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Zak DeOssie's retirement leaves Sterling Shepard longest-tenured Giant at 27

Sterling Shepard during Giants training camp on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. Credit: Matthew Swensen

Sterling Shepard came into the NFL with a nickname that stuck throughout his first four seasons with the Giants. Nearly everyone called him “Young Shep,” a tag that fit not only because of his boyish looks but also since he was among the less-experienced receivers on the team.

As he enters Season 5 with the Giants, though, Shepard finds himself in a new place on the team’s hierarchy. He is, at age 27, the longest-tenured player on the roster.

“I might have to shake the ‘Young Shep,’” Shepard laughed during a virtual news conference on Friday.