The past two years have been a series of up and downs for running back Aaron Shampklin, beginning when he signed as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Dallas Cowboys to preparing for his first game on a 53-man roster this week with the Steelers, ironically against the Dallas Cowboys.
In between, there have been a series of transactions, going from the Cowboys, to the Indianapolis Colts, to the Los Angeles Chargers and finally to the Steelers, that would have anyone's head spinning.
Not the case for Shampklin though, because if anyone has their head on straight, it's him.
Shampklin is a Harvard graduate, earning his degree in Economics. He pulled all-nighters studying, balancing school and football to live out a dream.
"I had other offers," said Shampklin. "Committing to Harvard was basically my parents helping me see there's more to life than football. That Harvard choice wasn't a deterrent for me. I knew (the NFL) was always an option. I knew it would be a harder route to get here, which it has been. But I don't take anything for granted. I got the Harvard degree and now I'm able to play still."
He wasn't kidding when he said it was a harder route. Balancing school and football is the norm for many. Balancing it at Harvard, especially an economics major, is a different story.
"It's difficult," Shampklin admitted. "I'm not going to say it was easy, because it was not easy. It was hard. It was mainly time consuming. If you don't have the time and effort to put it in, I mean, it's going to be hard for you. A lot of long nights but it helps when there's a lot of teammates doing it, too so you don't feel like you're doing it by yourself.
"There were a lot of sleepless nights and staying up to two in the morning and having to get back up to lift at six. You have to have that football and school life balance. I feel like everything in life helps you for what's to come. So that definitely prepared me for the moment now."
But it was a battle. The path to the NFL wasn't an easy one, bouncing from team to team, not breaking through until now. And even sitting around last season, not playing while taking a job and putting his degree to work.
He spent time as a substitute teacher at Perry Lindsey Academy in Long Beach, California, teaching math to sixth and eighth graders after it seemed like football wasn't going to be the answer.
But he never gave up. He worked out before going to work in the morning and after work in the evening.
And it paid off.
The Steelers gave him a shot at the end of the 2023 season, signing him to a Reserve/Future contract, and now he is making it count.
Shampklin was signed off the practice squad to the 53-man roster this week with running backs Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson dealing with injuries. He was a game-day activation against the Colts, carrying the ball one time for five yards. This week, he might see more playing time with the injuries.
"It felt good to finally get on the field," said Shampklin. "I'm trying to help contribute to the team in any kind of way. Definitely an exciting moment for sure.
"Once it's game day, regardless if it is a preseason game or my first game, I try to have the same mode of focus. I wasn't really thinking about my first play. It was game day, and I was locked in. When I got in there, I wasn't tripping or anything.
"It feels good to knock it out and really get the feel of real game speed, which is a change from college and everything. Now that the first one is out the way, I feel a little bit more comfortable going into this week.
"I got the first game out of the way, but it's a long season. I really haven't made an impact like I want to. I feel like I'm still a practice squad guy still trying to make a name for myself and trying to show that I deserve to be here.
"I always believed that it was going to happen. I always had the thought that if it wasn't here, I'm going to play somewhere, find a way to play for somebody's team.
"I don't really know what kept me going, but I just kept waking up each day, going to training and just kept the faith."
