Canadian defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd has been selected by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL draft.
Shepherd has gone from packing boxes in a factory to playing football in the NFL. He was selected in the third round, 72 overall by the Jets. At six-foot-four, 315 pounds, Shepherd has rare movement skills for his size.
Shepherd made 38 tackles, 12.5 for loss and four sacks, earning him Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Defensive Player of the Year and NCAA Division III All-American honours. He was a key piece on the Tigers team that went 11-0 and won its first MIAA Championship.
The Ajax, ON native impressed at the Senior Bowl, NFL combine – the lone Canadian at both events – and Shepherd drew 16 NFL teams to his Fort Hays State pro day. All of that boosted his draft stock.
