Post columnist Steve Serby catches up to receiver Sterling Shepard, the longest-tenured Giants with seven years on the team, for some Father’s Day Q&A.
Q: What does Father’s Day mean to you?
A: I grew up and I lost my father at a very young age, so I didn’t get to experience some of the things that my friends got to experience, having a present father and having a father in their life. I just want to give my girls that. Just as simple as that.
Q: How old were you when your dad Derrick passed away of a heart attack at 35?
A: 6 years old.
Q: What made him a special father to you?
A: I don’t really remember much … unfortunately. But like hearing stories and stuff like that, just him being a present dad, being a loving dad, always got us what we needed … trying to instill that into us that we can work hard and we can get what we want. I remember watching older kids play basketball ’cause I had a game that night, and he wanted me to look at how the older guys were playing and what to do. It’s something that I hold onto to this day — just watching film, watching people that are doing the things the right way and trying to imitate that.
Q:. He was a receiver who played at Oklahoma and in the NFL for Washington, Dallas and New Orleans in the late 1980s, early ’90s. How was he different on the field than you?
A: He was more of a special teams guy, and then back in the day they ran a Wishbone, so it wasn’t like he got to really run routes, they were running the ball and blocking all the time. I run more routes. That’s just the era of football now.
Q: What’s it like watching him play?
A: It’s pretty cool. I mean, I can see how our game resembled each other in a way, or just all the grit and the toughness that he played with that all of his friends have told me about going back home and talking to some of his teammates.
Q: When did you first realize what a burden it would be on your mom?
A: Right when it happened. … Not a good moment. You got a mother that’s trying to play both roles with her three kids, and do it by herself. It was not the best moment in my life. But I think it made me stronger, it made her stronger, and it made me really respect women and single mother-parent situations. I take my hat off to my mom, and she’d been great for my sisters and I. As far as what I remember from that time was just trying to figure out who was gonna protect the house, stuff like that.
Q: When you were drafted in 2016, did you think of your father that night?
A: Yeah … multiple instances in my life where I thought about that. But like I said, I have a mother that has done a great job, played both roles for me, so makes that time a little bit easier just having her with me.
Q: How proud of you would he be today?
A: I’d imagine proud (laugh). I don’t think I’ve done anything that would make him not proud … maybe some little things here and there throughout life. But for the most part, I’ve accomplished all my dreams, and I think that’s every parent’s goal is for their children to live out their dream, and go for their dreams with everything that they got, so that’s what I’ve done.
Q: Your daughter Cali Clay will be 5 in August. Describe her personality.
A: Very much like mine. She’s super funny. She’s very, very smart (chuckle). I mean, I guess she probably gets that from somebody else, but she’s very funny, she’s very in touch with fashion, and doing all the things the girly girls do, but she’s definitely full of personality.
Q: Cassie Snow is a year younger.
A: She’s the child that beats by their own drum. She really likes to create and do things like that, do things on her own. She likes to figure it out for herself, which I heard most of the time the younger siblings, they like to do that. Always being a helping hand to her big sister. She’s super chill and super fun, too.
Q: What’s their relationship? How do they get along?
A: They get along really well. Obviously, they have their little sisterly fights, but that happens from time to time. I understand that having two sisters, but in all and all, they love each other and they definitely have a lot of fun with each other.
Q: They have little fights about what?
A: Things that 3- and 4-year-olds fight about — toys, you name it.
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Q: What kind of fun things do you do with them?
A: They like to do simple things. They like to go to the park. They like to go watch movies, get a whole bunch of popcorn. They like to go to jump houses. … I just try to keep ’em active. They love to be outdoors, want to do stuff, so I got them golf clubs about two weeks ago. So we’ve been going to the backyard hitting balls and stuff, going to the driving range. Also got ’em some tennis rackets too, so been going to the tennis courts and stuff like that.
Q: You said they like to jump houses?
A: No, they like to go to jump houses — trampoline places that are around town.
Q: Saquon Barkley’s daughter Jada Clare is around the same age, right?
A: Yeah, she’s a couple of months older than my oldest.
Q: So what’s their relationship like with her?
A: They’ve been around each other since they were babies. They call each other their best friends. We just try to get ’em together as much as we can. They have a lot of fun together. It’s pretty fun watching them talk and interact with each other too.
Q: Do they have any understanding of what you do for a living?
A: Yeah, of course. They know what I do.
Q: How do they feel about watching you on TV?
A: They go to the games every week that we have a home game, so they enjoy going to the games, although a lot of the time they like to go to the playroom — which the Giants set up for the kids to be able to go do, which is pretty cool. They love going to go do that, but they love watching me in pregame and coming down to the field and doing stuff like that, so it’s pretty fun having them there.
Q: Do they wear your jersey?
A: Yeah.
Q: When you come home, let’s say they don’t go to a game, what is that like walking in and seeing them?
A: It’s like a relief. You get a time to stop thinking about all the other stuff that’s going on in your life, and get to spend time with the people that just genuinely love you, and don’t really care how good of a game or how bad of a game … and don’t have really much to say about the game, it’s just, Daddy’s home, and I want to give them the love. It’s great having that peace in your life.
Q: Will you help them with their homework?
A: Yup. If that’s what they need, that’s what daddies do. Daddies help with whatever’s needed help with.
Q: How was your diaper game?
A: Solid. Just stuff what comes along in being a dad, and like that’s being helpful, and that’s what I was. I mean, I have no problem changing diapers. It was pretty easy, actually.
Q: Have they met Odell Beckham Jr.’s son Zydn, who is 14 months old?
A: Over FaceTime.
Q: What will be special about this Father’s Day for you?
A: I’m just blessed to be here and l have the beautiful children that I have, and yeah. … I just count my blessings every day that I get to wake up in the morning and father the two children that I have.
