Where are they Now? - Chris Shepherd - Florida Atlantic University Athletics

Florida Atlantic University athletics is proud to present "Where are they Now." Each week, graduate student Wajih Al Baroudi will feature former FAU student-athletes. If you have a former FAU student-athlete you would like featured, please email the name and contact information to Katrina McCormack at kmccormi@fau.edu.

When Chris Shepherd came to FAU, all he brought was two trash bags filled with his belongings. Growing up alongside 15 siblings in a single-parent, impoverished Apopka, Florida home, the former offensive lineman couldn't muster much else.

But what Shepherd left with changed his life, and later, many others'.

Over his three-year Owls' career on the offensive line, Shepherd acquired two degrees – sociology and communications – an NFL contract offer, and the passion to share his story with the world.

"Most people see growing up in poverty, [a] single-parent home, 15 brothers and sisters as an obstacle, and I had the perspective to view it as an opportunity," said Shepherd, who was part of FAU's second ever recruiting class in 2001. "I realized that I didn't want to make excuses; I wanted to make history."

He did exactly that for the Owls, leading them to 11 wins and an NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth in 2003. FAU's offense elevated to No. 2 in passing efficiency that year largely because of Shepherd's steady presence at guard.

His triumphs weren't exclusive to the football field, though.

An academic honor roll recipient, Shepherd learned the skills necessary to create two companies later in life: Keep the Change Inc., a faith-based non-profit organization dedicated to connecting athletes with Christ; and Shep Inspires LLC, a life-centered, character-development speaking company in which he motivates business people, school children, military personnel, sports teams and more.

Shepherd now dedicates his life to spreading hope and positivity with others. But as a teenager, he had little of either – and it led him to a nearly irreversible breaking point.

"I was going to take my life at 14 years old," Shepherd said. "I just lost my best friend, things had become too difficult, my father was in prison for murder – he went to prison before I was born [and] I didn't get to meet him until I was 12. Dealing with 15 brothers and sisters, growing up in extreme poverty, no one had ever been to college, no one had ever graduated [from] high school – I believed that tough times had become too difficult, and I was going to quit."

But he didn't. Instead, Shepherd found solace in his faith and the sport he grew to love.

"My commitment to myself at 14 [years old] was that I would stay in the game, which simply meant, no matter how difficult things become, no matter how long it took, I would not give up [or] give in, that I would stay in the game no matter what.

"And that mindset led me to football."

There, he was a natural fit – despite a late start. Shepherd hadn't played a snap before his sophomore year of high school, but quickly developed into a highly touted prospect.

However, before he could live up to the hype in Boca Raton, he had to overcome the toils of Apopka.

"I lost a lot of friends (and) family to gun violence and different things, and it was my FAU family that supported me and helped me through those times," said Shepherd, who missed half his freshman season because of that and a chest injury.

Shepherd shined once he felt that support, becoming a rare 17-year-old starter for then-coach Howard Schnellenberger's Owls. He proceeded to start 25 games over his FAU career.

Offensive linemen rarely get the stats or recognition of their skill-position counterparts. But to Shepherd, that was a positive; the relative anonymity of the position taught him the importance of two core values: humility and service.

"I want to protect my teammates, I want to block, create opportunities for others, and I want to see the team win," Shepherd said. "That's what's important to me. And that's what important to every great offensive lineman, right? Doing their job so others on the team can shine. And so, when things are difficult, when things are going bad, we look in the mirror, say 'what can I do to help the team?' And when things are going great, we look out of the window, we look for someone else to give credit to, someone else to let shine."

Shepherd attended the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2005 rookie minicamp following his Owls' tenure. He impressed in his short time there, which earned him a contract offer from the Green Bay Packers.

His football career was ascending, his options multiplying.

While Shepherd mulled his next move on a flight, the man sitting beside him uttered the words that gave him a career – and life – epiphany.

The man asked Shepherd where he was coming from; Shepherd said a speaking engagement for kids in Southside Atlanta. He responded, 'it's so good that you're doing that, because those kids are hopeless.'

"When he used that phrase, man, it shook me up bad," Shepherd said.

At that moment Shepherd realized he could make a bigger impact off the field than on it. So, he called his agent and gave him the news: he was retiring from football and pursuing a career in public speaking.

While many in his position would find it hard to walk away from the game, Shepherd didn't hesitate.

"For me, football was a vehicle, man," Shepherd said. "To get an education, to get out of the hood, and to transform my life – and ultimately to have a platform to help others."

Shepherd soon began speaking to athletes across the country. And through word of mouth alone – he didn't have an agent – the requests grew rapidly; his journey from poverty to the pros resonated strongly with his audiences.

Motivating sports teams became Shepherd's "sugar stick," something he was comfortable doing. But when he began fielding requests from military personnel, middle schools, businesses and other non-athletics organizations, he was anything but.

That changed when he realized his story isn't about football; it's about life.

"I thought I had a bleak story – about my own adversity and own experiences – but I really have a hope story, a story that everyone needs to hear, because who doesn't need hope?" Shepherd said. "I know there's some folks that need to know that it's possible, and that's what happened to me and my story. They could say, 'you know what, I may not be able to relate to everything you experienced, but one thing I know for sure is that if he could make it, if he could thrive, I know that I can overcome anything I'm dealing with right now.'"

Over the last 14 years, Shepherd's spoken in all but one – Antarctica – of the world's continents. He appears in over 200 engagements annually. But despite that wealth of experience, Shepherd admits public speaking is his "biggest fear."

It's not easy for Shepherd, but he dedicated his life to public speaking because he knows the value it has on those whose shoes he once stood in.

"I literally face my fear of a living, because it makes a difference," Shepherd said. "All I do is picture an audience, arena, locker room full of that 14-year-old version of myself. And I just speak to what I needed to hear at 14."

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Where are they Now? - Chris Shepherd

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Upcoming Event: Football at Rice on October 4, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Football versus UAB on October 11, 2025 at TBA

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Upcoming Event: Football at Tulane on November 15, 2025 at TBA

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Where are they Now? - Chris Shepherd

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