Allan Quay Shipley (born May 22, 1986) is an American former

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

who played twelve seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Penn State Nittany Lions The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Penn State Lady Lions basketball, Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot ...

and was selected by the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

in the seventh round of the

2009 NFL draft The 2009 NFL draft was the 74th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft c ...

. Shipley was also a member of the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

, and

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

. He spent the 2021 season as an offensive assistant for the Buccaneers, before making regular appearances on ''

The Pat McAfee Show ''The Pat McAfee Show'' is a three-hour daily sports talk show hosted by sports commentator and former National Football League player Pat McAfee. Premiering on September 9, 2019, the program was originally distributed by DAZN and via Westwood O ...

''.

Early life

Shipley attended

Moon Area High School Moon Area High School is a public high school located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Part of the Moon Area School District, the school serves students from grades 9 - 12. Statewide PSSA rankings High school PSSA standardized ...

Moon Township, Pennsylvania Moon Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 27,261 at the 2020 census. Located northwest of Pittsburgh, the township is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area and ...

. As a team captain, he helped the

team reach the 2003

WPIAL The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL, pronounced ) is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. History The Western ...

Class AAA semifinals. He was a named to the ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...

'' Fabulous 22, the ''

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'', also known as "the Trib", is the second-largest daily newspaper serving the Greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area of Western Pennsylvania. It transitioned to an all-digital format on December 1, 2016, but rema ...

'' Terrific 25, and the '' Harrisburg Patriot-News'' Platinum 33 lists and played in the 2004

Big 33 Football Classic The Big 33 Football Classic is an All-star game, all-star American football game featuring the top high school football, high-school football players in Pennsylvania. Played since 1958 in sports, 1958, the game is often described as the "Super B ...

. He also was a three-year starter in basketball, helping to lead the team to win the 2003–2004 PIAA state championship. He wrestled one year in high school at heavyweight, pinning the defending division IV state champion in his first match. Regarded as four-star recruit by ''

Rivals.com Rivals.com (stylized as ''rivals'') is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was found ...

'', Shipley was listed as the No. 12 defensive tackle prospect in the class of 2004.

College career

During his career at Penn State, Shipley switched positions on the

offensive Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tendency to cause acts of violence by the ...

and

defensive Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...

lines, several times. Shipley's

redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Sports * Redshirt (college sports) Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically ...

freshman season at Penn State began with him playing on the offensive line and ended with him playing defense. At the beginning of the 2006 season Shipley was switched back to the offensive line and he spent the season as the starting center and anchored the offensive line for Tony Hunt's record-setting senior season. Shipley is known for his engaging personality and has served as the team

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

for the Nittany Lions' annual

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

party. He is known as a team leader who has sought out leadership positions. Shipley began the 2008 season on the Lombardi, Outland, and

Rimington Trophy The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. A member of the National College Football Awards ...

watchlists. By October, he had earned mid-season

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n honors from ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'', ''

College Football News ''College Football News'' (''CFN'') is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis incl ...

'',

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the American sports programming division of Paramount Global that is responsible for sports broadcasts carried by its broadcast network CBS and streaming service Paramount+, as well as the operator of its cable channel CBS Sports N ...

, and

Phil Steele Phil Steele (c. 1960) is an American sportswriter and analyst who focuses exclusively on college and professional football. He is considered a "highly respected prognosticator" within the sports media. His company, Phil Steele Publications, pro ...

. At season's end, he was awarded the

, awarded annually to the best center in college football. He was also named an

n, a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection, and the conference's Offensive Lineman of the Year. Shipley earned a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

in labor studies from Penn State in 2008. Shipley was a 2008

team captain In team sport, captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. In eithe ...

for the Nittany Lions. He was the recipient of the 2008

Dave Rimington Trophy The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. A member of the National College Football Awards As ...

Professional career

Pre-draft

Shipley was invited to the 2009

NFL Scouting Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...

where he

bench press The bench press or chest press is a weight training exercise where a person presses a weight upwards while lying horizontally on a weight training bench. The bench press is a Compound movements, compound movement, with the primary muscles involved ...

ed 33 reps of 225 lbs. (fifth among offensive linemen at the combine) and measured a 31-inch

vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of jumping upwards into the air. It can be an exercise for building both endurance and strength, and is also a standard test for measuring athletic performance. It may also be referred to as a ''Sargent ...

(eighth among offensive linemen at the combine). He ran 7.46 in the

3 cone drill 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

and 4.40 in the

20-yard shuttle The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...

(second and fifth, respectively, among offensive linemen at the combine). Shipley also scored a 40 on the

Wonderlic Test The Wonderlic Contemporary Cognitive Ability Test (formerly the Wonderlic Personnel Test) is an assessment used to measure the cognitive ability and problem-solving aptitude of prospective employees for a range of occupations. The test was cr ...

—double the average score for NFL draft prospects.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The

selected Shipley in the seventh round with the 226th overall pick the

. He was the last of seven centers selected during the draft. On June 18, 2009, he signed a three-year, $1.22 million contract. He was waived on September 4, 2009, and was signed to the

practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

on September 6.

Philadelphia Eagles

On January 11, 2010, the

signed him to a three-year contract. He was waived on September 4, 2010, and re-signed to the team's practice squad on September 5, 2010. He spent the entire season on the practice squad, and was re-signed to a future contract on January 10, 2011. He was waived during final cuts on September 2, 2011.

Indianapolis Colts (first stint)

On January 29, 2012, the

signed Shipley, reuniting him with offensive coordinator

Bruce Arians Bruce Charles Arians (born October 3, 1952) is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the h ...

. Shipley competed with Samson Satele in training camp and was ultimately named the backup center to begin the season. He made his professional debut in the Colts' season-opening 21–41 loss at the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

. On October 7, 2012, Shipley made his first career start in place of an injured Satele. He finished the regular season with five starts and played in 14 games.

Baltimore Ravens

On May 9, 2013, the Colts traded Shipley to the

for a 2014 conditional seventh-round draft pick. He entered training camp competing with

Gino Gradkowski Gino Gradkowski (born November 5, 1988) is an American football coach and former center. He is the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for Rowan University, positions he has held since 2024. He was recently the offensive line coach fo ...

for the vacant starting center position left by the retirement of

Matt Birk Matthew Robert Birk (born July 23, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a center for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Minnesota Vikings. Born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota ...

. Shipley was named the backup to Gradkowski to begin the regular season. On November 3, 2013, Shipley made his first start of the season, in place of Gradkowski, during an 18–24 loss to the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

. He started the last nine games of the regular season, while appearing in all 16. On August 30, 2014, Shipley was waived by the Ravens.

Indianapolis Colts (second stint)

On August 31, 2014, the Colts claimed Shipley off of waivers after starting center

Khaled Holmes Khaled Holmes (born January 19, 1990) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a center (American football), center in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans footb ...

suffered an injury during the first snap of the preseason. He was immediately inserted into a competition for the starting center position against undrafted rookie Jonotthan Harrison. Shipley was named the starting center for the season opener against the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

. After starting and playing well in the first four games, he was surprisingly demoted to the backup position behind Harrison. He finished the 2014 season playing in 15 games, started five, and was ranked as the 13th highest graded center in the NFL by

Pro Football Focus Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...

Arizona Cardinals

On March 11, 2015, the

signed Shipley to a two-year, $1.57 million contract that includes $300,000 guaranteed and a $100,000 signing bonus. This reunited him with head coach

for the third time on their third different team. Shipley entered training camp competing to be the Cardinals' starting center, but was named the backup to

Ted Larsen Theodore Larsen (born June 13, 1987) is an American former professional football guard. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft. He played college football at NC State. Early life Theodore Larsen w ...

. He made his Cardinals debut in their 31–19 season-opening victory over the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

. On October 26, 2015, he made his first start at center for the Cardinals in a 26–18 victory over the

. In his first season with the Arizona Cardinals, he appeared in 12 games and started three. The following season, Shipley entered training camp competing with rookie Evan Boehm and veteran Taylor Boggs after Larsen departed for the

in free agency. The Cardinals named him their starting center to open the season. He started all 16 regular season games, as the Cardinals finished with a 7–8–1 record. On March 9, 2017, the Cardinals signed Shipley to a two-year, $3.5 million contract extension, that included a $725,000 signing bonus. He was the only offensive lineman for the Cardinals to start all 16 games for the second season in a row. On August 6, 2018, Shipley tore his ACL in training camp and was ruled out for the season. On August 24, 2018, he signed a one-year contract extension with the Cardinals through the 2019 season. In 2019, Shipley started all 16 games at center for the Cardinals.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On August 27, 2020, Shipley signed with the

, marking the fourth time he would play under Bruce Arians for the fourth different team. He was released during final roster cuts on September 5, but re-signed with the team three days later. Shipley would go on to start two games for the Buccaneers before suffering a neck injury. On November 26, head coach

announced that Shipley may have a career-ending neck injury, and he was placed on injured reserve two days later. Ultimately, it was revealed that Shipley had suffered from what he described as a "bruised spinal cord", and at age 34 opted to retire rather than undergo surgery. Despite this, Shipley would get a Super Bowl ring for his earlier contributions after the Buccaneers defeated the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

Super Bowl LV Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...

, 31–9.

NFL career statistics

Post-playing career

Following his retirement, Shipley was named an offensive assistant on the

' coaching staff on May 5, 2021. He left the coaching staff to spend more time with his children. In 2023, during the off-season, he began training Buccaneers center

Robert Hainsey Robert W. Hainsey (born August 12, 1998) is an American professional football center for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was a 2020 senior class awar ...

, as well as

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

John Michael Schmitz John Michael Schmitz Jr. (born March 19, 1999) is an American professional football center for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, where he was named a first-tea ...

. Shipley has mostly been associated with

Pat McAfee Patrick Justin McAfee ( ; born May 2, 1987) is an American sports analyst, color commentator, and former professional football punter and kickoff specialist. He is an analyst on '' College GameDay'' and the host of the sports talk show '' Th ...

, his former teammate with the

. In addition to his appearances on ''

'', he had co-hosted "That's Hockey Talk", before being replaced by NHL player

Mike Rupp Michael Ryan Rupp (born January 13, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), center. He has played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh P ...

. In 2022, he began hosting a new in-studio segment called "In the Trenches" on Wednesdays, which has continued after the show's move to

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

Personal life

Shipley married his college girlfriend in 2014, but they had split within a year. He later remarried and has three children with his second wife.

References

External links

*
Penn State Nittany Lions bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shipley, A.Q. 1986 births Living people People from Coraopolis, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania American football centers Penn State Nittany Lions football players Pittsburgh Steelers players Philadelphia Eagles players Indianapolis Colts players Baltimore Ravens players Arizona Cardinals players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaches Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania