Grandma helps Buc get back on his feet

WR Edell Shepherd knew just whom to turn to when an injury slowed his rise last year.

By FRANK PASTOR
Published July 5, 2005

TAMPA - She had guided him through the toughest moments of his childhood. So when a foot injury seemed to derail Edell Shepherd's dreams of making the Bucs roster last summer, he sought reassurance from the one person whose support never wavered.

He called his grandmother.

"When you can't understand God's purpose and his plan, trust his hand," Genevieve Shepherd told Edell, "because he's in control."

Genevieve and her husband raised Edell III (named for his father and grandfather) and his older brother, Gene, after their parents separated when Edell was 5. Edell was devastated but moved on with the help of his Apostolic Pentecostal faith, counseling and his grandparents, who taught him to accept disappointment in life.

Now, as Shepherd attempts to regain his footing with the Bucs, he continues to lean on his grandmother, a principal at a Los Angeles elementary school. Though a continent divides them, the two remain close, speaking by phone every few days. Before hanging up, Genevieve says a prayer with Edell.

"If I need anything, I go to her and she'll always have the answer," Shepherd said. "If she doesn't have the answer, she'll give me a Bible verse and say, "That's the answer,' so she's always there for me."

His grandparents are part of a larger support system in Los Angeles. Shepherd speaks with his uncle, Jaime Shepherd, almost daily. His great-grandfather, Bishop William L. Smith, has been pastor of the Bethlehem Temple Church, which the family attends, for 54 years.

Shepherd's parents also keep in touch. His father, Edell Lugene, made time for his children when he wasn't traveling as a musician. Shepherd's mother, Eleanor, often visited or invited the children to her home.

"My parents were both there, they were just separated," Shepherd said. "I chose to be in the middle instead of choosing one, because I didn't want to make the other one think that they weren't doing something. Everybody goes through their problems. They got back on their feet, but they never got back together, so I just stayed with my grandparents."

Genevieve worried about her grandson getting hurt as a child, so she pushed tennis and track. But Shepherd wanted to play football.

"He was so tiny and so little we called him, "Little Edell,"' Shepherd's grandmother said. "He didn't start to shoot up until I guess in college, but what do they say? It's not the size of the dog in the fight. It's the size of the fight in the dog that matters."

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Shepherd shook off concerns about his size to become one of the most prolific receivers in San Jose State history, setting a school record with 18 career touchdowns. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2002 and spent most of the season on the Bears practice squad.

He played with the Scottish Claymores in NFL Europe the next spring and was signed to Tampa Bay's practice squad after the Bears waived him in August 2003.

Activated for three games of the 2003 season, Shepherd caught four passes for 38 yards. He had a strong camp last year, drawing praise for his route running, speed and hands, and took advantage of injuries to Joe Jurevicius and Charles Lee to move to No.4 on the depth chart.

But Shepherd's progress stopped when he broke his right foot in three places in the preseason opener against Cincinnati. He landed awkwardly after battling a defensive back for a pass in the end zone and spent the season on injured reserve.

Distraught, Shepherd called his grandmother, who reasoned the injury might give him time to grow as a player and learn new techniques.

"It's amazing how he has matured in a year's time, because he did not just go and put his head in a paper bag," Genevieve said. "He went out to the practice field, he watched the games diligently on television, but he continued to grow. ... He was able to look at where he was and what he was doing and move on to a higher level of thinking."

Shepherd, 25, re-signed with the Bucs in May. Fully rehabilitated for offseason workouts, he appears to be back in the running for a roster spot behind projected starters Michael Clayton and Joey Galloway.

"We felt that he had a lot of promise, and we think that right now," wide receivers coach Richard Mann said. "We're at a point now where he's getting back into the groove, because he hasn't played in a year and a half. What we've got to do now is get him back into game shape, and he's doing that."

With a thick playbook to learn and 14 receivers in camp, Shepherd has moved past the injury, as his grandmother taught him as a child.

"My injury is no longer in my mind; it's all football now," he said. "It's all getting back to where I was last year so I can make the team. That's my only focus right now."

[Last modified July 5, 2005, 01:33:21]