Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Tee Shepard's Close Call FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY DAN MURPHY F Notre Dame on National Signing Day by backing out of an oral com- mitment to come to South Bend, but in one simple phone call he did more for the Irish recruiting class of 2012 than many will ever know. Greenberry's cousin — fellow ive-star wide receiver Deontay Greenberry may have shocked Fresno, Calif., native and nationally coveted prospect Tee Shepard — was eating dinner at the Dog House Grill three days before he flew to South Bend to enroll early at Notre Dame. The greasy spoon joint is a favorite hangout of students across the street at Fresno State. Shepard's guests came from a little farther south. Across the table sat some USC assis- tants, including Monte Kiffin. Kiffin was explaining to the dy- namic, young defensive back why the Trojans were a better fit for his 4.6 40-yard-dash speed and impec- cable footwork, while Shepard's father, Ray, nodded along in agree- ment. Shepard was the first player to pledge allegiance to the Irish when they offered a scholarship last March, and he was starting to get cold feet. Minutes later, Irish assistant coach Mike Denbrock burst through the restaurant doors and strolled over to the Shepard's table. Blood pressures no doubt rose, but both sides kept the unexpected meeting civil. Den- brock asked his prized recruit for a few words in private, and when they returned to the table Shepard let the USC coaches know they were wast- ing their time. "It came close," Ray Shepard said. Shepard took part in both the inaugural California State All-Star Game, where he returned two interceptions for a total of 85 yards and one touchdown, and the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. PHOTO BY JAMIE OAKES/WAHOOS247 "If Denbrock didn't show up at that time, Tee would've been going to USC. It took two words. Denbrock just said 'Trust me,' and that was that." So what type of sixth sense led Denbrock, one of 247Sports' top 50 recruiters of the year, to the Dog House Grill in Fresno, Calif., just in time to detour a desertion? "Greenberry tracked us down," Ray Shepard said. "Coach Denbrock was in town to see him, and he said, 'Tee's over with USC, and you might want to go see him.' " Denbrock's serendipitous timing ended a long month of second-guess- 42 MARCH 2012 ing for both Shepards. Ray was push- ing his son toward USC. Not because he didn't trust the Irish or had a par- ticular affinity toward the Trojans, but because he saw all the Southern California campus was able to offer for Tee's hearing problems. Shepard isn't deaf. He can hear noise and can follow along with a conversation if he's looking at your face. He was born with hearing loss. He can't hear alarm clocks or bells or whistles. Certain letters in the alpha- bet slip by undetected, and at times if he's not looking at a speaker's lips whole phrases and sentences can get lost in the air on the way to his ears. School is a challenge. Shepard's aids. Sometimes he needs help tak- ing notes in class when the words get lost. When Denbrock raided the meeting at Dog House Grill he as- sured the Shepards that Notre Dame would provide everything Tee needed in the classroom. "Trust me," he said, and Ray did. The football field was never a con- teachers need to wear a micro- phone that connects to his hearing cern. Shepard's hearing problem never slowed him down there. If anything it pushed him harder to be a role model for others, especially his younger brother Anthony, currently a 6-3 high school freshman who was born with the same hearing loss and the same athletic gifts that already have college coaches knocking on his door. "On the field, Tee has no fear fac- BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED