

Shepard spoke to the media in Tampa for the first time on Tuesday, telling the whirlwind story of how he found himself back on an NFL roster. He was very complimentary of his former and current QB, saying how excited he was to be back with Mayfield after nine seasons apart.

The duo went 11-2 at Oklahoma together in 2015, earning a spot in the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] after winning the [autotag]Big 12 Championship[/autotag].

Shepard should compete to be the third wide receiver with the Bucs, along with younger players like Trey Palmer, Jalen McMillian and Rakim Jarrett. Mayfield clearly thinks the former Sooner legend can be another reliable option at wideout, behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

Sterling Shepard talks joining Bucs, reunion with Baker Mayfield

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard spoke with the media Tuesday for the first time since signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added some valuable experience to their wide receiver room last week, signing veteran Sterling Shepard to a one-year deal.

Shepard will be reuniting with his former college quarterback in Baker Mayfield, as the pair connected for plenty of big plays while playing for the Oklahoma Sooners. He also joins a receiver group that already features two of the league’s best in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, along with some promising youth he could help develop with his experience.

After taking part in his first practice with the team during mandatory minicamp Tuesday, Shepard spoke with the media about joining the Bucs, reuniting with Mayfield, and much more:

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New Bucs WR Sterling Shepard stuck with strange jersey number choice

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ newest addition didn’t have any options among the numbers we usually see on a wide receiver

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially announced the signing of veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard to a one-year contract Tuesday, but his new jersey number is likely to be the more buzz-worthy topic among Bucs fans.

Shepard will be wearing the No. 25 jersey, according to Greg Auman of Fox Sports.

It’s an odd choice for a wide receiver, but a closer look at Tampa Bay’s current roster shows Shepard didn’t have any other options that would have made any more sense. Every number between 0 and 19 is already taken aside from the No. 12 worn most recently by Tom Brady, as is every number in the 80s. That included the No. 3 and No. 87 jerseys, but of the ones he wore over his eight seasons with the New York Giants.

It’s possible Shepard changes his number after roster cuts open up a few more options, but for now, he’ll be rocking the No. 25.

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Bucs make it official, announce signing of WR Sterling Shepard

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially announced the signing of veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it official Monday, announcing the signing of veteran free-agent wide receiver Sterling Shepard to a one-year contract.

After spending the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the New York Giants, the former second-round pick out of Oklahoma now heads to Tampa Bay, where he’ll be reunited with Baker Mayfield, his quarterback from college with the Sooners.

Shepard joins a Bucs wide receiver room that already features two of the best in the game in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, as well as promising young targets like Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, and rookie third-round pick Jalen McMillan.

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Can Sterling Shepard make an impact for the Bucs?

Can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ new veteran addition at wide receiver carve out a significant role in 2024?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added more experience to their wide receiver room earlier this week, agreeing to terms with veteran pass-catcher Sterling Shepard on a one-year deal.

Shepard, a college teammate of Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma, spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the New York Giants. He seemed set for retirement before a text from Mayfield sparked what would eventually become a reunion for the former Sooners.

So, will Shepard actually be able to carve out a significant role for himself in Tampa Bay this season.

Pat Donovan and Aaron Jacobson of Tampa’s WDAE recently broke down the topic:

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Sterling Shepard says he ‘always wanted to be a Giant’

Former New York Giants WR Sterling Shepard said he “always wanted to be a Giant” but is looking forward to reuniting with Baker Mayfield.

On Thursday, news broke that former New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard was signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The move will reunite Step with his college quarterback, Baker Mayfield, who led the Bucs to a playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles last season.

Shepard, 31, spent the first eight years of his career with the Giants. Although everyone knew he would not be back it will still be strange to see him in another uniform.

Although he did sign elsewhere, Shepard showed loyalty to the team that drafted him when he was asked about signing with Tampa.

“It’s a new scene. I can’t say I wanted to experience that, I always wanted to be a Giant but I’m not mad at it, man. It’s a really good situation, they have a really good football team, really talented football team and I get to be reunited with my boy and get to play with him a little bit,” Shepard told the New York Post.

Shepard shared similar sentiments on Instagram in January.

“Forever grateful to the New York Giants organization, past and present teammates, and the incredible fan base for their unwavering love and support over the past 8 years,” he wrote. “New Jersey, my second home, will forever hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for embracing me with open arms and making me feel like family. Once a Giant, always a Giant!”

In the Giants’ season finale, they honored Shepard and allowed fans to show love to, at the time, the longest-tenured Giant.

Following the season, Shepard said it would have to be the “perfect situation” in order to continue playing. It appears he’s found just that, playing with fellow Oklahoma Sooners alumni, Baker Mayfield.

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Sterling Shepard signs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sterling Shepard signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, reuniting him with QB Baker Mayfield

It’s been nine seasons since [autotag]Sterling Shepard[/autotag] caught passes from [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], but that is about to change.

The two beloved former Oklahoma Sooners will be playing together once again in the [autotag]NFL[/autotag] after Shepard signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday.

The pair were teammates at Oklahoma in 2014 and 2015. After Mayfield had to sit out the 2014 season due to the transfer rules, he and Shepard lit up the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] in 2015. OU captured a conference championship, leading to a berth in the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag].

Shepard tallied 11 touchdown catches and nearly 1,300 receiving yards in his senior season, providing OU fans with plenty of memorable moments. His performance in the Sooners comeback win over Tennessee at Neyland Stadium ranks among the best. Shepard recorded seven receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns to help the Sooners earn the top 25 win.

According to Bucs Wire, Mayfield was instrumental in getting Shepard to Tampa, convincing the veteran wideout to give it one more go in 2024. Mayfield is entering his second season with the Bucs, looking to build on a career year in 2023.

Somewhere, [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] has to be smiling.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

How a text from Baker Mayfield landed Sterling Shepard with the Bucs

The former Oklahoma Sooners teammates are reuniting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After eight seasons with the New York Giants, veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard appeared ready to settle down and just be dad this season.

Then came a text from Baker Mayfield, his former quarterback at the University of Oklahoma.

After a whirlwind of events that followed, Shepard is now set to reunite with Mayfield as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, having agreed to terms on a one-year deal to play his ninth NFL season.

Shepard sent a long and detailed explanation to NFL insider Josina Anderson about how Mayfield reaching out completely changed his approach to the upcoming season, and eventually landed him with the Bucs instead of retiring:

Shepard brings plenty of valuable experience to the table for Tampa Bay, who had nothing but youth on the depth chart behind star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Now, Mayfield will have a familiar face on the field and in the locker room as the Bucs chase a fourth straight NFC South title.

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Bucs agree to terms with WR Sterling Shepard on 1-year deal

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding some more experience to their wide receiver group with Sterling Shepard

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing in some more experience for their pass-catching group, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Shepard, 31, was a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft out of Oklahoma. He spent his entire NFL career with the New York Giants up to this point, tallying 372 receptions for 4,095 yards and 23 touchdowns in 90 regular-season games.

He’ll be reuniting with Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was his college teammate with the Sooners.

Tampa Bay’s veteran starters, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, now have another experienced receiver in the room to pair with young and promising talents like Trey Palmer and Jalen McMillan as they head into the 2024 season.

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Former Giants WR Sterling Shepard signing with Buccaneers

Former New York Giants WR Sterling Shepard will not retire and is instead signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Former New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard is not retiring after all.

Although Shepard considered stepping away from the game following the 2023 regular season, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that he will instead sign a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In January, Shepard told The Carton Show on FOX Sports that he would need a “perfect situation” in order to return to the field in 2024.

“You’re going to make me say that on here? I just feel like it’s too early for me to answer that right now. You know what I mean? But it’s gotta be a perfect situation for me to come back to the game, to be honest,” Shepard said at the time.

“You know what, it’s been a rough couple of battles with us and the Eagles so, I definitely, if this is the end of my career, what a way to go out.”

A second-round pick of the Giants in the 2016 NFL draft, Shepard appeared in 90 games (74 starts), recording 372 receptions for 4,095 yards and 23 touchdowns. He added an additional 186 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries

Shepard’s 372 career regular season receptions are fifth-most in Giants franchise history.

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