John Thomas Shepherd Class: RS Senior Hometown: El Dorado, Ark. High School: El Dorado Height / Weight: 6-1 / 192 Position: QB Experience: 3L

Rice -- Solid back-up at quarterback who heads into spring looking to take over for Chase Clement.

Career Statistics

2008: Steady backup to Chase Clement who saw action in eight games and completed 8 of 15 passes for 78 yards and rushed nine times for seven yards... Completed five of 10 passes for 47 yards and rushed twice for five yards against Texas for his top production of the year... Had a career-long rush of 16 yards at Tulsa.

2007: Saw action in a pair of games, and completed eight of nine throws for 91 yards.... Completed three of four passes for 32 yards against Baylor and also rushed five times for seven yards, including a career-long carry for nine.... connected on all five throws for 59 yards to lead the Owls to their second score at Texas.

2006: Opened the year as the backup to Chase Clement, but found himself in the starter's role at UCLA, where he completed six of 10 passes for 66 yards, including a 41-yarder to Jarett Dillard... Played against FSU and Army... After Clements was injured against ECU, Shepherd completed four of 12 passes for 62 yards, including 51 on the Owls last-minute drive to the winning field goal... Member of the Student Owl Club.

2005: Redshirt

High School -- 2005 graduate of El Dorado High in Arkansas... Two-year letterman and starter for coach Jeff Williams... All-state selection who threw for 2,080 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior, completing 56 percent of his passes... Also rushed for 703 yards and four TDs... Two-time all-conference... Member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's academic all-state team... Quarterback on the El Dorado News-Times' all-Golden Triangle team in 2004... Won the Democrat-Gazette's weekly top performer award five times as a senior, adding the Associated Press' player of the week award once... Member of KATV's high school all-star team... Also played basketball and baseball for the Wildcats... Named Mr. EHS in teachers' vote... Senior class president... National Honor Society, and Beta Club... Boys State delegate... DAR Good Citizen Award... National Award winner of U.S. Achievement Academy... Murphy Scholar... Chose Rice over Northwestern, Columbia, Arkansas Tech and Ouachita Baptist.

Personal -- Full Name: John Thomas Shepherd... Born: Feb. 17, 1987, at El Dorado, Ark... Parents: Bob and Bobbi Shepherd, El Dorado, Ark. (one brother, one sister)...Father is a U.S. Circuit Court Judge... Rice major: political science

Will Rice College