Blocking breakaways on and off of the field Gary Shepard strives toward college football with his accomplishments over the last four years and the support of his coach and teammates. By Emma Rogers Gary Shepard commits to the leader and player he is on the football field and on campus, which landed him his spot as the Gregg Schindler State Farm Agency October Male Student-Athlete of the Month. On Sept. 25, he helped guide his team to a 61-3 victory against Cypress Creek High School with his offensive plays that ensured holes opened for the runners to get through the opposition’s defensive line. Shepard has worked hard and earned his positions as a center and long snapper long before his freshmen year, and continues to have the same drive he started with as a player. “My goal is to go to school and play college football. I work out every day and I train to play center. I’m trying to play at the next level to pursue a football career,” Shepard said. Shepard made waves his freshman year by catching the eye of Head Coach Andy Schmitz, during tryouts. Shepard made an impression that led to his placement on the 2017 varsity team as a center. “When he was a freshman we could tell immediately that he was physically more ready than most freshman. He was stronger than anyone else in his class, but once we had him in practice we also noticed how coachable he was,” Coach Schmitz said. Since the 2017 season, Shepard has continued to train to further develop his
14 OCTOBER 2020
Gary Shepard (‘21) blocks an opposing player to protect the integrity of the play in action on the field on Sept. 18 against Pinellas Park High School. (photo by Layne Mazur)
skills as a player, which set him up to be an example for incoming players. He earned his title as a captain for the 2019 varsity his junior year due to the influences he had as an underclassman. Shepard continues to push himself and the team as he received the captain title again for the 2020 varsity season. “Gary has gone from being a freshman that followed what the upperclassmen said and did, to being a leader himself. He’s a two-year captain, which is very rare in our program. Usually, captains are only seniors. Gary is going to graduate here having played in
and won more varsity games than anyone else in program history. He will always be remembered as an important player in this program,” Coach Schmitz said. As Shephard continues to push himself towards his future career in football, Coach Schmitz feels that he has given Shepard the tools to succeed playing at the next level in college football. “I’m not sure Gary needs any more advice from me. He’s gotten plenty of positive and negative feedback over the years. He has turned into a hard-working and solid young man,” Coach Schmitz said. Gary Shepard continues to strive toward success, both on and off the field, and expresses valuable qualities as a leader and fervent teammate, resulting in his recognition as Athlete of the Month. Shepard prepares as a senior, set to graduate in June, although we will lose an important aspect to the team, the college Shapard decides to go to will certainly gain a hard-working and valuable player.
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