The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Shackelford to sign with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
04.25.2020 | Football
Texas OL Zach Shackelford plans to sign with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas offensive lineman Zach Shackelford plans to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft. He will be the only former Longhorn on the Bucs' current 2020 roster.
"It seems to me like they have a good organization," Shackelford said. "Obviously over the past week you've been hearing a lot of buzz about them. The offensive line coach called me and said I have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot. It was the best option for me, and I couldn't pass up that opportunity, so it was just a combination of all of those things. I'm just ready to get started."
Shackelford appeared in 43 games and started 40 during his UT career. That includes starting all 13 games at center during the 2019 season, a year in which he served as one of six team captains and was named a semifinalist for both the William V. Campbell Trophy and Senior CLASS Award. On the field, he anchored an offensive line that was named to the Joe Moore Award Midseason Watch List in 2019 and was a first-team All-Big 12 performer in 2018. Shackelford was also an FWAA Freshman All-American back in 2016.
"Captain Shackelford is as smart of an offensive lineman as I've been around," Texas head coach Tom Herman said. "He made all the calls for our offensive line. He's another guy that comes from a great home life. His dad is a military chaplain, and he grew up with a lot of structure and discipline. He's a self-starter who is extremely strong and powerful, and just really knows how to play to his strengths. He knows what his strengths are, and he knows what his weaknesses are. He's a guy that gets the entire offensive line going in the right direction. He's athletic enough to move around a little bit, but strong and powerful enough to where if you put a 330-pound nose guard on top of him, he's going to be able to hold his own against him."
The Belton, Texas native was an Academic All-Big 12 selection three times, collecting first-team honors in his final two collegiate seasons, and was a five-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. He graduated from The University of Texas with a degree in corporate communication with a minor in American Sign Language.
With Shackelford's signing, all five of Texas' draft-eligible captains from the 2019 season have found a home in the NFL this week. Three were drafted (WR Devin Duvernay, Ravens; WR Collin Johnson, Jaguars; DB Brandon Jones, Dolphins), while Shackelford and DL Malcolm Roach (Saints) plan to sign as undrafted free agents.
"I think it's no secret why these guys have risen to the status that they have and elevated their games to the level that they have," Herman said. "It's because of their work ethic and their leadership. They were all five captains, and that doesn't just happen by accident. We vote on our captains as a team, so they have the utmost respect from their teammates, not just from a productivity standpoint, but from a work ethic standpoint, and a leadership standpoint."
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Zach Shackelford
On planning to sign a free agent contract with Tampa Bay:
"It was kind of a lengthy process between my agent and several teams. It was a little bit stressful, but at the same time, it's kind of cool to have that out of the way and start learning the playbook and get to work."
On if he has been to Tampa Bay:
"I played in the Shrine Game there, but other than that, no. I've heard good things about it as a city, so I'm just excited to learn a new place."
On his family's reaction:
"They were really excited. They're really happy for me and happy my agent was very helpful and really good at communicating between all of us between me and my parents combined. It was a good day, a little stressful, but good."
On how prepared he feels coming out of Texas to earn a roster spot:
"I feel like Coach Hand and Coach McKnight have done a great job in preparing me. Coach McKnight, flexibility-wise and physically in the weight room and being mentally prepared for what you face, and then Coach Hand, fundamentally and technique-wise and the knowledge of football he's given me has been awesome. I'm just really excited to get started and can't thank Coach Herman and everyone in the program enough."
On being able to get advice from former Longhorns in the league:
"The extensive alumni who have played in the NFL is something that's cool. Hopefully I can reach out to some of those guys and get their opinion and seek some advice. I know those guys support all the Longhorns right now who are trying to reach their dream of playing in the NFL, so it's cool to have those guys behind our backs."
Texas head coach Tom Herman
On what players can learn from Texas' 2019 captains:
It's a great lesson to all the young guys out there that you can be really talented, but if your goal is to just lace your cleats up and go play, you're never going to achieve your maximum potential. These are five guys that, not because they're captains, but because of who they are they became captains. And because of who they are, they have been able to maximize their potential and their capabilities."
On Texas' 2019 captains all committing to playing in the Valero Alamo Bowl:
"Them playing in the bowl game was a testament to a lot of things – first and foremost their love for The University of Texas. But their love of their teammates and wanting to help send the rest of the seniors out on a high note beating a top-10 team in a top-tier bowl game. It's their selflessness. There's a reason they're captains. Obviously, Brandon (Jones) was hurt. But had he not been, he was going to play. And I have to be honest, there really wasn't a whole lot of discussion. There wasn't really a sales job by myself or any other coach to try to convince them to play in the game. This was something that all of these guys wanted to do and I don't think they ever doubted it for one minute."
