FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Nathan Shepherd is appreciative of his path to the NFL. Just to get through college, the Jets’ third-round pick from Fort Hays State had to save $12,000 for school.
He didn’t get a loan. He worked at a plant nursery, a construction job with his father, he was a bouncer at a bar, worked for a moving company and was an overnight camp counselor.
It all worked out as he walked on at Fort Hays State as a defensive lineman, proved himself after one season and eventually earn a scholarship. Over three seasons, Shepherd became one of the best players in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and in 2017 was named the conference’s defensive player of the year.