Every media session this spring and summer followed the same line of questioning. So did Sterling Shepard’s answers.
Question: How will Odell Beckham Jr.’s absence change things for you?
His answer: It won’t change anything.
He was wrong. It changed plenty in a positive way.
Shepard, now 26, suddenly became the elder statesman in the wide receivers room — especially with newcomer Golden Tate suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy — the player the other receivers looked at to carry the load.
“You can kind of sense his presence, his mentality, the way he pushes all of us each and every day and every play, and he shows up on Sundays and makes big plays for us,” tight end Evan Engram said. “He’s really vocal on the sideline, vocal in the locker room, practice. He’s definitely a leader.”
There was some concern the 5 foot 10 Shepard wouldn’t be the same dependable receiver now that he was the team’s No. 1 wideout. It’s hard to lead without being productive. He would be seeing the opposition’s best cornerback, drawing more attention. But even though his title is different, his production has remained the same.
Through three games, the fourth-year pro out of Oklahoma has caught 20 passes on 25 targets for 218 yards and a touchdown. He has also made some plays on the ground, carrying the ball three times for 44 yards. But Shepard, who missed one game with a concussion, has really made strides as a leader, as Engram said, frequently motivating his younger and less experienced teammates. On Monday, he cautioned against overconfidence, pointing out they haven’t accomplished anything.
“I don’t think we can exhale,” said Shepard, who is coming off a career-bests in receptions (66), yards (872) and yards per catch (13.2) a year ago. “It’s great that we got two wins in a row, but we have to still come with it every week and prepare the way we have been preparing these last two weeks.”
He’s made a point of helping rookie quarterback Daniel Jones as much as he can, working with the first-round pick after practice to further develop their on-field chemistry. It seems to have paid off. Shepard has been even better since Jones took over for Eli Manning at quarterback, with 14 receptions for 176 yards and two scores in the Giants’ two game winning streak.
“We do a great job of just staying after practice and hitting the things we need to hit, some of the things that didn’t work out well in practice, and it goes a long way,” Shepard said. “You see it show up on film on game day.”
That’s what a No. 1 receiver does. He helps his teammates. He picks up his play when a key teammate, like Tate, is missing. When he’s asked about his transition into being a go-to guy, he defers the credit to his fellow receivers, as Shepard did on Monday.
“I have a lot of guys that help me out along the way, so it’s not too much pressure on me,” Shepard said, in his typical understated way.
“They take the load off of me and now we’ve got Golden back, so it was great being in that role. But we’ve got guys that can make plays as well.”
That may be the case. But Shepard’s role isn’t changing anytime soon. He’s already proving adept at it.
Ref;nypost.com