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Isaiah Shirley: From 3rd grade to NC State



Senior Isaiah Shirley is a renowned football player for Watauga, causing quite a stir in the athletics scene. Although he has just recently gained traction in the past few years, Shirley has been playing football for far longer.


“I’ve always been a bigger type of kid, so I’ve always been expected to play football or basketball,” Shirley said. “I started playing in first grade, then skipped second grade, then started playing again in third grade. I played all the way through middle school, then played high school. You don’t really start playing until you get to high school, though. That’s when it starts becoming serious.”


Shirley fit in right away. He loves everything about the sport, and his football teammates quickly became his best friends.


“What I love about football is everything from putting on the pads, to hanging out with my teammates in the locker room, to that cold fall breeze in the middle of practice,” Shirley said. “It’s just every aspect of it. I just love what I do.”


With football being such a physically and mentally demanding sport, one has to be able to hold their own. A player’s situation can change at practically any time, so being skilled at on-the-fly decision-making is extremely important.


“You have to be a very mentally-tough person to play, especially at Watauga,” Shirley said. “You have a lot of other factors coming into play but you just have to be able to think on the fly when you’re tired and expect your body to react [on time] too.”


Though Shirley has played for many years, he hasn’t played a large variety of roles. Having been a “bigger kid” for most of his life, Shirley consistently stayed in a heavy contact position.


“All through my life, I’ve played offensive line,” he said. “[When I was younger], I played a little bit of center, but I could never snap the ball to the guy, so they moved me to guard and tackle. In middle school, I played guard, and then on defense, I always played defensive end.”


By the time he made it to high school, Shirley was a little bit faster and taller, which allowed him to play new positions. He started to play tight end and defensive end, but he simply didn’t enjoy it as much.


“I’m very defensive-minded, and that’s what I’m going to school for,” Shirley said. “I love trying to figure out what the offense is trying to do. Playing defensive end is probably my favorite position. Parts of me think it would be cool to play tight end in college, getting to go catch and score touchdowns, but at my heart, I’m a defensive end.”


Speaking of college, Shirley has received many offers to play football from over a dozen colleges. After mulling over his various options and opportunities, Shirley decided to accept an offer from NC State University.


“Some of [the schools] that I just wasn’t interested in, so I wasn’t going to take their offers,” Shirley said. “They are trying to recruit kids around the country that would love to go to that university. I’m not going to take a scholarship from someone working just as hard as me, knowing I’m not going to go there. All the schools that I did have, I looked at really closely. I’m a very faith-based person, so I just really prayed on it all the time. I let God lead me through that. I mean, He got me there in the first place, so I just saw Him through.”


When he is off the field, Shirley plans to study Sports Management. With a major that can range from a sports agent to a football coach, Shirley wants to keep his career options open. Though he is content with a few back-up plans, his dream job is to be a coach.


“What I really want to do is be a collegiate football coach, that’s my number 1,” Shirley said. “I want to play college football, hopefully go to the NFL, then come back and coach. I feel like I can use my story and inspire kids, watch them grow, and then send them on their way. I wouldn’t have to work a day in my life if I go to do that! I’m not going to be [too optimistic], though. Only a very small percentage gets to go to the NFL, and I know that. If that’s not in the cards for me, it’s not going to destroy me or anything. I know I can find success in other areas.”


When he isn’t practicing or studying, Shirley likes to play spikeball with friends. Recently, when he’s looking to relax, he will go fishing or play Madden NFL on his Xbox. Perhaps a lesser-known fact about Shirley, though, is his love for cooking.


“I lowkey like to cook a little bit,” he said. “If I’m in the mood, I love following the recipe and seeing it come to fruition. I never really have time to do that, but when I do, I love doing that.”


As impressive as Shirley’s resume is, he didn’t get here by himself. He gives credit to his faith as well as his guardian, parents, his coaches, and teammates.


“I want to thank God for everything that he’s done for me and everything he’s going to do for me. My guardian, Joe, really helped me throughout the whole path and he really kept me grounded through the whole recruiting process. [I want to thank] my coaches and my teammates, I couldn’t have done it without any of those guys. Everybody played a piece really. Teachers even played a piece. I couldn’t be more thankful for everyone who helped me along the way.”


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