Nehemiah Shelton is back with the team that gave the undrafted cornerback his first taste of the NFL.
After his second straight spring ball stint, Shelton officially signed a contract with the New York Jets on Tuesday as veteran players reported to training camp in Florham Park. The San Jose State product was a member of the United Football League’s Memphis Showboats this past spring before rejoining the Jets.
Shelton kicked off his pro career in the USFL last year and eventually landed in New York late last summer. After an extremely limited opportunity toward the end of the preseason, the rookie found his way onto the Jets’ Practice Squad for four-plus weeks.
After being released by New York in October, Shelton returned to the Memphis Showboats, which survived the spring league merger that birthed the UFL in 2024. Oddly, he played sparingly during the spring season, totaling six tackles over five short appearances.
The California-born Shelton was a four-year starter for San Jose State and closed out his collegiate career with back-to-back All-Mountain West Conference Honorable Mentions.
Shelton is a camp body, but don’t be surprised if he winds up back on the Practice Squad. Teams can never have enough cornerbacks on call in today’s pass-happy NFL.
The Jets opened up a 90-man roster spot in late June by cutting cornerback Tae Hayes in response to his arrest for marijuana possession.
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS ✈️
Congrats to our very own, Nehemiah Shelton 💚 pic.twitter.com/0iM1Wqx4xB
— Memphis Showboats (@USFLShowboats) July 23, 2024
