 Sheppard with the Eagles in August 2005. |
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| New York Jets — No. 26 | |
| Cornerback | |
| Date of birth: April 8, 1981 | |
| Place of birth: Jacksonville, Florida | |
| Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | Weight: 194 lb (88 kg) |
| Professional debut | |
|---|---|
| 2002 for the Philadelphia Eagles | |
| Career history | |
| College: Florida | |
| NFL Draft: 2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 26 | |
Teams:
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| Roster status: Active | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Selected NFL statistics (through Week 17 of the 2008 NFL season) |
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| Tackles | 253 |
| Sacks | 2.0 |
| Interceptions | 18 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Lito Decorian Sheppard (born April 8, 1981 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles 26th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida.
Sheppard was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2004 and 2006.
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Early years
He attended William M. Raines High School in Jacksonville.
College career
Lito Sheppard played college football at the University of Florida. While there, he was a two time All-American, started 22 games in three seasons, recorded eight interceptions, and had 87 tackles. He also returned 27 kickoffs for 472 yards (22.5 yards per return avg.).
Professional career
Philadelphia Eagles
In the 2002 NFL Draft, Sheppard was selected 26th overall in the 1st round by the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2004 Lito 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.
New York Jets
Sheppard was traded to the New York Jets on February 27, 2009, for a fifth round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Jets shortly after restructured Sheppards' contract.
Personal
Sheppard is the cousin of current Broncos wide receiver Jabar Gaffney who played for the Eagles during the 2006 preseason.
When Sheppard makes an interception in an Eagles home game, the song "Lido Shuffle" by Boz Scaggs is played. He has often been referred to as the "Cowboy Killer," since he often makes interceptions against the Dallas Cowboys, then returning them for a touchdown. In eleven career games, Sheppard has eight interceptions against the Cowboys.
External links
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