Shipley Named To Biletnikoff Award Watch List

Austin — Senior WR Jordan Shipley has been selected to the watch list for the 2009 Biletnikoff Award, honoring the nation’s top receiver, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club has announced.

Former Longhorn teammate and current Cincinnati Bengals WR Quan Cosby was one of 10 semifinalists for the award last year.

A third-team All-American (AP), consensus first-team All-Big 12 receiver and standout punt and kickoff returner, Shipley became the first player in Longhorn history to score by reception, kickoff and punt return in the same year last season. He was granted a sixth year of eligibility prior to the Longhorns’ Tostitos Fiesta Bowl victory over Ohio State, during which he had 10 catches for 78 yards and returned four kickoffs for 82 yards. Knee and hamstring injuries forced Shipley to miss the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Shipley’s 89 catches last season rank third on the UT all-time season list, while his 1,060 receiving yards stand sixth and his 11 TD receptions rank third. He currently is tied for second on the Longhorns career TD receptions chart (20), is sixth in career receptions (132) and eighth in career receiving yards (1,706). His eight straight games with a TD reception in 2008 were a Longhorn school record, and he’s just the fourth player in UT history to return a punt and a kickoff for a TD during a career, which he did in one season.

Shipley and fellow receiver Quan Cosby (92 receptions for 1,123 yards and 10 TDs) became the most productive Longhorn receiving duo in a season in school history last year. They combined to catch 181 passes for 2,183 yards and 21 TDs. It was just the 11th time in NCAA history a pair of receivers on the same team had 85-plus catches and 1,000-plus receiving yards each.

Shipley graduated in December 2008 with a degree in kinesiology and is now enrolled in graduate school. A member of UT’s Athletics Director’s Honor Roll, he is active in UT’s community service program and has made numerous individual speaking appearances.

The winner of the 2009 Biletnikoff Award will be announced on Dec. 10 on the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show and presented on Feb. 13, 2010 in Tallahassee, Fla.

Source: MackBrown-TexasFootball.com