Former Southeast Missouri football and track & field student-athlete Johnny Shelton is in this week's Alumni Spotlight brought to you by SoutheastHEALTH.

Shelton, who hails from Poplar Bluff, was awarded a scholarship to play football and run track at SEMO. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management. After college, Shelton signed professional contracts as a defensive back with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and then-Los Angeles Raiders.

Free agency made it tough for Shelton to claim a roster spot in the NFL. Once his playing career was over, he worked for 10 years at Procter & Gamble.

Shelton then followed his calling into full-time ministry joining The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in Greensboro, North Carolina. He spent two years at Elon University and later went to Virginia Tech to work as the FCA Chaplain for the football team, arriving two weeks before the tragic shooting on Virginia Tech's campus in 2007.

Six years later, Shelton returned to the NFL as Team Chaplain and Life Coach for the Baltimore Ravens.
 
In his current role with the Ravens, Shelton is entrusted with spiritual development of the players and staff. He devotes everything he has to sharing his passion for Christ with them.

"I am in charge of the spiritual culture of the team, in terms of my title," said Shelton in an article by The Baltimore Sun. "But man, I wear many hats. The biggest thing I do here is I really, really focus on building relationships, whether the guys are Christians or not. I build a relationship so I encourage them and … tell them what they need instead of what they want to hear."

Shelton is such a valued piece of the Ravens organization that his office is located near the team's locker room, weight room and indoor practice field. In addition to the outstanding work he does internally, Shelton and his wife, Thlitha, offer couples counseling at their home and are involved in many other activities that help the Ravens build and strengthen their faith.

Baltimore is second in the AFC North behind the Pittsburgh Steelers with an overall record of 5-1. The Ravens and Steelers square off in Baltimore Sunday. Shelton will be there to motivate, encourage and lead the Ravens spiritually so they can be at their very best.