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Jersey Number 20
Darrius Shepherd
- Position:
- Wide Receiver
- Height:
- 5-11
- Weight:
- 188
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Blue Springs, Mo.
- High School:
- Blue Springs HS
* 2019 NCAA Division I Championship Game Most Outstanding Player
* 2018 Phil Steele FCS All-America Second Team (PR)
* 2018 STATS FCS All-America Third Team (PR)
* 2018 All-MVFC First Team (WR)
* 2018 All-MVFC First Team (RS)
* 2015 MVFC All-Newcomer Team
* 2016 MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week
* 2019 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society
* 2018 MVFC All-Academic Second Team
* 2018 MVFC President's Council Academic Award
* 2015, 2016, 2017 MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award
* 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 MVFC Honor Roll
NDSU's leading receiver and punt returner each of his final three seasons...First team all-conference at both positions as a senior...Earned All-America honors in 2018 as a punt returner...Part of four NCAA Division I FCS national championships and five Missouri Valley Football Conference championships during his career on Bison teams that went 54-5 during his four years of eligibility...Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game win over Eastern Washington...In 14 career NCAA playoff games, made 37 catches for 591 yards and five TDs...Finished second all-time at NDSU with 188 receptions and 2,841 receiving yards, and was sixth with 20 career touchdown receptions...Fifth on the NDSU career chart for punt return yards (578) and sixth in punt return attempts (44) and yards per return (13.14)...Undrafted free-agent signee of the Green Bay Packers.
2018 SEASON (SENIOR): Elected as a team captain for the second straight season...All-America punt returner on the Phil Steele second team and STATS FCS third team...All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first team wide receiver and return specialist, only the second offensive player in league history to earn double first-team honors...Started all 15 games making 62 catches for 1,065 yards and nine touchdowns...Ranked fourth in school single-season history for receptions and third in receiving yards and TDs...Posted the sixth best single-season punt return average with 15.58 yards per return on 19 attempts...His 296 punt return yards were eighth most in NDSU single-season history...Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Division I championship game with five receptions for 125 yards in the 38-24 win over Eastern Washington including two TDs on plays of 23 and 78 yards...Career-high 126 receiving yards on six catches in the win over Illinois State...Voted to the MVFC All-Academic second team...Earned the MVFC President's Council Academic Award...Named to the 2019 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.
2017 SEASON (JUNIOR): Played in 14 of 15 games and made eight starts...Missed the regular-season finale at Illinois State...Led the Bison with 41 receptions and was second with 559 receiving yards...Caught his only touchdown of the season in the national championship game, a 50-yard strike from Easton Stick that gave NDSU a 14-3 lead over James Madison in the second quarter...Made a catch in his first 38 career games before going without one in the NCAA second round win over San Diego...Career-high seven receptions and season-high 95 yards in the loss at South Dakota State...MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award and MVFC Honor Roll.
2016 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Played in 13 of 14 games and made eight starts...NDSU's leading receiver with 45 catches...Ranked sixth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 642 receiving yards and was eighth with five touchdown catches...Also averaged 22.2 yards on five punt returns...His 84-yard touchdown against Indiana State was the fourth-longest punt return in school history...Named MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week following that performance...Sat out the second round playoff game against San Diego with a hamstring injury...Returned in the second half of the quarterfinal win over South Dakota State the next week...Made four receptions for a season-high 105 yards including a 67-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter...MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award and MVFC Honor Roll.
2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN): Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team honoree...Had at least one pass reception in all 15 games and made five starts...NDSU's second leading receiver with 40 catches for 575 yards and five touchdowns...Caught the game-winning touchdown over two defenders in the back corner of the end zone to lift NDSU to an October homecoming win over Northern Iowa...Missed the first half of the UNI game with an injury but came out in the second half to make three catches for 61 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns...Season-high 78 yards on three receptions against Western Illinois...Led all Bison receivers in the NCAA playoffs with nine catches for 114 yards...MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award and MVFC Honor Roll.
2014 SEASON (REDSHIRT): Sat out the season as a redshirt in the Bison program...Named to the MVFC Honor Roll.
HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time all-state wide receiver for Blue Springs High School and head coach Kelly Donohoe...Standout on back-to-back Class 6 state championship teams in 2012 and 2013...The Wildcats were 27-1 over last two seasons including a 24-game winning streak...Finished with 3,534 career all-purpose yards and 35 touchdowns...Made 134 receptions in career for 2,369 yards (17.68 avg/r) and 26 TDs...Caught 75 passes for 1,302 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior...Made eight catches for 229 yards and four TDs vs. Park Hill South including a 98-yard TD reception...Returned 29 punts for 502 yards (17.31 avg/r) and had a punt return TD in the state championship game...Returned three kickoffs for 46 yards (15.33 avg/r)...Defensively, had 25 tackles including 23 solos and two tackles for loss...Credited with a pair of interceptions, eight passes defended and a fumble recovery...Returned both picks for touchdowns...Three-time all-Suburban 6 Conference selection at wide receiver...Member of the Wildcats' state runner-up track and field team in 2013, running the anchor leg on the eighth place 4x400 meter relay team.
PERSONAL: Graduated from NDSU in May 2018 with a bachelor's degree in university studies while minoring in psychology...Son of Amy Shepherd and the late Louis Shepherd...Has one brother, Xavier, and one sister, Cheyenne...Father played football for Missouri...Grandfather played basketball for Missouri State and the Los Angeles Lakers.
* 2018 Phil Steele FCS All-America Second Team (PR)
* 2018 STATS FCS All-America Third Team (PR)
* 2018 All-MVFC First Team (WR)
* 2018 All-MVFC First Team (RS)
* 2015 MVFC All-Newcomer Team
* 2016 MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week
* 2019 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society
* 2018 MVFC All-Academic Second Team
* 2018 MVFC President's Council Academic Award
* 2015, 2016, 2017 MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award
* 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 MVFC Honor Roll
NDSU's leading receiver and punt returner each of his final three seasons...First team all-conference at both positions as a senior...Earned All-America honors in 2018 as a punt returner...Part of four NCAA Division I FCS national championships and five Missouri Valley Football Conference championships during his career on Bison teams that went 54-5 during his four years of eligibility...Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game win over Eastern Washington...In 14 career NCAA playoff games, made 37 catches for 591 yards and five TDs...Finished second all-time at NDSU with 188 receptions and 2,841 receiving yards, and was sixth with 20 career touchdown receptions...Fifth on the NDSU career chart for punt return yards (578) and sixth in punt return attempts (44) and yards per return (13.14)...Undrafted free-agent signee of the Green Bay Packers.
2018 SEASON (SENIOR): Elected as a team captain for the second straight season...All-America punt returner on the Phil Steele second team and STATS FCS third team...All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first team wide receiver and return specialist, only the second offensive player in league history to earn double first-team honors...Started all 15 games making 62 catches for 1,065 yards and nine touchdowns...Ranked fourth in school single-season history for receptions and third in receiving yards and TDs...Posted the sixth best single-season punt return average with 15.58 yards per return on 19 attempts...His 296 punt return yards were eighth most in NDSU single-season history...Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Division I championship game with five receptions for 125 yards in the 38-24 win over Eastern Washington including two TDs on plays of 23 and 78 yards...Career-high 126 receiving yards on six catches in the win over Illinois State...Voted to the MVFC All-Academic second team...Earned the MVFC President's Council Academic Award...Named to the 2019 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.
2017 SEASON (JUNIOR): Played in 14 of 15 games and made eight starts...Missed the regular-season finale at Illinois State...Led the Bison with 41 receptions and was second with 559 receiving yards...Caught his only touchdown of the season in the national championship game, a 50-yard strike from Easton Stick that gave NDSU a 14-3 lead over James Madison in the second quarter...Made a catch in his first 38 career games before going without one in the NCAA second round win over San Diego...Career-high seven receptions and season-high 95 yards in the loss at South Dakota State...MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award and MVFC Honor Roll.
2016 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Played in 13 of 14 games and made eight starts...NDSU's leading receiver with 45 catches...Ranked sixth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 642 receiving yards and was eighth with five touchdown catches...Also averaged 22.2 yards on five punt returns...His 84-yard touchdown against Indiana State was the fourth-longest punt return in school history...Named MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week following that performance...Sat out the second round playoff game against San Diego with a hamstring injury...Returned in the second half of the quarterfinal win over South Dakota State the next week...Made four receptions for a season-high 105 yards including a 67-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter...MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award and MVFC Honor Roll.
2015 SEASON (FRESHMAN): Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team honoree...Had at least one pass reception in all 15 games and made five starts...NDSU's second leading receiver with 40 catches for 575 yards and five touchdowns...Caught the game-winning touchdown over two defenders in the back corner of the end zone to lift NDSU to an October homecoming win over Northern Iowa...Missed the first half of the UNI game with an injury but came out in the second half to make three catches for 61 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns...Season-high 78 yards on three receptions against Western Illinois...Led all Bison receivers in the NCAA playoffs with nine catches for 114 yards...MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award and MVFC Honor Roll.
2014 SEASON (REDSHIRT): Sat out the season as a redshirt in the Bison program...Named to the MVFC Honor Roll.
HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time all-state wide receiver for Blue Springs High School and head coach Kelly Donohoe...Standout on back-to-back Class 6 state championship teams in 2012 and 2013...The Wildcats were 27-1 over last two seasons including a 24-game winning streak...Finished with 3,534 career all-purpose yards and 35 touchdowns...Made 134 receptions in career for 2,369 yards (17.68 avg/r) and 26 TDs...Caught 75 passes for 1,302 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior...Made eight catches for 229 yards and four TDs vs. Park Hill South including a 98-yard TD reception...Returned 29 punts for 502 yards (17.31 avg/r) and had a punt return TD in the state championship game...Returned three kickoffs for 46 yards (15.33 avg/r)...Defensively, had 25 tackles including 23 solos and two tackles for loss...Credited with a pair of interceptions, eight passes defended and a fumble recovery...Returned both picks for touchdowns...Three-time all-Suburban 6 Conference selection at wide receiver...Member of the Wildcats' state runner-up track and field team in 2013, running the anchor leg on the eighth place 4x400 meter relay team.
PERSONAL: Graduated from NDSU in May 2018 with a bachelor's degree in university studies while minoring in psychology...Son of Amy Shepherd and the late Louis Shepherd...Has one brother, Xavier, and one sister, Cheyenne...Father played football for Missouri...Grandfather played basketball for Missouri State and the Los Angeles Lakers.
NDSU Football Mountain West Press Conference - February 9, 2026
Monday, February 09
The Bison Football Show - December 7, 2025
Monday, December 08
NDSU Football Postgame Press Conference - December 6, 2025 (FCS Playoffs 2nd Round)
Saturday, December 06
NDSU Football Press Conference - December 2, 2025
Tuesday, December 02
