Will Shipley puts up career performance on emotional senior day

Will Shipley says he hasn't made up his mind on going pro, but he said he wanted to go out with a top performance if this was his last game in Death Valley.

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Sun Nov 19 10:30:13 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON - With their victory against No. 20 North Carolina, Clemson extended their win streak to three games, also knocking off their second ranked opponent of the season. It was also Senior Day, which was emotional for many players, including junior running back Will Shipley, who was honored in the festivities pregame.

“Three years has just flown by for me. It truly has. I remember just coming in here as a freshman, not knowing what the hell is going on,” Shipley said. “So, definitely a little emotional, but I just wanted to go out there, and if it happens to be my last game in Death Valley, I wanted to leave my mark, and I wanted to said the other seniors out with a win.”

He was also highly emotional during the game after his fumble at the Tar Heel six yard line. Especially if this will be his last game, that is not how he wanted to end his Clemson career. Luckily for him, he was able to bounce back with a 33-yard touchdown in the third quarter to extend the Tigers’s lead to 28-14.

“I was pissed off, to be honest, just because I put the ball on the ground. I feel like I let my teammates down again, coaches, whole fan base, and I didn’t want to leave the last game of battle like that,” Shipley said. “So, to be able to come back out, put the ball in the end zone and get everybody going, get some momentum going in this offense and leave last home game for this season like that, it was a great feeling.”

Against North Carolina, Shipley achieved his tenth career game with at least 100 rushing yards (126); it was also his second of the season. He had two catches for 53 yards as well.

This year has not quite gone the way Shipley had hoped and was potentially hurting his draft stock. He came into this game with an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Shipley finished the game against the Tar Heels with seven yards per carry, his second week in a row with that average. Shipley is a true team player, though. Right now, that is looking toward the final game of the regular season against South Carolina.

“This game is a season of its own, and we’re not going to prepare any different than we have in the past. But, we’re just going to go into this week knowing that it means a little more, that everybody cares a little more about it, including us,” Shipley said. “So, with that being said, we just have to go out there, put our best foot forward and get the victory.”

Shipley maintains that he has not decided yet on whether he will go to the NFL after this season.

“No decision made, but if I do decide to take that route, I didn’t want to regret missing that opportunity here in Death Valley. I didn’t want my parents to miss that opportunity in Death Valley either,” Shipley said. “So, I think it just goes back to knowing the opportunity is going to be there at the end of the season and just not wanting to miss out on it and regret not doing something.”

No matter when he leaves Clemson, he is forever grateful for the opportunities he has been given and how he has grown during his time as a Tiger.

“It’s taken me as an 18-year-old who didn’t know what the hell was going on, and it’s turned me into a man who understands himself, has a great group of friends, and just such a great support cast,” Shipley said. “The relationships that I’ve created through this university - friends, (running backs coach) Coach Spiller, having that relationship with (head coach) Coach Swinney for the rest of my life. It set the foundation for me to be successful from here on out, and I’ve given everything I have to this university. So, I hope that it feels the same way. But, it leaves me with a smile on my face and definitely is a little emotional for me, but I do love this university.”

Not only does he have an appreciation for the players and coaches on the team, but also the fans. Clemson is known to have a large home-field advantage because of the crowd noise and the atmosphere overall. Whenever his journey at Clemson ends, he wants the fans to remember him as someone who always gave it his all.

“Everytime I stepped on that field, I gave it everything I had and not just for my teammates or for my coaches, but also for every one of (the fans). One of my favorite things is lighting up that stadium and just hearing the fans roar and get loud,” Shipley said. “That’s why I try to interact with the fans as much as I can whenever I score touchdowns - jumping in there or throwing up the hand - because I really do appreciate them so much. They push me to be where I am as much as all the other forces that kind of get me there as well.”

Any running back cannot do their job without their offensive linemen, and against the Tar Heels, fifth-year lineman Will Putnam was among the seniors recognized on Senior Day. In another season with frequent injuries, Putnam has played all 11 games this season.

“First one that comes to mind is Will Putnam. That dude lays down his life on the line every time he’s out there. So, I wanted to send him out with a victory. Ruke, TD, all those guys, all those seniors. Will Blackston is another one that comes to mind,” Shipley said. “I wish I could sit here and name all of them. But, I just wanted to go out on a win myself and send all my brothers out with a win as well.”