Dan Skipper Explained

Dan Skipper
Current Team:Detroit Lions
Number:70
Position:Offensive tackle / guard
Birth Date:September 20, 1994
Birth Place:Arvada, Colorado, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:10
Weight Lbs:330
College:Arkansas (2013–2016)
Undraftedyear:2017
Pastteams:
Status:Active
Highlights:
Statseason:2023
Statlabel1:Games played
Statvalue1:40
Statlabel2:Games started
Statvalue2:6
Pfr:SkipDa00

Dan Skipper (born September 20, 1994) is an American football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arkansas. At 6 feet 10 inches tall, Skipper is currently the tallest active player in the NFL.[1]

Early years

Skipper was born in Arvada, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. He attended Ralston Valley High School. As a junior, he contributed to the team having a 10–2 record and reaching the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs.

As a senior, he helped get Ralston Valley to the state semifinals, while receiving 5A all-state honors. He received multiple scholarship offers for athletics only, ultimately choosing the University of Arkansas.[2]

College career

As a freshman, he appeared in all 12 games and started the last eight at right offensive guard. He blocked a single-season school record three field goal attempts.[3] He contributed to Alex Collins becoming the second freshman in school history and 10th true freshman in Southeastern Conference (SEC) history to rush for 1,000 yards. Collins and Jonathan Williams also became the second Razorback running back duo to each reach at least 900 rushing yards in the same season. Skipper was recognized as a Freshman All-American.

As a sophomore, he started all 13 games at left tackle, was a part of an offensive line that led the SEC with 14 sacks allowed and earned an Associated Press All-SEC honorable-mention. He contributed for Collins and Williams to be the only FBS teammates to each rush for 1,000-plus yards in the 2014 season.

As a junior, he started all 13 games at right tackle and was named second-team All-SEC. He contributed to running back Collins becoming the third player in SEC history with three straight 1,000-yard campaigns to begin his career.

As a senior, he started all 13 games at left tackle and made the All-SEC team of the Coaches Poll, ESPN, Phil Steele, Athlon Sports, Lindy's Sports and Sporting News.[4] He contributed to Rawleigh Williams III winning the SEC regular rushing title with 1,326 yards and Austin Allen throwing for an conference-best 3,430 yards.

He appeared in 51 games and finished his career with 47 straight starts (second-longest streak in school history), 7 blocked field goal attempts on special teams (school record) and became one of six offensive linemen in program history to earn All-SEC honors twice.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Skipper went undrafted during the 2017 NFL draft. It was speculated that he went undrafted due to a chronic blood condition that was discovered during prospect evaluations. After not receiving a contract as an undrafted free agent, Skipper received an invitation to attend the Dallas Cowboys' rookie minicamp as a tryout candidate.[5]

Dallas Cowboys

Skipper was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cowboys after the 2017 NFL draft on May 16.[6]

Throughout training camp, he competed for a roster spot against Emmett Cleary, Clay DeBord, Ruben Carter, and Kadeem Edwards.[7] On September 2, 2017, he was waived by the Cowboys and was signed to the practice squad the next day.[8] [9] He was released on September 20, 2017.[10]

Detroit Lions

On September 25, 2017, Skipper was signed to the Detroit Lions' practice squad.[11] He was promoted to the active roster on October 26, 2017.[12] On October 31, 2017, he was waived in order for the Lions to sign Don Barclay and was re-signed to the practice squad.[13] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Lions on January 1, 2018.[14]

On September 1, 2018, Skipper was waived by the Lions and was signed to the practice squad the next day.[15] [16] He was released on September 5, 2018.[17]

Denver Broncos

On November 27, 2018, Skipper was signed to the Denver Broncos practice squad.[18]

New England Patriots

On January 8, 2019, Skipper was signed to the New England Patriots practice squad.[19] Skipper was a part of the Patriots Super Bowl LIII championship team when they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3.[20] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Patriots on February 5, 2019.[21] He was released during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019.[22] He was signed to the practice squad the next day.[23]

Houston Texans

On October 16, 2019, Skipper was signed by the Houston Texans off the Patriots practice squad.[24] He was waived on November 11, 2019.[25]

Detroit Lions (second stint)

On November 12, 2019, Skipper was claimed off waivers by the Lions.[26] He was waived on November 22 and re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on December 14, 2019.[27]

Skipper was waived/injured by the Lions during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020,[28] and subsequently reverted to the team's injured reserve list the next day.[29] He was waived with an injury settlement on September 14.[30] He was re-signed to the Lions practice squad on October 21, 2020.[31] He was elevated to the active roster on November 14 and December 12 for the team's weeks 10 and 14 games against the Washington Football Team and Green Bay Packers, and reverted to the practice squad after each game.[32] [33] On December 19, 2020, Skipper was promoted to the active roster.[34] For the team's week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings, Skipper played 9 downs at defensive tackle.[35]

On August 30, 2021, Skipper was waived/injured by the Lions and placed on injured reserve. He was released on September 6, 2021.

Las Vegas Raiders

On October 13, 2021, Skipper was signed to the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad. He was released on November 3.[36]

Detroit Lions (third stint)

On November 19, 2021, Skipper was signed to the Lions' practice squad.[37] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Lions on January 10, 2022.[38]

On August 30, 2022, Skipper was released by the Lions and signed to the practice squad the next day.[39] [40] This was an emotional moment for the HBO show, Hard Knocks, when Skipper asked "What could I have done different?". On September 18, 2022, in a Week 2 matchup versus the Washington Commanders, Skipper started at guard, a position he had not played since freshman year in college. In the locker room after the Lions' 36–27 win, head coach Dan Campbell recognized "Skip" for his performance, a video clip of which went viral.[41] [42] He was signed to the active roster on October 1.[43] He appeared in a career-high 16 games, while starting in 5 contests as an injury fill-in. He was not re-signed after the season.

Indianapolis Colts

On August 1, 2023, Skipper signed with the Indianapolis Colts.[44] He was released on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was released on September 4.[45] [46] [47]

Detroit Lions (fourth stint)

On September 20, 2023, Skipper was signed to the Lions practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on October 14. In the sixteenth game against the Cowboys, he was involved in a controversial call that negated the team a successful two-point conversion with 23 seconds left and a potential win, after officials flagged Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker for an illegal touching penalty, as a result of a confusion in which the Lions tackle was accidentally reported as an eligible receiver by the referee.[48]

On March 14, 2024, Skipper re-signed with the Lions.[49]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: April 20, 2023 . Top 10 Tallest Players in NFL History .
  2. Web site: Dan Skipper, Dallas Cowboys, Offensive Tackle . 2024-03-05 . 247Sports . en-US.
  3. Web site: Bratton . Michael Wayne . 2019-11-09 . Former Razorback calls out Chad Morris after coach blames Arkansas woes on current roster . 2024-03-05 . Saturday Down South . en-US.
  4. Web site: May 8, 2015 . Dan Skipper . Arkansas Razorbacks Athletics.
  5. Web site: Kevin Casas . July 18, 2017 . No tall tale, 6–10 rookie Dan Skipper still hanging with Cowboys . January 19, 2018 . star-telegram.com .
  6. Web site: Eatman, Nick . May 16, 2017 . Cowboys Waive 3 From Roster; Sign 2 Tryout Players; More Moves To Come . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180211125108/http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2017/05/16/cowboys-waive-3-roster-sign-2-tryout-players-more-moves-come . February 11, 2018 . DallasCowboys.com.
  7. Web site: K. D. Drummond . June 17, 2017 . Cowboys 2017 Post-Minicamp Roster and Depth Chart Projection: Offense . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190423044556/https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2017/06/17/dallas-cowboys-roster-2017-53-man-projections-minicamp-training-camp/amp/ . April 23, 2019 . January 19, 2018 . cowboyswire.usatoday.com.
  8. Web site: Phillips, Rob . September 2, 2017 . Cowboys Make 38 Moves, One Trade To Reach 53; Kellen Moore Released . DallasCowboys.com.
  9. Web site: Eatman, Nick . September 3, 2017 . Showers, Drafted CB & 2 WRs Headline Cowboys' 10-Man Practice Squad . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180316061544/http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2017/09/03/showers-drafted-cb-2-wrs-headline-cowboys%E2%80%99-10-man-practice-squad . March 16, 2018 . DallasCowboys.com.
  10. Web site: September 20, 2017 . Cowboys sign Jarron Jones to practice squad, release Dan Skipper . 247sports.com.
  11. Web site: September 25, 2017 . Lions sign T Dan Skipper to practice squad . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170927171216/http://www.detroitlions.com/news/news-short/article-1/Lions-sign-T-Dan-Skipper-to-practice-squad/aeb7ff9e-a359-4bfe-b0a0-5128b6a9b49e . September 27, 2017 . DetroitLions.com.
  12. Web site: October 26, 2017 . Lions sign T Dan Skipper to active roster and T Storm Norton to practice squad . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180624041451/http://www.detroitlions.com/news/news-short/article-1/Lions-sign-T-Dan-Skipper-to-active-roster-and-T-Storm-Norton-to-practice-squad/7f699f41-ec3a-44df-9343-f3a82b605493 . June 24, 2018 . DetroitLions.com.
  13. Web site: October 31, 2017 . Lions sign free agent G Don Barclay and waive T Dan Skipper . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180206083907/http://www.detroitlions.com/news/news-short/article-1/Lions-sign-free-agent-G-Don-Barclay-and-waive-T-Dan-Skipper/ed22156f-ba24-489a-ae1f-eace2a92c877 . February 6, 2018 . DetroitLions.com.
  14. Web site: January 1, 2018 . Lions report 10 Reserve-Future signings . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180206084919/http://www.detroitlions.com/news/news-short/article-1/Lions-report-10-Reserve-Future-signings/d21eb71a-768f-4706-a0da-dc3f6f922c1a . February 6, 2018 . DetroitLions.com.
  15. Web site: September 1, 2018 . Lions establish 53-man roster . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180903215357/https://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-establish-53-man-roster . September 3, 2018 . September 3, 2018 . DetroitLions.com.
  16. Web site: September 2, 2018 . Lions awarded OL Andrew Donnal and CB Dee Virgin via waivers . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180904052518/https://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-awarded-ol-andrew-donnal-and-cb-dee-virgin-via-waivers . September 4, 2018 . September 3, 2018 . DetroitLions.com.
  17. Web site: September 5, 2018 . Lions sign three players to practice squad . DetroitLions.com.
  18. Web site: Swanson, Ben . November 27, 2018 . Broncos promote Temarrick Hemingway to active roster, place Jeff Heuerman on injured reserve, sign three to practice squad . DenverBroncos.com.
  19. Web site: January 8, 2019 . Patriots Make A Series of Roster Transactions . Patriots.com.
  20. Web site: Shpigel . Ben . February 4, 2019 . Patriots Win in Lowest-Scoring Super Bowl Ever . October 31, 2023 . The New York Times . en-US.
  21. Web site: Kyed, Doug . February 5, 2019 . Patriots Sign Eight Of 10 Practice Squad Players To Future Contracts . NESN.com.
  22. Web site: Yang . Nicole . Patriots rumor roundup: Here's who won't make New England's 53-man roster . August 31, 2019 . Boston.com.
  23. Web site: Kyed . Doug . September 2019 . Patriots Practice Squad Tracker: Stephen Anderson, Terez Hall Retained . September 1, 2019 . NESN.com.
  24. Web site: October 16, 2019 . Texans sign 6-foot-10 OT Dan Skipper off Patriots' practice squad . Chron.com.
  25. Web site: November 11, 2019 . Texans sign DE Joel Heath, waive T Dan Skipper . HoustonTexans.com.
  26. Web site: November 12, 2019 . Lions awarded T Dan Skipper via waivers from Houston Texans . DetroitLions.com.
  27. Web site: December 14, 2019 . Lions sign RB Wes Hills and T Dan Skipper to active roster from practice squad . DetroitLions.com.
  28. Web site: September 5, 2020 . Lions announce roster moves . DetroitLions.com.
  29. News: September 6, 2020 . Lions' Dan Skipper: Transitions to IR . September 14, 2020 . CBSSports.com.
  30. News: September 14, 2020 . Dan Skipper: Reaches injury settlement . September 21, 2020 . CBSSports.com.
  31. Web site: October 21, 2020 . Lions announce roster moves . DetroitLions.com.
  32. News: Schlitt, Erik . November 14, 2020 . Detroit Lions elevate OL Dan Skipper and DL Frank Herron for Week 10 . December 20, 2020 . USAToday.com.
  33. News: Williams, Charean . December 12, 2020 . Everson Griffen placed on COVID-19 list . January 27, 2021 . NBCSports.com.
  34. News: December 19, 2020 . Lions announce roster moves . February 3, 2021 . DetroitLions.com.
  35. Web site: Raven . Benjamin . January 4, 2021 . Snap counts: Detroit's short-handed defense forced to get creative in Week 17 loss . January 4, 2021 . MLive . Booth Newspapers.
  36. Web site: November 3, 2021 . Raiders sign LB Marquel Lee to active roster, add QB Nathan Peterman to practice squad . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20211105004456/https://www.raiders.com/news/raiders-sign-marquel-lee-qb-nathan-peterman-nfl-week-9-2021 . November 5, 2021 . November 5, 2021 . Raiders.com.
  37. News: Risdon . Jeff . November 19, 2021 . Lions re-sign OT Dan Skipper to practice squad . December 27, 2021 . Lions Wire.
  38. Web site: January 10, 2022 . Detroit Lions sign 9 players to reserve/futures contracts . Pride of Detroit . SB Nation.
  39. Web site: August 30, 2022 . Lions announce roster moves . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20230102104838/https://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-announce-roster-moves-x0035 . January 2, 2023 . September 3, 2022 . DetroitLions.com.
  40. Web site: August 31, 2022 . Lions announce roster moves . DetroitLions.com.
  41. Web site: Lions Twitter .
  42. Web site: September 18, 2022 . After 'long road' of cuts, Lions OL Dan Skipper becomes unlikely hero vs. Commanders .
  43. Web site: Schlitt . Erik . 2022-10-01 . Lions sign OL Dan Skipper, K Dominik Eberle, downgrade DJ Chark to OUT . 2024-03-05 . Pride Of Detroit . SB Nation . en.
  44. Web site: Colts sign OT Dan Skipper, waive OT Jordan Murray, TE Kaden Smith . August 1, 2023 . Colts.com.
  45. Web site: Stankevitz, JJ . August 29, 2023 . Colts make roster moves to form initial 53-man roster . Colts.com.
  46. Web site: August 30, 2023 . Colts sign 16 to practice squad . Colts.com.
  47. Web site: September 4, 2023 . Colts sign G Arlington Hambright to the practice squad, release T Dan Skipper from the practice squad . Colts.com.
  48. Web site: Woodyard . Eric . December 31, 2023 . Lions 'confused' as refs negate late 2-point try in Cowboys win . 2024-03-05 . ESPN.com.
  49. Web site: Reisman . Jeremy . 2024-03-12 . Report: OL Dan Skipper re-signing with the Detroit Lions on 1-year deal . 2024-07-02 . Pride Of Detroit . en.

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