Player Profile: Miller Shepard
Miller Shepard, a Senior, plays fullback for the Varsity Football Team at Fossil Ridge High School. He chose the sport because he has been playing since third grade, and he simply has lots of fun doing it. He continues playing football for the brotherhood gained with teammates, and the time spent developing strong relationships with each of them. Shepard explains, “The emotions about playing his last season of high school football as a little bit of denial, but regardless, still very pumped about the season ahead.”
Shepard has definitely run into a few complications within his many years of playing. He has broken an ankle, tore his labrum, and broken a part of his shoulder. Shepard would love to continue playing football in college, but recognizes that he will need to put all of his focus on education. He will be studying to become a doctor.
When it comes to preparing for a game, Shepard has his routine down pact. It begins with going to Smoothie King and getting three C4 drinks, which are pre-mixed pre-workout energy drinks. He will drink one before he gets to the bus, one on the bus, and one at halftime. Additionally, he likes to listen to his hype music to get him in the best headspace, as well as go over the plays and positions in his head to make sure he is doing his job on the field. Shepard’s biggest supporter is his mom because she makes sure that he stays dedicated. The emotions he mostly feels while playing are excitement and anger.
Shepard selflessly explains that his main motivation for playing is to just play for the guy right next to him. For him, a successful season of football would consist of playing fullback and getting his block so that his quarterback can get the most running yards, and hopefully reaching thirty tackles on defense. Shepard enjoys training because it makes him stronger, but it is very difficult to endure. His strong suits in football are his size and strength that he brings to the table. He feels he has been able to improve on his speed immensely throughout the years. He says after this last season, what he will miss the most is getting to spend so much quality time with his friends/ teammates. Shepard is a very key part of the team at Fossil, as his devotion is clear to see and his positive attitude never goes unappreciated.