It’s a good story when local players get drafted or sign with their hometown NFL teams, but there’s a lot of pressure and distractions that come along with it, too. In regards to the Steelers, it worked out well for Charlie Batch, Cam Heyward and things have gone smooth with Joey Porter Jr., but former Steelers center/guard A.Q. Shipley said in a recent interview that getting drafted by his hometown team was the worst thing that could’ve happened to him.
Shipley, who starred at Moon High School and Penn State, was drafted by the Steelers in the seventh round (226th overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft. He was a member of the Steelers’ practice squad for just once season, before signing a three-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in January of 2010.
He also had short stints with the Indianapolis Colts (on two separate occasions) and Baltimore Ravens, before playing five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He started 51 games at center for Arizona from 2015-2019.
Shipley finished his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won the Super Bowl in the 2020-2021 season. Overall, Shipley played 110 games and made 72 starts in his 12-year career. That’s certainly not bad for a seventh-round draft pick.
Shipley isn’t the only local product to express concerns about playing in the NFL close to home.
