Will Shipley scores first TD in Eagles debut, fulfilling ‘nerve-racking’ dream of playing in NFL

BALTIMORE — There was a bit of doubt in Will Shipley’s mind whether he could produce at the NFL level or not.

A lifelong goal of Shipley’s was fulfilled when he stepped onto the field at M&T Bank Stadium on Friday night. Shipley made it to the NFL, but could he take the next step? Could he be good at the highest level of professional football? 

Shipley is human, there was going to be some self doubt. 

“I definitely feel relieved,” an excited Shipley said. “My dream as a kid was to play in the NFL and now that I’ve made it here — it was a little nerve racking. You play three years in high school, three years in college, and you’re like, ‘am I ready for this?'”

Those doubts were erased when Shipley caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett in the second quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles‘ 16-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Shipley scored Philadelphia’s lone touchdown of the game, catching a pass on the flat from a rolling Pickett on the right side of the red zone for the score. 

Not sounding cocky, Shipley knew he was scoring a touchdown once Pickett rolled out. 

“I don’t think that play has not worked once in camp,” Shipley said. “So I don’t know what it is. Defenses are struggling to cover it. I knew what the outcome was gonna be, at least I was hoping what it was gonna be.”

Shipley finished with seven carries for 23 yards and one catch for 7 yards in his 19 snaps. He was a catalyst in the Eagles’ 15-play, 75-yard drive that took 8:50 off the clock. During that drive, Shipley had a 3-yard run on a third-and-2 from the Ravens’ 35 to extend the drive, one of three first-down runs for the rookie fourth-round pick.

Left guard Trevor Keegan, another rookie draft pick, set up Shipley on a few of those runs. Shipley wasn’t letting Keegan’s blocking, or the rest of the offensive line, go unnoticed. 

“Oh yea, everybody up front was important,” Shipley said. “You can’t do your job unless all those guys are blocking your butts off there for you. I’m so thankful for them.

“Trevor has done such a great job through camp. We had a chance to get close as rookies. He was so good at Michigan and now getting to be on the same team with him is special.”

When Shipley scored that touchdown, the self doubt was erased. Not only did Shipley make it, he found out he could play at the highest level of his profession. 

“Everybody has a little bit of self doubt, but when you can go out there and prove it to yourself and all the work that you put in kinda comes into fruition,” Shipley said. “It’s just a good feeling knowing that you’re here and you can do it.

“To get in the end zone is a feeling I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”