Lito Sheppard
 Lito Sheppard with the Philadelphia Eagles in August 2005. |
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| No. 21 Oakland Raiders | |
| Cornerback | |
| Personal information | |
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| Date of birth: April 8, 1981 | |
| Place of birth: Jacksonville, Florida | |
| High School: William M. Raines High School Jacksonville, Florida |
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| Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | Weight: 194 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: Florida | |
| NFL Draft: 2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26 | |
| Debuted in 2002 for the Philadelphia Eagles | |
| Career history | |
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| Roster status: Active | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2011 | |
| Tackles | 340 |
| Sacks | 3.0 |
| Interceptions | 19 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Lito Decorian Sheppard (born April 8, 1981) is an American football cornerback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Florida.
Sheppard has also played for the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2004 and 2006 while with the Eagles.
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[edit] Early years
Sheppard was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1981.[1] He attended William M. Raines High School in Jacksonville, where he was an all-state and USA Today All-American at defensive back for the Raines Vikings high school football team.[2] Sheppard had eighteen interceptions in twenty-nine games as a junior and senior, and led the Vikings to an undefeated season a state championship in 1998.[2] In 2007, eight years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) recognized Sheppard as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.[2]
[edit] College career
Sheppard received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida,[3] where he played college football for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1999 to 2001.[4] He was a first-team All-American as a sophomore in 2000, and a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 2000 and 2001.[4] In his three-season college career, he started twenty-two games, recorded eight interceptions, had eighty-seven tackles, and returned twenty-seven kickoffs for 472 yards (an average of 22.5 yards per return).[3] Sheppard declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft after his junior year.[3]
[edit] Professional career
[edit] Philadelphia Eagles
In the 2002 NFL Draft, Sheppard was selected in the first round (twenty-sixth pick overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles.[5]
In 2004 Sheppard had five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. He was named Defensive Player of the Month for the month of November after returning two interceptions for touchdowns. Sheppard was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2004.
2005 was the first of three injury filled seasons for Sheppard. He missed six games and finished with three interceptions.
On October 8, 2006, Lito became the first player in NFL history to have two interception returns of more than 100 yards. Both returns came against the Dallas Cowboys (2004 and 2006). The most recent return sealed a 38-24 win over the Cowboys and secured 1st place in the division for the Eagles.
In the Eagles Wild Card playoff game on January 7 against the New York Giants, Sheppard dislocated his elbow. He missed the next playoff game against the Saints, which the Eagles lost 27-24.
In a 2007 game against the Green Bay Packers Sheppard suffered an injury. Sheppard went through another injury-filled season and finished with two interceptions.
In the 2008 offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles signed former New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel. This fueled speculation that Sheppard was available via trade. That offseason, he changed agents to Drew Rosenhaus.
During the 2008 season, Sheppard saw much reduced action due to good performances by starting corners Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown.
[edit] New York Jets
Sheppard was traded to the New York Jets on February 28, 2009, for a fifth round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.[6] The Jets shortly after restructured Sheppards' contract, adding one year and "new" money to the contract in 2010.[7] He was released on March 4, 2010.
[edit] Minnesota Vikings
Sheppard signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings on April 21, 2010.[8] He became a free agent following the 2010 season.[9]
[edit] Oakland Raiders
Sheppard was signed by the Oakland Raiders on August 26, 2011, and released during the final cutdowns on September 3. He was re-signed by the team on October 31. The team made the announcement via their Facebook and Twitter accounts. It was announced that Sheppard would wear jersey number 21, previously worn by Nnamdi Asomugha.
[edit] Personal
Sheppard is the cousin of current Redskins wide receiver Jabar Gaffney who also played for the Florida Gators. He is also the nephew of former NFL player Derrick Gaffney
[edit] See also
- 2000 College Football All-America Team
- Florida Gators
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Philadelphia Eagles first-round draft picks
[edit] References
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Lito Sheppard. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ a b c "FHSAA unveils '100 Greatest Players of First 100 Years' as part of centennial football celebration," Florida High School Athletic Association (December 4, 2007). Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ a b c Gatorzone.com, Football History, 2001 Roster, Lito Sheppard. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
- ^ a b 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 80, 89, 94, 97, 136, 148–150, 154, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
- ^ National Football League, Draft History, 2002. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ Greg Bishop, "Jets Acquire Sheppard in Latest Renovation," New York Times, p. S1 (February 28, 2009). Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ Rich Cimino, "Jets extend Sheppard's contract," New York Daily News (February 28, 2009). Retrieved May 23, 2010.
- ^ Mike Florio, "Lito shuffles to Minnesota," Profootballtalk.com (April 21, 2010). Retrieved April 21, 2010.
- ^ "List of NFL free agents". al.com. July 27, 2011. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/07/list_of_nfl_free_agents.html. Retrieved 2011-07-31.
[edit] External links
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- 1981 births
- Living people
- African American players of American football
- All-American college football players
- American football cornerbacks
- Florida Gators football players
- Minnesota Vikings players
- National Conference Pro Bowl players
- New York Jets players
- People from Jacksonville, Florida
- Philadelphia Eagles players
- Oakland Raiders players
