Justin Donnnell Shaffer (born June 20, 1998) is an American professional football guard for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Georgia.
 Shaffer in 2022 | |
| San Antonio Brahmas | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 20, 1998 Ellenwood, Georgia, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 317 lb (144 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, Georgia) |
| College: | Georgia (2017–2021) |
| NFL draft: | 2022 / round: 6 / pick: 190 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editShaffer grew up in Ellenwood, Georgia and attended Cedar Grove High School. He was rated a three-star recruit and initially committed to play college football at Louisville during his junior year.[1] Shaffer flipped his commitment to Georgia shortly before National Signing Day.[2]
College career
editShaffer saw playing time as a reserve offensive lineman as a freshman and sophomore.[3] He made his first career start as a junior against Tennessee and started the next game before suffering a season-ending neck injury.[4][5] Shaffer started all of the Bulldogs' regular season games at left tackle and started in the 2021 Peach Bowl at left guard.[6] Shaffer decided to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic and return to Georgia for a fifth season.[7]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3 7⁄8 in (1.93 m) |
314 lb (142 kg) |
33 1⁄4 in (0.84 m) |
10 in (0.25 m) |
5.14 s | 1.72 s | 2.92 s | 4.85 s | 8.09 s | 25.5 in (0.65 m) |
8 ft 11 in (2.72 m) |
23 reps | |
| Sources:[8][9][10] | ||||||||||||
Atlanta Falcons
editShaffer was selected in the sixth round with the 190th pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2022 NFL draft.[11] He was waived on August 30 and re-signed to the practice squad.[12][13] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 9, 2023.[14]
On August 29, 2023, Shaffer was waived by the Falcons and re-signed to the practice squad.[15][16] Following the end of the 2023 regular season, he signed a reserve/future contract on January 10, 2024.[17] Shaffer was released by the Falcons on March 28.[18]
San Antonio Brahmas
editOn October 21, 2024, Shaffer was signed by the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL).[19]
Personal life
editShaffer is first cousins with DeAngelo Malone, who was also selected by the Falcons in the 2022 NFL draft.[20]
References
edit- ^ "Louisville gets commitment from big 2017 OT". Courier-Journal. January 14, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Cedar Grove OL Justin Shaffer, previously pledged to Louisville, signs with Georgia". The Telegraph. February 15, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Georgia's Justin Shaffer likely will get first start vs. Tennessee". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. October 1, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ Rainey, Seth (October 1, 2020). "Justin Shaffer: "I knew I had a chip on my shoulder..."". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "No. 10 Georgia left guard Shaffer ruled out against Kentucky". Associated Press. October 14, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Taking advantage of extra year of eligibility, UGA's Justin Shaffer has something to prove". Athens Banner-Herald. March 30, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ "Justin Shaffer returning to Georgia for fifth year". Chattanooga Times Free Press. January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Justin Shaffer Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ "2022 Draft Scout Justin Shaffer, Georgia NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ "Justin Shaffer 2022 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ "Falcons select OL Justin Shaffer No. 190 overall in 2022 NFL Draft". April 30, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ Bair, Scott (August 30, 2022). "Falcons announce initial 53-man roster heading into 2022 regular season". AtlantaFalcons.com.
- ^ McElhaney, Tori; Bair, Scott (August 31, 2022). "Falcons add eight more players to practice squad". AtlantaFalcons.com.
- ^ Deighton, John (January 9, 2023). "Falcons sign 18 players to Reserve/Future contracts". AtlantaFalcons.com.
- ^ "Falcons announce initial 53-man roster for 2023". AtlantaFalcons.com. August 29, 2023.
- ^ Bair, Scott (August 30, 2023). "Falcons announce additions to practice squad". AtlantaFalcons.com.
- ^ Waack, Terrin (January 10, 2024). "Falcons sign 16 players to reserve/future contracts in 2024". Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ "Falcons release offensive lineman Justin Shaffer". atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ "UFL Transactions". UFLBoard.com. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ Bair, Scott; McElhaney, Tori (April 30, 2022). "Falcons select OL Justin Shaffer No. 190 overall in 2022 NFL Draft". Atlanta Falcons. Retrieved November 23, 2024.