The sister of former Texas quarterback Jordan Shipley has shared an update on her brother’s status, including a photo of his bandaged body, following an accident at his ranch that left him in critical condition.
“Please join me in praying (and fasting if you feel led) until Jordan’s next procedure tomorrow morning,” Shelby Nuñez wrote via Facebook on Wednesday, January 7. “This procedure will determine a lot of his next steps depending on severity of damage.”
The photo showed Shipley, 40, his hospital bed, covered in bandages. His right arm is outstretched and showing the camera the Longhorns’ “Hook ‘Em” sign.
The accident occurred when a machine he was operating caught fire, leaving him with “severe burns,” his family confirmed on Tuesday, January 6. He was able to free himself from the machine, but “it was not before sustaining severe burns on his body in the process.” Shipley was airlifted to an Austin hospital.
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“Please pray that the cells work overtime in healing under the surface — capillaries, nerves, etc.,” Nuñez’s statement continued. “Please pray for full thickness of skin (after a severe burn takes place, it can continue to burn through layers for days). Please pray against any infection. Please pray for full mobility in arms, legs, and both hands. He has said he needs to be able to play catch with his boys again one day.”
Shipley and wife Sunny Leigh Shipley married in 2011 and welcomed two sons, Swayde in 2020 and Shield in 2021.
“Please pray against guilt and shame. He keeps telling Sunny that he is so sorry,” Nuñez continued. “Please pray for optimal kidney function. Please pray that God will be glorified in this tragedy. This picture is from PT / OT today. He did awesome, per usual. All the physical and spiritual training in his life — for such a time as this. I could write a book about this man and how much he means to me. Thank you God for sparing his life!”
She concluded, “Jordan whispered to us siblings earlier, ‘Gods not done with me yet.’”
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Sunny shared a statement of her own on Wednesday, thanking the community for its prayers.
“The Holy Spirit was more tangible yesterday than I have ever felt before,” she wrote via Facebook. “I am nothing but humbled by the love and support from our family, friends, and the most amazing community in the world, Burnet, TX. Jordan did as well as he could overnight. I was thankful to be able to be with him even though he’s not able to communicate yet. He’s in a lot of pain, as expected. So they are keeping him sedated and comfortable.”
Jordan’s father, Bob Shipley, added via Facebook on Tuesday that Jordan would need multiple surgeries and that “the biggest threats at this point seem to be infections and pneumonia.”
Jordan played for the Longhorns from 2004 to 2009, helping lead the team to the 2005 BCS National Championship. The consensus All-American was a third-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, and played three seasons in the league for the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Since retiring in 2014, he has lived in Texas with his family.
