A consistent Justin Shorter has made big plays — and he’s working for more

Senior wide receiver Justin Shorter dazzled in the Holy Cross football team’s Patriot League opener at Colgate, with four touchdown receptions — the most by a Crusader since the 2015 season, the most by any player in the nation this year, and tied for program and Patriot League single-game records. While his numbers jumped off the stat sheet (he also had a career-best 140 receiving yards), there was a calmness to his presence throughout the game — it was business as usual.

“Making big plays is what I do,” he said after the win, a convincing 38-7 result. 

And make big plays, he has. For a player that’s arguably flown under the radar for the last three seasons, when WR1 Jalen Coker took up much of the spotlight, Shorter has simultaneously and consistently made clutch catches that were pivotal to the success of the Crusaders in recent years — and had a tremendous resume to boot. 

Shorter is a two-time All-Patriot League honoree as a kick returner, and he has appeared in every single game since his freshman season began in 2021, marking 43 career appearances entering Holy Cross’ Homecoming matchup this Saturday against Fordham. He has more than 1,500 career receiving yards and over 2,500 all-purpose yards.

During Holy Cross’ undefeated 2022 campaign, Shorter had key plays that preserved the unblemished record. He scored the go-ahead touchdown with four minutes remaining as the Crusaders narrowly avoided an upset against Lafayette. A week later, he set what was then his career best with 127 receiving yards against Fordham, scoring an overtime touchdown en route to a stunning 53-52 victory. 

And with his four-touchdown showing against the Raiders last weekend, he matched his previous career best for touchdown receptions in a season…in just one game. It was a career performance in a statement win for the Crusaders, who have won 22 of their last 23 Patriot League contests.  

For Shorter, a natural introvert, there’s never been any sense of pressure in any moment throughout an illustrious career. A hunger to always get better, and a trust in his preparation, has led to a comfort on the field. 

“Nothing else matters when he's out here on the football field,” said Holy Cross receivers coach Rich Gunnell. “He's playing football, and he loves to do it. All that stuff comes to fruition for him once he's out here on the field. So that's why I think a lot of big plays happen: Because this is his stage.”

When he’s not on the field, Shorter shuns the spotlight. If he wins an award or is interviewed for an article, he’ll rarely mention it to his parents. He doesn’t need the attention to feel validated; he’s a selfless, relentless, hardworking athlete, a natural competitor whose primary focus is winning, and doing what he can to help his team get there. His leadership style is very simple: less talk, more action.

“Because Justin is a playmaker, he finds ways to get himself going and to get the team going,” Gunnell said. “He's an energy giver, not an energy taker. A lot of people naturally gravitate toward him because of his energy, which I think also helps his play.”

His positive energy is consistent — he’s always on the ready to make his teammates laugh, and does whatever he can to uplift everyone around him. 

“I'm never down. I'm always the same guy every day,” Shorter said. “Just having that good energy and positivity, making people laugh. Even on the field and having the same mindset every game, just being able to be level-headed in different situations and stay the same every day.”

Shorter doesn’t waver from his values, and most importantly, he’s committed to his family and his faith. He and his two sisters are incredibly close — his oldest sister, Daryl, is just two years older and the duo has long been close-knit. He was also always inseparable from his younger sister, Avery, whom he always roped into rebounding basketballs for him or tossing him footballs in the backyard. 

Even at a young age, Shorter was devoted to his family and faith, voluntarily requesting prayers for family members during Sunday school. His mother’s lifelong friends text him well wishes before every game, and he always prioritizes responding to them. In a tight-knit family and community, he deeply cares about everyone else around him.

“Whatever is going on, or even when he's so busy,” said Shorter’s mother, Chantelle, “he's always going to take time to make sure everyone's okay.”

And perhaps most consistent in Shorter’s persona: His tireless devotion to getting better. 

“He's competitive,” said Shorter’s father, Darryl. “When he wants or believes in something, he is headstrong in that belief and that desire to get what he wants. I'm not saying he’s stubborn, but when he wants it, he goes and does what he needs to do.”

While Shorter’s mother didn’t want him to play football until he was in middle school due to safety concerns, he played nearly every other sport, including baseball, basketball, lacrosse, swimming and soccer. So when Shorter began playing football, he did have the benefit of speed, athleticism and a strong variety of skills that he picked up over the years. 

Another advantage for Shorter: A strong football pedigree. His uncles, Dré Bly and Gary Downs, played a combined 17 seasons in the NFL; his cousin, Josh Downs, is currently on the Indianapolis Colts. A number of his other cousins currently play Division I football. 

There was plenty of backyard football played before Shorter began organized football, and a strong base of knowledge. From a young age, Shorter always wanted to play football — at five years old, he would run around the family room with his gloves on, serving as both the quarterback and receiver as he tossed a ball to himself and made diving catches into the sectional. 

When the Shorter family moved to North Carolina, Justin finally began his football career under the tutelage of Bly, who was coaching a team. He joined his cousins on the team, and immediately excelled at the sport. 

Early in Shorter’s career, he played defensive back and kicker — an ode to his soccer prowess. He didn’t make the move to receiver until early in high school, when he fell in love with the position, specifically the ability to cut, manipulate the defensive backs and run by people. As his football career blossomed, he realized that he had a real knack for it — even though he hadn’t played as long as others, he was still excelling against them. His ceiling was extremely high, and with the right amount of work, he could succeed at a high level.

His mother recalls a conversation with her son, standing in the kitchen one day.

“I’m going to get a Division I football scholarship,” he remarked to her, completely unprompted, as he stood at the fridge getting ice.

Chantelle asked if there was anything she could help with — it wasn’t a conversation they’d previously had — but Justin assured his mother that he'd be fine. True to himself, he put his head down and got to work. 

Standing at 5-11 and weighing around 180 pounds, Shorter is often undersized compared to his competition. With a sound foundation, he’s capitalized on his speed and his ability to be twitchy. He’s able to go deep and open up the field, and can catch the ball in space and make moves. He can make contested catches and is also an astute blocker for the run game. 

He’s never looked at being undersized as giving him a chip on his shoulder — instead, he views it as an opportunity to find ways to learn new techniques and capitalize on his strengths as a football player. 

“Knowing that you are at a disadvantage out there, that you're not the biggest guy out there,” Shorter said, “so you can't just run straight — you are gonna have to make some moves and be sharp. It just motivates you to stay sharp and just stay on your game.”

From a young age, Shorter had a strong foundation and example for hard work. Growing up, he watched his father, a lawyer, and his mother, an educator, work long hours and achieve their goals. 

“One of the things for us is that once you expressed an interest in something and you began to begin it, that you had to finish it,” Darryl said, “and that you put your effort into it.”

With the assistance of Chantelle’s mother, who has lived with the Shorters since Justin was young, the family unit has provided a strong foundation for all to pursue their goals. (Justin’s grandmother, Eleanor, is a vibrant fan of all of her grandchildren’s pursuits — when she makes it to Justin’s football games, she proudly wears a glittery sweatshirt emblazoned with “SHORTER” and “5.”)

Beyond sports, Shorter’s parents encouraged him to explore a vast array of activities and meet a diverse group of people. He was in ROTC for multiple years in high school, learning valuable leadership and time management skills. In school, he volunteered to work with children with special needs — he’s always taken a liking to helping, mentoring and influencing others, on the field and off. 

Seeing the example set for him by his parents and everyone around him, Shorter used that inspiration to keep working at a high level.

“I didn't really overlook that stuff when I was younger,” Shorter said, noting in particular his parents’ dedication. “I saw the work that they put in, so that gave me a motivation to just to do well in school and do well in sports when I went out there and played, and just make them proud.”

In Shorter’s most recent masterpiece in an accolade-stacked career, there was one notable thing that stood out from his four-touchdown showing — he wasn’t wearing any gloves. It was his first time ever not wearing gloves in a game. That’s a trend, he said with a smile, that will probably continue going forward. 

There was a comfort to it — he never wears gloves during practice, so it felt like practice to him. It was a testament to the familiarity he’s long had with the simplicity of hard work. 

“I didn't have any accessories on — I was just catching the ball and just making my plays, doing my job,” he said. “Just making sure that we're not doing anything extra, just playing our football, our brand of football — that also just allowed for me to just have a clear mind and be able to play my best football.” 

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