Shane Scott Walton (born October 9, 1979) is a former American college and professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player who was a

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for a single season in 2003. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

for the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

, and was recognized as a

unanimous All-American The College Football All-America Team is an honorific college football all-star team compiled after each NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) season to recognize that season's most outstanding performers at their respective positions. ...

in football. The

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arri ...

selected him in the fifth round of the

2003 NFL Draft The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...

Early life

Walton was born in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

. He attended

The Bishop's School The Bishop's School is an independent college preparatory Episcopal day school located in La Jolla, California. Bishop's is known for its reputation in academics, arts, and athletics as well as its sizable endowment. The school offers courses for ...

La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

, and played for the school's soccer team. His team won under-16, under-17 and under-19 national titles while playing for the La Jolla Nomads.

College career

Walton attended the University of Notre Dame, and played for the

Notre Dame Fighting Irish football The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the intercollegiate football team representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, north of the city of South Bend, Indiana. The team plays its home games at the campus' Notre Dame ...

team from 1999 to 2002. He originally attended Notre Dame on a soccer scholarship and was named Big East Freshman of the Year after leading the soccer team in scoring in 1998. He walked on to the Irish football team as a sophomore, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American as a senior in 2002. Walton finished the year with 68 tackles (46 solo), seven interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) and seven pass breakups.

Professional career

St. Louis Rams

The

selected Walton in the fifth round (170th pick overall) of the

. He played in four games for the Rams in 2003 before being placed on injured reserve on October 9, 2003. He was waived on June 17, 2004.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Walton was signed by the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

on June 28, 2004. He was waived on August 23, 2004.

Indianapolis Colts

Walton signed with the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

on August 24, 2004. He was waived by the Colts on August 27, 2004.

Life after football

Walton currently works as a behavioral analyst with F.I.T. and coaches at his alma mater, The Bishop's School. Walton heads the Shane Walton Foundation that funds tutors for children attempting to become eligible for private schools in San Diego. He continues playing adult soccer for the Nomads and other teams in the San Diego area.

References

External links

Shane Walton Foundation

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walton, Shane 1979 births Living people All-American college football players American football cornerbacks American football safeties Indianapolis Colts players Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's soccer players Soccer players from San Diego Pittsburgh Steelers players St. Louis Rams players Men's association football players not categorized by position Players of American football from San Diego American men's soccer players The Bishop's School alumni