Eight years ago, in the center of a tiny town on the West Texas plains, Jordan Shipley’s dream began to materialize.

Texas’ senior wide receiver was a high school freshman at Rotan, where his father had been hired as the new football coach. Bob Shipley thought enough of his son’s ability to put him on the varsity roster, but he wasn’t sure what to expect as the Yellowhammers made the trip to Knox City for their 2000 season opener.

Jordan proved he was ready to shine under the Friday night lights, racking up 454 all-purpose yards and returning three punts for touchdowns. Bob tried to put the sparkling debut in perspective, telling his son he’d probably never have another performance as good as that one, but he also sensed that Jordan might be a star in the making.

“I didn’t have any idea what was going to happen. I didn’t have any idea how good he was going to be,” said Bob Shipley, now the head coach at Coppell. “I thought I knew he was going to be pretty special, but I didn’t really know until that game at Knox City. That kind of confirmed what I hoped in the back of my mind.”

Bob took the head-coaching job at Burnet the following year, and Jordan helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back appearances in the Class 3A state championship game, along with current Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee. Jordan also finished his high school career as the most prolific receiver in Texas schoolboy history,

hauling in 264 passes for 5,424 yards and 73 touchdowns – all state records.

Bob said Jordan’s small-town background was critical to his development, because “everything revolves around football” in communities such as Rotan and Burnet. And because he started his prep career with the Class 1A Yellowhammers, Jordan had the chance to get on the field immediately and build confidence.

The 6-foot, 190-pound speedster eventually caught the eyes of college programs such as Texas and Texas Tech – Bob said Mike Leach spent three hours in the Shipleys’ home and nearly convinced Jordan to switch his commitment from the Longhorns to the Red Raiders – and now Jordan is somewhat of a household name who plays in front of thousands of fans each Saturday.

Jordan said it’s a stark contrast for him and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, a product of Class 2A Tuscola Jim Ned. The longtime friends and current roommates once aspired to play for Abilene Christian University like their fathers, but instead, they’re starring for one of the nation’s premier programs.

“In Texas high school football, the whole town shuts down and kind of follows the team,” Jordan said. “We thought that was a big deal, so it’s just fun to see how it’s progressed. Obviously, this stage is about as big as it gets. It’s been a lot of fun for us as small-town kids to have grown up watching football, and now getting to be a part of it is a lot of fun for us.”

Jordan Shipley is one of the Big 12 Conference’s leading receivers this season with 58 catches for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he has at least one TD reception in each of the Longhorns’ eight games. He returned a kickoff 96 yards for a score to help Texas rally against then-No. 1 Oklahoma on Oct. 11, and in last week’s victory over then-No. 6 Oklahoma State, Shipley caught a school-record 15 passes for a career-high 168 yards.

But Shipley’s path to stardom was an arduous one. He suffered a season-ending knee injury on the last day of fall camp as a freshman in 2004 – Texas coach Mack Brown said Shipley would have been a starter that year – and a hamstring injury wiped out his 2005 season.

“Most young men would have quit,” Brown said.

Bob Shipley said that wasn’t an option for his son, a fierce competitor with “a lot of heart and determination.” Bob said Jordan never expressed his disappointment over the setbacks; he just remained positive and kept working.

Jordan made his long-awaited debut with the Longhorns in 2006, catching 16 passes for 229 yards and four TDs for the season and starting one game. Brown said he gained even more confidence the following year, when Jordan made seven starts and nearly doubled his production.

Now, Brown said, Jordan Shipley is “really playing as well as anybody.” And he’s finally realized the potential he showed on that field in Knox City eight years ago.

“Obviously, if I would have had my way, it would have been earlier,” Shipley said. “But looking back, I wouldn’t change anything. I feel like those struggles that I went through made me a stronger person, and I think it’s paid off for me in the long run.”