Athlete – Football, Track & Field
Eric Shelton is the son of Undrea Badgett and Pamela Shelton. He was born and raised in Lexington, KY, among his three brothers Undrea Jr., Jeremiah and Nehemiah. As a youth, Eric was naturally fascinated with the various branches of art and the creativity it allowed him to explore in its many genres. Along with this interest, Eric was gifted with the innate ability of athleticism and competitive discipline. His rare skill set of strength and speed were discovered during a little league football invitation where coaches witnessed his abilities. That practice ushered in a new interest for Eric in the sport of football.
Eric attended Bryan Station High School in Lexington, Kentucky, where he played both running back and defensive line. During his junior year, he helped the Defenders set a state rushing record of 5,671 yards and earn a trip to the state finals. Shelton led the triple-option offense with 2,537 yards, averaging 10 yards per carry. In only three seasons at running back, he totaled 4,970 yards rushing with 59 touchdowns,129 tackles with 11 sacks, and 41 stops for losses during his career. Eric was a First-team USA Today and Parade All-American, and he was also an All-State track performer who competed in the high hurdles, triple jump and 4×100 relay. He was on Tom Lemming’s Top 100 high school recruits and ranked #6 in the nation on the ESPN high school football recruiting class of 2001.
After completing a successful high school football career, Eric received multiple offers from major Division 1 football programs. He ultimately settled on Florida State University, where he averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his true freshman year. Following his freshman year, he transferred to the University of Louisville. After sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules, he was able to make an immediate impact. His contributions helped to propel U of L football to a top-10 AP football ranking and a victory in the 2004 Liberty Bowl. While at the University of Louisville, Eric managed to amass 1,782 rushing yards in just 20 games while sharing the ball-carrying duties with three other running backs. In his final collegiate year, he also tied the single season scoring record of 30 touchdowns in his junior year of 2004.
After a successful run in high school and collegiate football, Eric played a few years professionally with the Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins. It was around this time he married his long-time high school sweetheart Shamea. They have two daughters, Layla and Imani. These days, Eric enjoys supporting his daughters in basketball and track and field and spending time reading and gardening.
