Duke Shelley
American football player (born 1996)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
YaQuis Bertron "Duke" Shelley (born October 8, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Tucker, Georgia, U.S.
Shelley with the Chicago Bears in 2019 | |||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | October 8, 1996 Tucker, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 176 lb (80 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Tucker | ||||||||||
| College | Kansas State (2015–2018) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2019: 6th round, 205th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||
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Early life
Shelley grew up in Tucker, Georgia and attended Tucker High School. He was a three-year starter for the Tigers and was ranked the 22nd best cornerback in his class by Rivals.com and 33rd by ESPN.[1]
College career
In four years at Kansas State, Shelley recorded 165 career tackles and eight interceptions.[2]
During his junior year in 2017, Shelley started all 12 games and recorded 13 pass breakups, fourth most in the Big 12 Conference, and was given honorable mention all-conference honors. His senior year was marred by a season-ending toe injury after seven games.[3]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 8+5⁄8 in (1.74 m) | 173 lb (78 kg) | 31 in (0.79 m) | 8+1⁄4 in (0.21 m) | 4.51 s | 1.55 s | 2.53 s | 4.23 s | 7.10 s | 34.0 in (0.86 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | 11 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[4] | ||||||||||||
Chicago Bears
Shelley was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round (205th overall) in the 2019 NFL draft.[5] Shelley signed a four-year rookie contract with the team on June 20, 2019, worth $2,647,832, including a $127,832 signing bonus.[6] Shelley made his NFL debut on September 5, 2019, in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers.[7] He played in nine games as a rookie, mostly on special teams.[8]
Shelley entered the 2021 season as the third cornerback on the depth chart behind Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor. He played in nine games with three starts before suffering a hamstring injury in Week 11. He was placed on injured reserve on November 23, 2021.[9] He was activated on December 21.
On August 31, 2022, Shelley was waived by the Bears.[10]
Minnesota Vikings (first stint)
On September 6, 2022, Shelley signed with the practice squad of the Minnesota Vikings.[11] He was promoted to the active roster on November 12, and served as the primary replacement for Cameron Dantzler during his injured reserve stint. He had a game-saving pass deflection in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills in a 33–30 win. In Week 18 against the Bears, Shelley recorded his first career interception against Tim Boyle.[12]
Las Vegas Raiders
On March 23, 2023, Shelley signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.[13] He was released on August 29, 2023.[14]
Los Angeles Rams
On September 1, 2023, Shelley signed with the Los Angeles Rams.[15] He was placed on injured reserve on November 27, and activated on January 10, 2024.[16]
Minnesota Vikings (second stint)
On July 23, 2024, Shelley signed with the Minnesota Vikings.[17] He was released on August 27.[18]
New York Giants
On August 29, 2024, Shelley was signed to the New York Giants practice squad.[19] He was released on October 15.[20]
Indianapolis Colts
On July 31, 2025, Shelley signed with the Indianapolis Colts.[21] He was released on August 26 as part of final roster cuts.[22]
