The Athletic takes a closer look at Hype Man Shep

While some players choose to step away from their respective team following a serious injury, Shepard has done the opposite. The 29-year-old wide receiver has fully embraced his new role as the ultimate hype man for his teammates. While he obviously would rather be out there helping the Giants win, Shepard is glad that he’s still spending a lot of time around the team.

“I just try to stay around stuff that makes me happy, and these guys make me happy,” Shepard told Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic.

At numerous times throughout the season, Shepard was spotted on camera going crazy following a big play, such as his reaction following Darius Slayton’s big catch against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving below. When the Big Blue defense is on the field at MetLife Stadium for a third down, the veteran can often be spotted standing on top of a bench waving a towel, trying to get the crowd up and out of their seats.

As Carroll wrote, “Save his surgery-related absence, the 2016 draft pick hasn’t left his post on the Giants’ sideline. The team’s longest-tenured player has stuck around New York, with his daughters in town, and stayed plugged in for the Giants’ playoff push. Never mind the season-ending injury, his second in less than a year. Shepard remains one of his teammates’ biggest fans and calls their games the “highlight” of his week. As he nears 30 years old, his plan is to soak up all the football days he can — even if he’s not suiting up.”