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Jordan Shafer leaps high in the air to knock down a pass.
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AUGUST 20, 2007
Right now Jordan Shafer is where he wants to be - on the football field playing for Morehead State University.
The 2003 Covington High School graduate and a red-sirt senior at Morehead has played football virtually his entire life. Therefore, if the upcoming season is his final one, it will be difficult for Shafer to leave behind the game he loves.
"I really love this game," he said during the Media Day at Morehead. "I've always loved the game and never once lost it. A lot of guys I've played with got tired of football, but I haven't."
And Shafer isn't ready for it to be over, but understands the end may be coming. Unless he receives an opportunity at the professional level, he will look forward to future challenges in other areas.
"I'll play football until I'm not good enough or my body doesn't hold up," Shafer said. "If the opportunity arises where I can continue to play (after college), I'll go for it. If not, I'll focus on my career away from football."
Regardless of what the future holds for Shafer, he still has his senior season at Morehead to look forward too. He plans on making it a memorable one.
"I would love to go out with a PFL Championship and win the Gridiron Classic," he stated. "It would also be nice to win a National Championship and become an All-American. Those are my goals this year."
The lofty goals Shafer has for himself and his team is much different than the goals he set for himself five years ago as an incoming freshman. Coming from a small school like Covington, Shafer just wanted to prove himself.
"All I wanted as a freshman was to get on the field," he continued. "I didn't even think about anything else. I was focused on impressing the coaches and getting on the field."
Everything worked according to plan for Shafer as he saw significant playing time in the secondary and on special teams as a true freshman.
He then earned a starting position at Safety as a sophomore and retained the spot as a Junior.
Along the way he was a part of three PFL Southern Division Championship teams and played in three PFL title games.
The third PFL title game nearly ended his career, however. In the 2005 championship game he suffered a serious knee injury.
"I tore my ACL, MCL and Meniscus in San Diego," Shafer explained. "I had two surgeries on my knee and had to go through rehab to get the knee back into shape."
The rehab was strenuous physically, but more frustrating mentally as Shafer had to red-shirt his senior season.
"After the second surgery I spent all spring and summer of 2006 rehabbing," he said. "I spent the entire summer at the Kettering Sports Medical Center in Tipp City trying to strengthen my knee. I wanted so badly to get back on the field."
Unfortunately for Shafer, his knee wouldn't allow him to get back on the field as a true senior - although he tried everything - even tricking the coaches.
After being told he wasn't cleared to participate in practice, Shafer tried sneaking on the field. He couldn't slip by the coaches, who had to pull him off the field. He was relegated to red-shirting his senior season and watching his teammates from the sideline.
"It was very hard," Shafer said. "I would have done anything to play. It was the first time since the third grade I wasn't able to play football."
Red-shirting was a blessing in disguise as Shafer now has a second chance at his senior season. Fully healthy, Shafer is thrilled to be out on the field again. He'll do so as a leader.
"This year is much different than the past few years," he said. "I'm a leader now. Being here for a while I have the football knowledge the younger guys are looking for. I share that knowledge and try to help them get better - just like the guys who helped me when I was coming in."
Shafer's leadership qualities come from more than understanding the system he learned at Morehead. It also comes from the coaches he has had since he first strapped on the helmet as a skinny third grader. He thanks those coaches for making him what he is today.
"I wouldn't be where I am without the coaches I've had throughout my life," he said. "Coach (Ted) Peacock at Covington helped me develop my football mindset - that you only get what you work for. Coach (Matt) Ballard (at Morehead) has taught me a lot of life skills - like how to be a gentleman.
Most of all, my dad (Chip Shafer). He coached me in pee wee football and in life. I wouldn't be anywhere without him pushing me to be the best I can be."
Where Shafer's at is where he wants to be - on the football field.
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