Ernest Shazor

Shazor attended the University of Michigan, and played for coach Lloyd Carr's Michigan Wolverines football team for three years from 2002 to 2004.^[5] Shazor redshirted as a freshman and appeared in 12 games as a reserve safety in 2002, posting 25 tackles (18 solos) with a four-yard sack and two forced fumbles. He took over strong safety duties in 2003, starting the final 11 games. Shazor finished fourth on the team with 57 tackles (40 unassisted), adding eight stops behind the line of scrimmage, two interceptions and three pass deflections.^[6]

As a junior in 2004, Shazor started every game at strong safety and led Michigan with 84 overall tackles (17 solo), 10 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.^[6] At the end of the 2004 season, Shazor was selected as a first-team All-American by the Associated Press,^[7] Football Writers Association of American, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, CBS Sports, College Football News, and Rivals.com. He was also a finalist for the coveted Jim Thorpe Award.^[8]

In three seasons with the Wolverines from 2002 to 2004, Shazor was credited with 166 overall tackles (125 solo), 19 tackles for loss, three sacks for minus-23 yards, eight pass break-ups, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also had four interceptions for 123 yards in returns and a touchdown.^[6]

In January 2005, Shazor announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility in order to play professional football.^[9] Though undrafted in the 2005 NFL draft, Shazor was signed as a free agent by the Arizona Cardinals in April 2005.^[10] He was activated on the Cardinals' roster in mid-November 2005,^[11] and he played in two games for the Cardinals during the 2005 NFL season.^[12] The Cardinals announced Shazor's release and granted him an injury settlement September 4, 2006.^[13]

In December 2006, Shazor agreed to a one-year contract with the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League.^[14] In February 2007, the Predators announced that Shazor had not shown up for training camp, and no explanation had been given for his absence.^[15] Nearly two weeks later, The Orlando Sentinel reported that the "mystery surrounding" Shazor continued as he had still not shown up in the Predators' training camp.^[16] He was put on waivers by the Predators in May 2007.^[17]