Jordan Shipp Resilient, Motivated After UNC's Disappointing Season

RALEIGH, N.C. – With the scoreboard reading 42-19 in favor of the home team inside Carter-Finley Stadium, North Carolina’s disarray of a first season under Bill Belichick finally came to a close. In a season filled with losses – like Saturday’s in Raleigh – one bright spot in the Tar Heel season can be found in the on-field performance and emerging leadership shown from wide receiver Jordan Shipp. 

The true sophomore led UNC in receiving this season while also stepping forward as a vocal leader for the program. In a season where it would be easy for most 20-year-old kids – or 73-year-old coaches – to turn away from acknowledging their failures, Shipp confronted them head on.

Shipp finished Saturday’s season finale with eight catches for 90 yards and a touchdown, and just like he did in almost all of North Carolina’s eight losses this season, he fielded questions from reporters – just minutes after the season’s close. 

Watch Shipp’s complete interview below and read some noteworthy excerpts here… 

You’ve been a leader on this team – do you anticipate being back next year?

Jordan Shipp: “Of course.”

You talked about the foundation – what was Belichick and staff able to put in place that you think will lead to a better season next year? 

Shipp: “Just hard work. Everything comes from hard work. The work that you put in, you’re going to get a good result. No matter what you do, as long as you put the work in, you’re going to get a good result. So we’re going to go back, offseason workouts. We’re going to be right back with Coach (Moses Cabrera). We’re all going to get bigger, faster, stronger and we’ll build from there.”

How do you guys stay motivated after a season like this?

Shipp: “Because we had a season like this. I mean, you go four and eight, you don’t want to have that again. I mean, a lot of guys graduate – had a heavy senior class. So I mean, gonna be some new leaders in the building, some new faces.

“And all the guys that are here, we know what we could do better. The coaches know, it’s not like we’re starting back from literally square one like we did in December. We have a foundation set, and now we’ve just got to keep building. The good thing about the bottom is that it’s sturdy enough to build off of.”

What do you think next year needs to change for you all to get to the level that you want to achieve? 

Shipp: “There’s a couple of things I need to change. I feel like the biggest thing we just need to start playing with more heart. You know, just start playing with more heart, just more effort on every play, just selling out every play, not taking plays off.

“That’s just one of the bigger things. And just situational awareness, situational football, knowing what’s going on, not getting dumb penalties, stuff like that, just small stuff, fundamentals, just really everything all around.”

How much of a role is it going to be for you to help recruit guys that are here to stay here, and then also playing a role in the portal with some of the guys that will come in in January?

Shipp: “I mean, I don’t think I’m going to have to do a lot. We have the greatest coach of all time and I feel like that kind of sets the landscape for itself. We didn’t have the best season this year but at the same time, people understand that.

“It’s not common when a new coach gets there a couple months before the season and y’all go undefeated and play in the playoffs. Things happen, ups and downs.

“We showed glimpses, we just didn’t do enough to pull off some wins. You know, we were two yards away from being bowl eligible this season and it looking totally different. We were a yard away with Virginia, a yard and a half away with Cal. Mistakes killed us with Clemson, just small stuff. Internal wounds, we know we’re not as bad as our record shows.”