Sam Shields was largely reported to be a fine player, however, his off-field behavior was considered questionable. He made headlines when he was arrested for a misdemeanor – possession of marijuana – and also when he dumped his longtime girlfriend without a reason. It is widely known that he has a daughter but the athlete has chosen to hide most facts about the real identity of her mother.
The young athlete went pro in 2010 as an undrafted free agent after his collegiate career with the Miami Hurricanes of the University of Miami in Florida. The former professional American footballer, who was born on the 8th of December 1987, played for the Green Bay Packers before joining the Los Angeles Rams.
The Amateur Football Journey That Brought Him To The NFL
Shields, who was born in Sarasota, Florida, to Sam Shields Jr and Michelle Shields, was involved with many sporting activities during his days at Local Booker High School. He played baseball, football, and was also a sprinter. He was noted for his skills on track events and was amongst the few who had the speed of a traveling electron; however, he was more passionate about the game of football, so he decided to focus on building a career in that path.
He joined the school team and occupied the spot of a wide receiver. In his senior year, he propelled his team to the Class 3A Championship game after totaling 67 receptions for 1,201 yards and 22 touchdowns. High school flew by quickly and he proceeded to the University of Miami.
As expected, Sam Shields drew his horns and started building his collegiate career with the Miami Hurricanes. As a freshman, he played in 7 games with a record of 37 receptions. Although that record wasn’t his best, he received an honorable mention on the Sporting News All-American freshman team and was also named to the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Football Team. In his second year, he played in 5 games and totaled 27 receptions for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns. He further recorded 11 receptions for 124 yards in all 13 games as a junior.
His senior year became a new dawn for the footballer as he was moved from his initial position as a wide receiver to a cornerback. That position brought out more of his athletic skills. He never struggled to learn the cons and pros involved with the new spot and hit immediate success with a record of 41 tackles (28 solos) and one tackle for loss. His performance earned him the Nick Chickillo Most Improved Player Award on Defense.
Going Undrafted In The 2010 NFL Draft
In March 2010, Sam Shields was arrested and jailed for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, however, he was released the next day. The next month, in April 2010, his charge was dropped. Meanwhile, a few NFL draft experts and scouts predicted that the footballer would be picked in the seventh round of that year’s NFL draft.
However, he went undrafted but received a lot of offers as an undrafted free agent. It has been speculated that his arrest may have contributed to him going undrafted. The footballer later signed a three-year deal worth $1.22 million with the Green Bay Packers, the contract handed him $7,500 as signing bonus.
Sam Shields Became A Super Bowl Champion In His NFL Rookie Season
Beginning his NFL career as the third cornerback for the Packers, Sam quickly proved himself to be a talented and skillful player. By the end of his rookie season, he had managed 29 tackles, six passes defensed, and two interceptions in 14 games. Also serving as a kick returner, he pulled off 21 kick returns for 452 yards.
At the end of it all, he contributed in no small manner to the Packers’ emergence as the Super Bowl XLV champions. He remarkably collected two solo tackles in the Packers’ 31–25 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the game that saw his team become Super Bowl champions.
He kept up with his good performance with the Packer and it earned him a place in the NFL all-star game (Pro Bowl) in 2014. Sam Shields remained with the team until in 2018 when he joined the Los Angeles Rams.
Sam Shields helped the Rams pull through the NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints in the 2018 season. With that, his team advanced to Super Bowl LIII which they lost to the New England Patriots. It marked the end of his NFL career as he is yet to receive a contract from another team.
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Demystifying His Career Earnings And Multi-Million Dollar Contracts
Apart from his rookie deal, Sam Shields inked three more NFL contracts before he was forced into retirement. As stated earlier, the Green Bay Packers signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2010. The three-year pact was worth $1.22 million, with a $7,500 signing bonus. Following the end of the deal and his remarkable performance, the Packers resigned him as a restricted free agent. He was offered a one-year deal worth $2,023,000.
As Shields finished the 2013 season with a career-high 61 combined tackles, 14 pass deflections, and four interceptions, the Packers were very happy to reward him with a deal that was more lucrative.
The NFL Contract That Contributed Most to Sam Shield’s Net Worth
It was after the 2013 season that Sam bagged the biggest contract of his NFL career. Sometime in March 2014, the Green Bay Packers signed Sam to a four-year deal worth $39 million. Being the biggest deal of his career, it is hardly a surprise that it was handed to him with a $12.5 million bonus and contributed most to his wealth.
After suffering his fourth known concussion and playing for the Packers for seven season, he was released by the team in February 2017. But then, Sam was not ready for retirement so he embraced the Los Angeles Rams when they came calling in 2018. He signed a one-year contract with the team worth over $1.5 million.
While it is obvious that his NFL career made him a multi-millionaire, it is difficult to estimate what he’s worth at the moment.
The Footballer Was Once Engaged To Melissa Lopez
Sam Shields had a daughter during his early years and to date, no one knows the mother of his child and he has done everything within his capacity to protect the identity of his daughter, Samyla. Rumor has it that the footballer has two more children; although, not much is known about their identities or their mothers as well.
Shortly after going pro, he proposed to the actress Melissa Lopez. According to reports, the two dated for three years and were living together until sometime in 2012 when the footballer threw her out of his house at midnight. Reports have it that Mellissa was woken from sleep that day and asked to leave because Sam said he no longer loved her.
At some point, it was speculated that they would get back together. The footballer invited her back to his home but reportedly moved out of the apartment unexpectedly. Since then, it has been hard to tell anything about the former footballer’s love life.
