Jeremy Shockey

Jeremy Charles Shockey (born August 18, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL).

Shockey was born August 18, 1980, in Ada, Oklahoma.

A 1999 graduate of Ada High School, Shockey lettered all four seasons, playing mostly at wide receiver and outside linebacker.

As a senior he caught 50 passes for 1,108 yards and five touchdowns.

He also returned four punts for touchdowns and was named to Oklahoma's All-District, All-County, and All-State teams.

Playing in the State Semi-final game of his senior year, he caught eight passes for 206 yards, but his team lost in an upset to Chickasha High School.

He also played basketball and was an honor roll student.

After high school, Shockey briefly attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, where he wore #80, in the hopes of being recruited by the University of Arizona.

While there, however, Arizona wasn’t interested and Shockey eventually earned a scholarship to and attended the University of Miami, where he was part of the school's long tradition of star tight ends.

As a Hurricane, Shockey first rose to national attention as a sophomore in Miami's 2000 game versus rival Florida State, catching what proved to be the game-winning touchdown pass with :46 remaining in the fourth quarter as # 7 Miami defeated the then-top ranked Seminoles, 27–24.

The Hurricanes went 11–1 and Shockey received first-team All-Big East honors from the league's coaches, The Sporting News, and College Football News.

He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning first-team All-American honors in 2001.

In 2001, Shockey was an integral member of the national championship Miami team.

Shockey led the team with 45 receptions and had 604 yards receiving and eight touchdowns (including bowl statistics).

He was one of three finalists for the Mackey Award, and was named a first-team All-American by CNNSI, and a second-team All-American by the Associated Press, CBS Sportsline, and ABC Sports.

Having reached the status of national champion and All-American, Shockey declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft following the 2001 season.

He was selected by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft as the 14th pick.

The winner of the first-ever Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year Award in 2002, Shockey earned four Pro Bowl selections in his career and won the Super Bowl with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII and the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV.

Shockey was selected 14th in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

He quickly thrived in the NFL, receiving the inaugural Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year award, and being named to the Pro Bowl in four of his first five seasons (2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006).

He was one of the focal points in the Giants offensive passing attack.

Shockey signed a five-year contract extension with the Giants on October 12, 2005, making him the highest paid tight end in professional football.

Shockey turned in another strong performance during the 2006 season, catching 66 passes for 623 yards and tying a career-high with seven touchdown receptions.

For his efforts, Shockey was named to the Pro Bowl.

Possessing great athletic abilities to run routes and make crucial blocks, Shockey is equally known for his sometimes brash comments on other players and the media and for his antics off the field.

During week 3 of the 2006 NFL season, he commented on a loss against Seattle by saying "We got outplayed, and we got outcoached. Write that down."

Shockey apologized for the comment after speaking with head coach Tom Coughlin.

On December 16, 2007, in week 15 of the season, while playing against the Washington Redskins, Shockey suffered a fractured fibula and damage to his ankle.

He underwent surgery, and would be out for the rest of the 2007 season.

Kevin Boss then took over Shockey's spot as the starting tight end.

After Shockey's season-ending injury, the Giants went on to win the NFC title and beat the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

The Giants' success even without Shockey sparked immediate speculation that the team would be better without the often vocal and increasingly injured tight end.

Shockey declined to participate in several Giants team celebrations, including a White House tribute for the new Super Bowl champions and the team's blue carpet ring ceremony.

Rumors surfaced before the 2008 NFL Draft that the Giants were looking to trade Shockey.

After the draft came and went without such a trade, the team stated it planned to keep Shockey a Giant.

But it was obvious that Shockey was upset during the team's minicamp in June.

While teammates practiced, Shockey stayed in the locker room, much to the dismay of head coach Tom Coughlin.

Shockey was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentary The U, which premiered December 12, 2009, on ESPN.

He also appeared in the documentary's sequel, The U Part 2.

The contract had Shockey earning $26.38 million through 2011.