Veterans of Cincinnati: Jordan Shipley enshrined in Texas High School HOF

Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jordan Shipley was enshrined in the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Shipley, selected in the third round (no. 84 overall) of the 2010 NFL draft had an NFL career that spanned 24 games, 17 of which were with the Bengals, one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six with the Jacksonville Jaguar.

"I would say this is a dream come true, but this isn't something I've ever really dreamed of," Shipley said of being enshrined in the Texas High School Hall of Fame. Shipley holds Texas' high school records in receptions, yards receiving and touchdown receptions. "It’s just an (unbelievable) honor to be inducted with some of these players, who are in my opinion some of the greatest in Texas and all time."

The former Burnet star has more than 5,000 receiving yards to his name, a product of football’s transition to pass-heavy offenses in recent decades. He added another 3,191 yards during his collegiate career at Texas before a three-year run in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Following a rookie campaign where Shipley generated 52 receptions, 600 yards receiving and three touchdowns with the Bengals, he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 2 during the 2011 season.

With 9:20 left in the third quarter, Shipley ran a drag route toward the right sidelines. As he hauled in the five-yard reception from rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, Shipley reached for his knee as he was tackled, showing signs of serious pain. The training staff assisted Shipley off the field, preventing him from putting any weight on his left leg. He was placed on a cart and sent off to the Bengals locker room. After the game Shipley was on crutches with his left knee in a brace.

Shipley spent that offseason rehabilitating and when he eventually returned during the preseason in 2012 when he struggled to shake off the rust. Meanwhile Andrew Hawkins was becoming a rising superstar and raising up on the team's depth chart. Through two games in the pre-season, Shipley was often buried as the team's slot receiver, making his first entrance late in each game. He was only targeted twice in those two games, with one reception. It became painfully obvious that Shipley's chances of making the team were shrinking. The Bengals ended up waiving Shipley on August 17, 2012.

Since he retired from football in 2014, Shipley has been building up a television career, as well as in music. His younger brother Jaxon was signed by the Arizona Cardinals on May 3, after he went undrafted during the 2015 NFL draft.