Former Oklahoma Sooners' fan favorite wins over the nation with special moment on Sunday Night Football
The Oklahoma Sooners have had plenty of great players throughout the history of their football program. Let's not forget — sure, this program hasn't been in the best place the last few years, but this is still one of the most historic and prestigious there is. And, with the history that OU has, there have […]
The Oklahoma Sooners have had plenty of great players throughout the history of their football program. Let's not forget — sure, this program hasn't been in the best place the last few years, but this is still one of the most historic and prestigious there is. And, with the history that OU has, there have been so many fan favorites to come through and go on to the NFL, players that college and Oklahoma fans specifically follow in the NFL.
One of those guys that doesn't get talked about enough that was loved and revered at Oklahoma is wide receiver Sterling Shepard.
Shepard played college football at OU, obviously, where he amassed 233 receptions for 3,482 yards and 26 touchdowns over four years. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in his junior and senior years and was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award in those seasons.
The New York Giants selected Shepard in the second round (40th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he started in all 16 games, catching 65 passes for 683 yards and scoring eight touchdowns, which led to his inclusion on the Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie Team.
His peak performance came in 2018, with 66 receptions for 872 yards. However, injuries, including ACL and Achilles tears, significantly impacted his playing time later in his career. With the Giants, he appeared in 90 games, starting 74, and recorded 372 receptions for 4,095 yards and 23 touchdowns. After his stint with the Giants, Shepard signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on June 6, 2024, reuniting with his former Oklahoma teammate Baker Mayfield.
Now, his time in Tampa hasn't been amazing, and he has by no means revitalized his career and turned into a star or anything like that, but he has had some moments. One thing that did happen, was his win over the country with his Sunday Night Football introduction on NBS.
We all know the introductions players do where they say their name and where they went to school, right? During the Buccaneers' game against the Dallas Cowboys, his introductions came on TV, and it's the best thing you will see in a while.
The Sooners and their fan base love this, but now the rest of the country gets to see this side of him as well. This is truly a special moment.
