Former NFL player Jordan Shipley is in critical condition after an incident at his Texas ranch resulted in “severe” burns.
Shipley’s family confirmed on Tuesday, January 6 that he was injured after a machine he was operating “caught fire”.
“Jordan was involved in an accident this afternoon near his hometown of Burnet,” said a statement released by the University of Texas senior associate director of athletics. Joan Biancowho noted that Shipley was stable after being taken to the hospital.
Shipley, 40, was able to free himself from the machine, but “it wasn’t before he suffered severe burns to his body in the process” that he was able to get medical help. Shipley was taken to a hospital near Austin.
“He was able to reach one of his ranch workers, who took him to a local hospital,” the statement continued. “He was later flown to Austin, where he remains in critical but stable condition.”
Jordan’s brother Jaxon Shipleya former wide receiver for the Texas Longhorns, addressed the accident in a separate statement.
“Praying for a full recovery and no infections or other issues on his road to recovery,” she wrote via Instagram on Tuesday. “I don’t want to go into all the details, other than his life was saved today by God’s grace and sheer will to live. I believe prayer is effective, so I’m asking anyone and everyone to lift Jordan up in prayer.”
Jordan’s father, Bob Shipley, He later shared an update on Tuesday, writing this via Facebook her son required several surgical interventions. “The biggest threats right now seem to be infections and pneumonia,” he wrote.
Prior to his time in the NFL, Jordan was a wide receiver and kick returner for the Longhorns from 2006 to 2009. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010, also playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars before retiring in 2014. He has since spent his time in Texas with his family.
Jordan married woman Sunny Leigh Shipley in 2011. The couple, who share two children, celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary via Instagram in May 2024.
“We were 13 when we met, and today is our 13th wedding anniversary!! Swipe to see baby Jordan and Sunny 🥹. Some of our dear friends, @samshack10 and @jillshack10, who we look up to a lot, once told us to always make sure we celebrate our birthdays on a high note!” Sunny wrote at the time. “So we’ve decided to do this every year, and it’s something we look forward to! Sam and Jill’s birthday is today too. 30 years… congratulations!”
Sunny’s most recent social media post showed the family celebrating Christmas days before Jordan’s accident.
“Memories made in December will last a lifetime!” she wrote “So thankful for the friends, family and community we love. Happy New Year!”