Jennifer Coney-Shepherd was cleaning out her closet and packing clothes for Goodwill last week when she heard her only son’s special ring tone blaring from her cell phone. This was a call she’d answer. But when he shouted from the other end, it startled her.

“Ma!”

She knew immediately there was news, but she didn’t know whether it was good or bad: “When he calls me and says, ‘Ma!” my heart stops,” Coney said.

She waited.

“I’m going to the Pro Bowl!’” he said.

But Coney didn’t catch on.

“‘Who are you going with? You want me to book you a room?’” she asked.

“No, ma, I got in,” he shouted. “I’m GOING to the Pro Bowl!’

Rashan Gary — a sixth-year edge for the Green Bay Packers — had officially become an NFL star, and on Sunday, he’ll come to Lincoln Financial Field to steal the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl dreams in an NFC Wild Card game.

New Jersey football fans know his story: Born in Plainfield, he received his first offer from Rutgers as an eighth grader and played high school football at Scotch Plains-Fanwood and then Paramus Catholic before becoming a Big Ten force under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. In 2019, Gary was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, and in 2023, he signed a four-year, $107 million contract extension.

In short, he’s made it — the rare athlete who has fulfilled the promise he showed so many years ago. And now, even his peers, the Pro Bowl voters, have acknowledged his greatness.

“I just started crying like a baby because this is something that Rashad always wanted, and we always prayed for it,” his mother said.

Gary’s role in the Packers’ 4-3 defense is to set the edge and live in opponents’ backfield. His toughness against the run, instilled by former Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, will be challenged Sunday, when he’ll be the first line of defense against Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley.

“Our scheme is about getting knock back, playing three or four yards in the backfield, getting off,” Gary told NJ Advance Media. “We live to get sacks and by generating negative plays. Me coming off the ball at 275 [pounds] for four quarters makes for a long day for tight ends and offensive tackles. It wears on them.”

A member of the NFL Top 50, Gary has 44 total tackles and 7.5 sacks, nine TFLs, and 15 quarterback hits heading into Sunday — 39 sacks, 39 TFLs, 226 tackles, six forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, five batted passes and 91 QB hits for his career. This is what we saw in him as a youngster, say those who knew him then.

“If I look at Rashan’s career since high school, he’s gotten better every single year he’s played, and if that continues, how good can this guy be?” said Chris Partridge, who coached Gary at Paramus Catholic and Michigan. Partridge now coaches linebackers for the Seattle Seahawks.

“I’m a little upset Rashan got us this year,” Partridge said. “He came out to Seattle and beat us. Normally, I don’t like when the former players get me, but I’m proud of him. I couldn’t give my guys much help, but I know they were like, ‘How are we gonna block this guy?’”

Despite Gary’s achievements, there are doubters and haters. But that’s the world today, especially on social media, where trolls — many anonymous — spend their time trashing others’ achievements, including athletes who have worked hard to achieve greatness.

“The fans can’t stand Rashan for some reason, like he’s done something personal to them,” his mother said. “But that’s OK. Thank goodness, he doesn’t have access to social media and read this mess. But I do. I’m like, ‘Why do y’all hate him so much? What did he do to you?’

“It’s always, ‘He’s not that good,’ but still, he went in the top of the first round. ‘He’s not that good,’ but still, he got a massive extension. ‘But he’s still not that good,’ but here we go to the Pro Bowl. I’m in awe of Rashan. His head never got big.

She added: “I think that’s why I get so upset, because Rashan is a good guy, and he trains hard. Just like high school, he’s the first guy in the building and last one out.”

He was the country’s first unanimous No. 1 recruit, an Under Armour All-American, the All-USA Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time NJ.com Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time first Team All-Big Ten standout, and now a star on an NFL playoff team. But it didn’t come without scars, emotional pain and sacrifice.

Rolling with life’s punches

Gary received a gut punch on April 28, 2020: His father died of complications from Covid-19, leaving Gary confused and facing emotions he had not dealt with previously. Rashan had lived with his father for a while, but they grew apart over time. When his mother called to say that his dad was in the hospital and wasn’t doing well, Gary promised to call, but wasn’t ready to speak to him.

“When I called Rashan to say his father died, he broke down,” his mother recalled. “Now he’ll never get that opportunity to speak to him. So that took a toll on Rashan. It wasn’t a good relationship because — I don’t want to say he wasn’t present, we knew where he was — but he didn’t step up like a dad, so I had to do it.”

Nevertheless, as Gary grew into a man, he longed for the connection.

“It’s crazy,” Gary said. “I don’t think a lot of my teammates know, only a few. But throughout that time, it was hard, especially because that’s a relationship that I wanted to rekindle, really get close to as you grow as a man, and as you realize that’s a relationship you need.”

No matter the complications of the relationship, losing a parent often opens old wounds and creates new ones. The death affected Gary heading into his second NFL season.

“I went on long walks, had long talks with my mom and sister, just kept my head from a negative place, and kept working,” Gary said. “I just know he’s over me, watching me, and that we’ll meet again. But the No. 1 thing that kept me going was my family.”

‘You will see me on the field’

A shoulder injury in his final season at Michigan made Gary a question mark for the NFL Draft, but the Packers weren’t discouraged. They selected him at No. 12.

When he arrived, veterans Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith showed him “how to be a pro,” he said, and Pro Bowl offensive lineman Dave Bakhtiari, whom he faced one-on-one in practice, schooled him, too.

“Dave doesn’t even know this, but it took me a whole year to beat him, and I was thinking about it that whole offseason — just how fast he was out of his stance,” Gary said. “Every time he beat me, I went to him afterward and he would shoot me some game. And the more and more he taught me, the more I was able to pick the lock and beat guys like that.”

Partridge recognizes that Gary trait — the drive to be great Monday through Saturday, too.

“He always loved to practice,” Partridge said. “He loved to be out there on the field. So, you kind of knew that between his gifts and mindset, he was always going to work himself into being great. He had the work ethic instilled in him. Once you have that, sky is the limit.”

But Gary had to learn how to recover from practices and games — a lesson he took from veteran tight end Mercedes Lewis: “Just watching how he came in early morning — hot tub, cold tub, sauna, chiropractor, dry needles, and just asking a guy like that who has been playing at a high level for a long time how to take care of my body,” Gary said.

Still, playing in the NFL is a treacherous job, and two weeks after suffering a concussion, Gary suffered a season-ending ACL tear in a loss to the Lions in November 2022 — before signing his large contract.

“My mom was with me day to day, waking me up the days I didn’t want to go to treatment, the times I cried and had to push through,” Gary said. “Going through something like that, it showed me this is what I want. I thought: ‘To achieve my goals, this is just something I’ve got to go through.’”

Gary’s high school trainer, Peter Kafaf, and his son, Nick, had plans to travel to Green Bay that year to watch Gary play against the Dallas Cowboys. When Gary tore his ACL the week before, they flew in anyway. After watching the first half of the game at Lambeau Field, Kafaf joined Gary and his mother at Gary’s apartment to watch the end of the game.

“He was watching that game and calling out his teammates for whatever they were doing,” Kafaf said. “I was watching him watch the game. It was his seriousness and dedication. ‘I am playing next year. You will see me on the field,’ he kept saying.”

‘Still grinding like I’m flat-broke.”

Gary, who was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 12, flourished academically and on the field after receiving the proper tutoring. Today, he is a Pro Bowl edge, a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Michigan graduate and business owner. He trains with with NFL superstars like Von Miller and Myles Garrett in the offseason.

“Sometimes I can’t believe Rashan knows these guys and is sitting around laughing with them,” Jennifer said. “Then I remember: Rashan is in the NFL, too.”

But Gary doesn’t really see himself as a star. He resides in Plano, Texas, where he rents a three-bedroom townhouse. His neighbor is one of the town’s postal carriers. He’ll attend an occasional NBA game or take a weekend getaway with his girlfriend, but usually can’t wait to return home because he’s programmed to train.

When Gary signed the contract extension with the Packers, he added a Mercedes AMG 63 to his small car collection, which also features a Mercedes Benz G Wagon and a Ford Raptor for rough terrain — sweet, but modest for a 27-year-old sports star with tens of millions of dollars at his disposal.

“He’s just Rashan,” his mom said. “He hasn’t changed.”

Added Gary’s former high school trainer Peter Kafaf: “He was always mature beyond his years. He was just laser-focused on getting better. There was no nonsense to him. His dedication and his seriousness at 16 years old really stood out.”

Gary credits the core group of folks around him — his family and circle of close friends — as key to him staying modest and motivated. Several will be watching on Sunday, including his biggest fan who knows how to press just the right buttons.

“Last year, when I came off a three-sack game, and I was feeling myself, my mom was the first person – ‘Oh, you should’ve had four, could’ve had five. You’ve got to tighten down on your technique.’ So, when you feel like you’ve arrived, everybody should have somebody who can get you back in check. So, my hunger never left me and I’m still grinding like I’m that kid from New Jersey trying to feed his family.

“Ain’t nothing changed. That’s what makes me who I am. It’s my mindset. I’m still grinding like I’m flat-broke.”

Todderick Hunt covers Sports and Culture and Recruiting. Have a story idea or a tip? He can be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com.