Anthony Shelton facts for kids

Anthony Levala Shelton was born on September 4, 1967. He is a former American football player. He played as a defensive back, which is a player who tries to stop the other team from catching passes. Anthony Shelton played for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). He also played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for teams like the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Shreveport Pirates.

Early Life and College Football

Anthony Shelton was born in Fayetteville, Tennessee. He played high school football at Lincoln County High School. This was from 1982 to 1984. His high school team had a great record, winning 31 games and losing only 5. They even won the state championship in 1982.

Anthony was a very good player. He earned "All-District" honors in his junior and senior years. In 2014, he was honored by being added to Lincoln County High's Falcon Football Hall of Fame. After high school, Shelton went on to play college football. He played for the Tennessee State Tigers at Tennessee State University.

Professional Football Career

Anthony Shelton started his professional career in the National Football League.

Joining the NFL

The San Francisco 49ers picked Anthony Shelton in the 1990 NFL Draft. He was chosen in the 11th round. This was the 289th pick overall. He officially joined the team on July 26, 1990. However, the 49ers released him on September 3, 1990.

Playing for the San Diego Chargers

The very next day, on September 4, 1990, the San Diego Chargers picked up Anthony Shelton. He played in 14 games for the Chargers during the 1990 season. In 1991, he played in 11 games and started four of them. During that season, he made one interception and one sack. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an opposing player. A sack is when a defensive player tackles the opposing quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.

Later in 1991, Shelton had a shoulder injury. He was placed on "injured reserve," which means he couldn't play. After the 1991 season, he became a free agent. This means he could sign with any team. He re-signed with the Chargers in July 1992. However, he was injured again in August 1992 and missed the whole season. The Chargers released him in August 1993.

Playing in the CFL

After his time in the NFL, Anthony Shelton moved to the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

In May 1994, Shelton signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He played in five games for them during the 1994 CFL season. He made nine defensive tackles and seven special teams tackles. He also had one interception and one pass breakup.

Shreveport Pirates

In August 1994, Shelton was moved to the Shreveport Pirates. This was part of a special agreement between the teams. He played in ten games for the Pirates in 1994. He had 29 defensive tackles and 15 special teams tackles. He also made one interception and four pass breakups.

After the 1994 season, Shelton went back to the Blue Bombers. He was released by Winnipeg in June 1995.

Return to Shreveport and Final Season

Shelton then signed with the Shreveport Pirates again in June 1995. He played in 17 games during the 1995 season. He had 64 defensive tackles, ten special teams tackles, two interceptions, and two sacks. The Shreveport Pirates team stopped playing after that season.

In March 1996, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats picked Shelton in a special draft. This draft was for players from teams that had folded. He was released by the Tiger-Cats in June 1996.