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FLORHAM PARK http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dawson-knox-jersey , N.J. (AP)Nathan Shepherd was out of school and away from the football field for two years, working side jobs to try to earn some money.The big defensive lineman from Canada spent long hours toiling at a plant nursery, a printing factory and also eventually doing electrical construction. The whole time, football tugged at his heart.Four years later, Shepherd was selected in the third round of the NFL draft by the New York Jets – the latest stop in what has been a football journey marked by uncertainty and perseverance.”It honestly brought me to the point where I had to look myself in the mirror and decide how much football meant to me,” the former Fort Hays State star said during a conference call Saturday night. ”It was just one of those loves that I couldn’t get over. It became a matter of, do whatever you have to do to make your dreams come true.”The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Shepherd was the first Division II player selected in this year’s draft. He was also the Jets’ only pick on the second day of the draft after New York took USC quarterback Sam Darnold at No. 3 overall pick on Thursday night.Shepherd, a native of Ontario, Canada, turns 25 in October and is considered quite a bit raw because of his time away from the game and the level at which he played his college ball. He adds depth to the Jets’ defensive line after they cut defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson during the offseason.”He might be slightly older than your average prospect,” general manager Mike Maccagnan said. ”He’s got a bit of a different story than most guys, but he is Brian Burns Jersey , what we felt, is a very talented guy with a lot of upside. We still think he’s got a lot of football left in him.”Shepherd wondered that about himself just a few years ago, when a shot at the NFL seemed highly unlikely.He was a 205-pound linebacker in high school, but was urged by one of his coaches to gain some weight so he could play at the next level. Shepherd redshirted his first season at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and gained 45 pounds during that time.He started the following season, but then couldn’t afford to remain in school.”I was looking at it in six-month intervals,” Shepherd recalled. ”Every six months after a semester, I was like, OK, this semester I’m going to go somewhere and it didn’t happen. Then, I was like, this semester, you’re going to go somewhere. So, really http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-greg-little-jersey , I wasn’t looking at it like a two-year span. I was just like, my shot is right around the corner.”It took two years, but Shepherd eventually found his way to Fort Hays State in Hays, Kansas, where he walked on to the football team.He was back. And so was his NFL dream.”For him, it’s great he was determined to make money and go to work and go back to school because he was driven is outstanding,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. ”Obviously, things happen in the real world that you have to take responsibility for. He took his responsibility, he was driven to go back and he made something of himself.”I’m actually proud of the guy.”Shepherd immediately became a starter for the Tigers and ended up being selected as an All-America his last two seasons. He was the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association defensive player of the year as a senior and finished his three-year career at Fort Hays with 168 tackles, including 27 for loss, and 10 sacks.No more flowers or electrical work these days.”Man, it’s surprising,” Shepherd said. ”I just feel blessed. Rewarding? Yeah Will Grier Jersey , just seeing all that hard work, it feels like this experience is kind of like back pay for everything I was doing back when.”— DETROIT (AP) — Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions have three straight home games coming up — probably their last chance to turn their season around and make a run at a playoff spot.The opposition is formidable, though.After three consecutive losses, the Lions host Carolina on Sunday. That game is followed by a Thanksgiving matchup with Chicago and another home test against the NFC West-leading Rams. There’s time for Detroit to rally, but the path forward looks difficult.“I think everybody’s doing everything they can to try and get us going,” said Stafford, whose team has scored only 20 first-half points over the past three games. “I think it’s a total team effort. Everybody’s trying to play better at all positions.”The Lions (3-6) will face a Carolina team that’s in a much better spot, although the Panthers (6-3) are trying to rebound as well from their most recent outing, a 52-21 loss to the Steelers on Nov. 8. The 52 points allowed tied the most in franchise history. Pittsburgh scored on seven of its first eight possessions.“I don’t think that is indicative of who we are as a football team,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “One game is not going to define who we are going forward. It is an example of what happens if we don’t play to our abilities and stick to our fundamentals, don’t play the defense, offense or special teams play the way that it is called.”The Lions and Panthers are in different divisions, but they did meet last season http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-christian-miller-jersey , when Carolina won 27-24 in Detroit. Cam Newton threw for three touchdowns in that game, and Stafford threw for two.A few more things to watch when the Lions host the Panthers:MISMATCH?The Lions are 28th in the NFL against the run, and now they’ll have to face Carolina’s versatile running back Christian McCaffrey, who has seven touchdowns in the past three weeks. McCaffrey has run 45 times for 201 yards and caught 14 passes for 150 yards during that span.McCaffrey has been on the field for 96 percent of his team’s offensive snaps, more than any running back in the NFL.ROLLINGNewton has thrown for at least two touchdowns in eight consecutive games, a franchise record.“Obviously one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the NFL and someone that can really change the outcome of the game all by himself,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. “Still has obviously all the athletic ability, the arm strength now just kind of combined with the experience and his knowledge of the game. And he’s just really been able to take it to the next level and carry those guys around him.”SPEED ON TURFThe Panthers will get to see how their much-improved team speed does in their first game this season on artificial turf.Carolina added D.J. Moore from Maryland in the first round of the NFL draft, while fellow wide receiver Curtis Samuel back after an injury-plagued rookie season.“It’s going to be fun to see,” Rivera said. “We’ve got some quick guys who will be even quicker on turf.”PROTECTIONDetroit has allowed 16 sacks in the past two games, and the Lions put guard T.J. Lang on injured reserve this week. The Lions still have a couple of recent first-round draft picks on their offensive line in Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow, but pass protection will be an area to watch this week.Detroit’s running game has improved a bit, but it wasn’t of much use last week after the Lions fell behind 26-0 in the second quarter of a loss at Chicago .MEETING AGAINDE Julius Peppers of the Panthers is still a factor at age 38. He had a sack in the game against Pittsburgh.Back in 2010 Jordan Scarlett Jersey , Peppers sacked Stafford, injuring his right shoulder. Peppers played for Chicago then, and he’s also spent time with Green Bay, so the Lions have seen plenty of him.“He’s 6-6, 295 pounds, whatever he is. Extremely athletic, very smart player,” Stafford said. “He’s seen a lot of football, he’s a smart rusher. We’ve seen him do just some things late in the pass rush, getting sacks, that’s pretty special.”