During the previous four years, mostly on weekday mornings, Justin and his father, J.D., would head downstairs to their basement to start the grind. Often wearing his helmet and football gloves, Justin would sit on a large inflatable ball with his dad standing about 7 feet away. As Justin worked to maintain a core balance, J.D. would fire a series of short-range throws at him – some to his left, others to his right, out in front, high, low and everywhere in between. The total number of reps ranged between 100 and 150 daily, and each session finished with a series of no-look over-the-shoulder passes.

“I’ll say, ‘Go!’ and he has to shoot his hands out and not really see the ball until it’s coming over his shoulder,” J.D. said. “What’s funny is the one catch he had in the [NJSIAA Central Group 5] championship game, where the ball was over his head and he reached from the left, that’s exactly what we do every single morning. When he made that catch, I was pretty happy. It was something we worked on every single day. When you put the time in to practice, it usually works out.”

The catch proved to be the difference in South Brunswick’s 18-14 victory over Manalapan, and it was well documented in the local newspapers.

“There was a picture of it, and it was literally the same [catch] that we practice every single day in the basement,” Justin said.

Those practice sessions may have yielded a decisive play in the state final, but the investment of time and effort had been returning dividends all along, with each year of his high school career more profitable than the one before.

Shorter started as a skinny freshman. He grabbed scouts’ attention as a developing sophomore, and after committing to Penn State over dozens of other offers as a junior, his play became nearly flawless when he towered over opponents as a senior. He dropped only one pass and finished with 36 catches for 582 yards and seven touchdowns in a run-oriented offense.

“Honestly, I think my best season was probably [2017],” Shorter said. “I was confident walking out there knowing that I worked hard all of summer from my junior year, and I knew I was just ready to go. The first game I went out there, I scored three touchdowns, so I thought that was pretty cool to see that hard work starting to pay off.”

It’s how Shorter’s parents had guided him for the previous 18 years, after all. J.D. is an assistant principal, and his wife, Paula, is a business and human relations consultant for a Manhattan-based company. The Shorters strived to instill a strong work ethic in Justin and his older brother J.T.

“One thing we’ve ingrained into our children is that life isn’t easy,” Paula said. “Anything you get isn’t going to come without a lot of effort.”

Shorter acknowledged that his progression, which culminated in his being ranked one of the three best wide receivers in the Class of 2018, was anything but preordained.

His recruitment, however, was a different story. No other member of Penn State’s incoming class maintained his commitment longer than Shorter. He had announced for the Nittany Lions in August 2016, just prior to the start of his junior season, and as James Franklin explained in December after receiving his letter of intent, there was “no drama and no issues whatsoever” in Shorter’s recruitment, even though he developed into the top prospect in New Jersey.

As far as Shorter was concerned, there was never any reason to rethink his choice. “From the jump, it was really just Penn State,” he said. “All the way, as number one.”

He was ready for obstacles, though, and eventually, one appeared. About a month after he signed his letter of intent during the early singing period, his future position coach, Josh Gattis, took a job at Alabama.

“It was pretty crazy, because literally the day before, he was at our house on a visit,” Shorter said. “The day after, Coach Franklin calls us and we put it on speakerphone and he basically tells us that Coach Gattis left and he’s going to do what he can to find the next best wide receivers coach. I think he did.”

Now in charge of PSU’s receivers, David Corley made an in-home visit to Shorter in early February, and positive reviews followed. The Shorters had expected that they would like Franklin’s hire. “He’s just a great guy,” J.D. said. “We’re sad that Coach Gattis left, but we’re happy that Coach Franklin selected Coach Corley.”

When Shorter first visited Penn State, the campus had its appeal, but it was his relationship with Franklin that proved most persuasive. “We’ve grown very close over a long period of time,” he said. “I’ve just learned so much about him and his family, his wife and daughters. That was also a big factor in committing.”

Another factor: Penn State’s academic offerings. Shorter is eyeing a degree in mechanical or biomedical engineering. Although combining that kind of course load with his football commitments will be daunting – “It’s going to be a very challenging degree to obtain, so I want Justin to really stay on track,” Paula said – he’s already working toward his goal.

He’s taken a couple of design drawing courses during his senior year, and his parents have continued to emphasize the importance of academics, even if analysts are already predicting an NFL future for the 6-foot-4, 220-pound pass catcher.

“We have to,” J.D. said, “because football is not guaranteed to anyone.”

Justin knows that, but he’s also attempting to ensure himself a long and bountiful career. In addition to the short-range catches he practices each morning in the basement, he follows a routine inspired by former Penn State great Chris Godwin and introduced to him by Gattis.

Before going to bed, Shorter performs three workouts aimed at strengthening his grip. He begins by repeatedly squeezing handfuls of uncooked rice. Next, he drops a paver brick, then catches it before it hits the floor. After that come three minutes of old-fashioned hand-grip clenches.

Than, after a full night’s sleep, he gets up and begins the routine all over again.

“He’s put a lot of time into practicing and made a lot of sacrifices – and he’s seen the results that he’s put in,” Paula said. “When he walks on the field, from when I remember him as a freshman to a sophomore, he is a whole different person than even this year. It’s not a cocky confidence. I just think it’s like, ‘You know what? I’ve been preparing. Now it’s time to deliver.’ ”