The Wrath of Will Shipley
DANIA BEACH, Fla. — So far so good for Jordan McFadden.
With just a few practices remaining, plus Friday’s Orange Bowl Classic at Hard Rock Stadium, Clemson’s starting left tackle has an opportunity to avoid the wrath of Will Shipley.
“I try to do the best that I can to avoid that happening,” the All-ACC lineman said while laughing Tuesday from the Le Meriden Hotel.
McFadden’s other linemates have not been so lucky. Though he is 5-foot-11 and weighs 205 pounds, Shipley has no issue getting up in the face of his offensive linemen, who are twice his size, and chewing them out if they are not doing their job correctly.
“I know a lot of people might not like it, but I think it is kind of a good thing. Obviously, because it has not happened to me yet,” McFadden said jokingly. “But I think it is a good thing. When you have a guy that plays with that much intensity, that much fire, it makes everybody else be like, ‘Okay! Let’s Go!’ It is that kind of mindset.
“You always know what you are going to get with Ship.”
What the seventh-ranked Tigers get is a player who is passionate about the game, passionate about his performance and very competitive. Shipley is a big reason why Clemson won a seventh ACC Championship in the last eight years and is playing No. 6 Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.
“I definitely did not do as much last year as a freshman,” Shipley joked. “But as I came into this offense and stepped into this leadership role, gained a bigger role, it is part of my passion. Those guys know that. I have talked to them intimately about it.
“It is not what I should do. I should talk with them in a manner, but at the same time, it can totally shift the energy. It can get somebody from maybe having a bad day to lighting a fire and them having the best day they could. I think that is why I do it. It’s the passion I have within. They know it is coming from the heart. I love those guys more than anything.”
When he is dragging and he needs an energy boost in practice, McFadden will seek Shipley out and start messing with him because he knows the running back will fight back, and in return, get him going.
“It is just so much fun,” McFadden said. “He and Walker (Parks), there have been times when they disagreed with each other, you can only imagine Will Shipley and Walker Parks arguing, so that is always fun.”
Shipley doesn’t just come at his offensive linemen or his offensive teammates. He will come after defensive players like defensive end KJ Henry or even the coaches.
“I remember last week we were doing a drill against the defense—short yardage and goal line—and we won on offense. Ship just ran up and got in Coach (Nick) Eason’s face. It was just really funny to see that on film. But Ship plays with that fire and that intensity level that we all love.”
And because of his fire, to go along with his work ethic and performance, Shipley has earned the right and respect to inspire his teammates in any fashion that he pleases. As long as it is done in the right way, of course.
“That is what I have wanted to do since I got here, just gain the respect of everybody around me and be in a position to do so,” Shipley said. “I have just been so blessed to do that, and now I am in that position, and I have a little bit more of a voice. In my opinion, maybe it means a little bit more in what I am saying.
“I don’t take that with a grain of salt. That is a huge role for me, and I do not take it lightly.”
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