Marcel Shipp
Encyclopedia
Marcel Cornelius Shipp is an American football
running back
for the Las Vegas Locomotives
of the United Football League. He played in the NFL from 2001-2008 for the Arizona Cardinals
and Houston Texans
. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals
as an undrafted free agent in 2001, and played with them through the 2007 season. He was signed for a short time by the Texans in 2008. He played college football
at Massachusetts
.
at the Passaic County Technical Institute
in Wayne, New Jersey
. Shipp rushed for 1,510 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior to earn First Team All-State honors.
and was a letterman in football. As a sophomore, he was a first team All-America
selection, having run for a school-record 2,542 yards and 18 touchdowns. He capped the season by rushing for 244 yards and three scores in UMass' improbable 55-43 victory over Georgia Southern in the Division I-AA national championship game. As a junior, he was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award
, and added another school record - 24 rushing touchdowns - to his resume to go with 1,846 rushing yards. Shipp finished his career with 5,383 rushing yards, which currently ranks sixth on the Division I-AA football career record list.
when he rushed for 92 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns. In Week 11 he rushed for a season high 135 yards and a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders
. He finished the year with a team leading 834 rushing yards on 188 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and 9 total touchdowns.
At the beginning of the 2003 season Shipp's status was somewhat unclear as the team had signed Emmitt Smith
in the offseason. Despite Smith's presence Shipp again led the team in rushing with 830 yards on the season. His yards per carry went down to 3.6 however and he did not score a touchdown. He rushed for a career high 165 yards against the San Francisco 49ers
in a Week 7 win.
In training camp 2004 Shipp suffered a serious knee injury and was forced to miss the entire 2004 season. He did not play at all that year. Following the missed 2004 season Shipp still remained with the Cardinals. In 2005 he was again the Cardinals' leading rusher, but this time with only 451 yards on 157 carries, for 2.9 yards per carry. In 2006 Shipp saw much less action, as the Cardinals had signed Edgerrin James
. He rushed 17 times for 41 yards. He did have 4 touchdowns, scoring for the first time since 2002, including 3 touchdowns in one game on December 3rd against the St. Louis Rams
. In 2007 he had limited duty again, with 15 carries for 41 yards, still backing up James. In 2008, Shipp signed a 3 year contract with the Cardinals. However, he was released by the team on August 4.
but was released on August 29.
His career NFL stats are 605 rushes for 2197 yards (3.6 yards per carry) and 11 rushing touchdowns. He has 109 receptions for 912 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns.
of the United Football League on August 25, 2009. He finished the 2009 UFL season with 72 carries for 257 rushing yards, good for fourth in the league. Shipp's Locomotives defeated the Florida Tuskers 20-17 in overtime to win the inaugural UFL championship game.
Shipp returned with the team for the 2010 season. The Locomotives won a second straight championship again defeating the Tuskers in the championship game. Shipp finished the regular season with 313 rushing yards (5th in the league) on 117 carries and four rushing touchdowns (tied for second in the league). In the championship game he had 16 carries for 43 yards.
In 2011 Shipp remained with the Locomotives for a third season, despite the UFL's continued financial problems. In only a four team league, the Locomotives went 3-1 with Shipp as their leading rusher. Shipp gained 164 yards on 49 carries and scored two touchdowns. The Locomotives did not win their third straight championship as they lost in the title game 17-3 to the Virginia Destroyers.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Las Vegas Locomotives
Las Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
of the United Football League. He played in the NFL from 2001-2008 for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2001, and played with them through the 2007 season. He was signed for a short time by the Texans in 2008. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Massachusetts
UMass Minutemen football
The UMass Minutemen football team is a collegiate football team that has finished its last season in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and the Colonial Athletic Association in 2011. UMass began play in 1879 and have since appeared in three National Championship games, winning the title in...
.
Early years
Shipp played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at the Passaic County Technical Institute
Passaic County Technical Institute
Passaic County Technical Institute is a regional vocational public high school in Wayne , in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, near the city of Paterson, admitting students from all of Passaic County...
in Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne is a Township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, located less than from midtown Manhattan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069....
. Shipp rushed for 1,510 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior to earn First Team All-State honors.
College years
Shipp attended UMassUniversity of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
and was a letterman in football. As a sophomore, he was a first team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
selection, having run for a school-record 2,542 yards and 18 touchdowns. He capped the season by rushing for 244 yards and three scores in UMass' improbable 55-43 victory over Georgia Southern in the Division I-AA national championship game. As a junior, he was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors...
, and added another school record - 24 rushing touchdowns - to his resume to go with 1,846 rushing yards. Shipp finished his career with 5,383 rushing yards, which currently ranks sixth on the Division I-AA football career record list.
Arizona Cardinals
He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Arizona Cardinals on April 23, 2001. He made the team but played little in 2001, not getting a single rushing attempt. He did return 6 kickoffs. In 2002 Shipp would see many more opportunities. He had his breakout game in a Week 4 win against the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
when he rushed for 92 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns. In Week 11 he rushed for a season high 135 yards and a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He finished the year with a team leading 834 rushing yards on 188 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and 9 total touchdowns.
At the beginning of the 2003 season Shipp's status was somewhat unclear as the team had signed Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
in the offseason. Despite Smith's presence Shipp again led the team in rushing with 830 yards on the season. His yards per carry went down to 3.6 however and he did not score a touchdown. He rushed for a career high 165 yards against the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in a Week 7 win.
In training camp 2004 Shipp suffered a serious knee injury and was forced to miss the entire 2004 season. He did not play at all that year. Following the missed 2004 season Shipp still remained with the Cardinals. In 2005 he was again the Cardinals' leading rusher, but this time with only 451 yards on 157 carries, for 2.9 yards per carry. In 2006 Shipp saw much less action, as the Cardinals had signed Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
. He rushed 17 times for 41 yards. He did have 4 touchdowns, scoring for the first time since 2002, including 3 touchdowns in one game on December 3rd against the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. In 2007 he had limited duty again, with 15 carries for 41 yards, still backing up James. In 2008, Shipp signed a 3 year contract with the Cardinals. However, he was released by the team on August 4.
Houston Texans
On August 18, 2008, Shipp agreed to terms with the Houston TexansHouston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
but was released on August 29.
His career NFL stats are 605 rushes for 2197 yards (3.6 yards per carry) and 11 rushing touchdowns. He has 109 receptions for 912 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns.
Las Vegas Locomotives
Shipp signed with the Las Vegas LocomotivesLas Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
of the United Football League on August 25, 2009. He finished the 2009 UFL season with 72 carries for 257 rushing yards, good for fourth in the league. Shipp's Locomotives defeated the Florida Tuskers 20-17 in overtime to win the inaugural UFL championship game.
Shipp returned with the team for the 2010 season. The Locomotives won a second straight championship again defeating the Tuskers in the championship game. Shipp finished the regular season with 313 rushing yards (5th in the league) on 117 carries and four rushing touchdowns (tied for second in the league). In the championship game he had 16 carries for 43 yards.
In 2011 Shipp remained with the Locomotives for a third season, despite the UFL's continued financial problems. In only a four team league, the Locomotives went 3-1 with Shipp as their leading rusher. Shipp gained 164 yards on 49 carries and scored two touchdowns. The Locomotives did not win their third straight championship as they lost in the title game 17-3 to the Virginia Destroyers.