A
fter Wisconsin cornerback Sojourn Shelton
broke up a Braxton Miller throw in the end
zone, a demonstrative Shelton ― Is there any
other kind? ― hovered over Ohio State wide receiver Evan Spencer. An official immediately stepped inbetween the two players and had words for Shelton.
"He just told me to calm down," Shelton said.
What was Shelton thinking? Maybe what goes
around comes around? On Ohio State's first series,
the Buckeyes flooded a zone with Philly Brown on a
wheel route and Spencer on a post and Miller threw
a touchdown pass to Spencer who had gotten behind the 18-year-old Shelton, a true freshman.
"When I got scored on, Spencer and Philly Brown
both came up to me and they were talking a lot of
trash," Shelton said. "The ref was right there and he
didn't say a thing. In my mind, I'm thinking, 'Ok, it's a
big game and they're probably going to let us play."'
And woof.
Still, there was more behind Shelton's actions
than mere gamesmanship after that PBU in the sec-
ond quarter. He was delivering a message not only
to Spencer but other wideouts. Said Shelton, "I just
felt like I needed to let them know, 'Hey, I'm here. It's
not going to be a cakewalk. I'm here to play."'
Cognizant that his exuberance could have easily
been interpreted differently than it was by the official and the result could have been an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Shelton said, "It's a lesson
learned. My coaches always say play with juice but
you have to learn where your limitations are."
Two former Wisconsin cornerbacks, Jamar
Fletcher and Scott Starks, realize that Shelton is still
very raw, still a work in progress. But they liked the
way he handled himself against the Buckeyes talented receiving corps; they liked his chutzpah; and they
liked his resiliency in a hostile road venue.
Obviously any such endorsement from Fletcher,
a consensus 2000 All-American, and Starks, a 2004
first-team All-Big Ten selection, carries weight and
bodes well for Shelton's future. Fletcher and Starks
rank among the finest at their position in UW his-
"I'm intrigued by his game," Fletcher said
of Shelton. "He has got sauce on his game,
he's got confidence. There's just something
about him. He's got flair and I'm anxious to
see how he's going to progress."
28
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VARSITY October 10, 2013
