DeShawn Anthony Shead is an NFL player who plays the cornerback position for the Detroit Lions and he is professionally known as DeShawn Shead. Before signing with the Lions in 2018, Shead was with the Seattle Seahawks for six years as an undrafted free agent and he was a part of the “Legion of Boom” who won Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.
DeShawn Shead Biography
Shead was born in Palmdale, California (the same town where he was raised) on the 28th day of June 1989. He has four siblings – Chinelle, DeVaughn, Donte, and Kierra. His mom’s name is Sherri Tatum while his dad’s name is not known.
It was while studying at Highland High School, Palmdale California, that Shead first discovered his love for soccer and track and field events. DeShawn joined the school’s football team and also participated in track and field when he realized that he might make a career in football or track.
In High school, he held the school’s pole vault record and was also a two-time recipient of the All-Conference and All-CIF Southern Section defensive back and also the 2006 winner of the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete award.
After High school, DeShawn Shead played college football for Portland State University, Oregon. He was redshirted for a season and for the rest of his remaining years/seasons at Portland State, he held the title as PSU Most Outstanding Defensive Back. As a junior, he was second-team All-Big Sky Conference and also competed in the decathlon with the Vikings track team.
NFL Career
After his college career, DeShawn Shead signed with the Seattle Seahawks in April 2012 as an undrafted free agent and by August 31st he was released and signed to the practice squad. After a year, DeShawn was moved from the practice squad to the active roster and played with the team at 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII in February 2014, which ended in a 43–8 win against the Denver Broncos.
After Seattle’s defeat at February 2015 Super Bowl XLIX, Byron Maxwell (cornerback) left for Philadelphia leaving the starting position open opposite Richard Sherman. The team would later sign Cary Williams in the offseason, but he remained benched for 12 Weeks and was later released. With two cornerbacks Tharold Simon and Jeremy Lane still recovering from injuries, Shead had the opportunity to show off his skills in a game against Pittsburgh.
After the game, Shead was signed full-time on the team. His first game after landing a full-time job was against Arizona Cardinals, where he recorded an interception, a tackle, and a pass deflection. In the 2016 playoffs, DeShawn suffered a torn ACL during a game against the Atlanta Falcons, which ended in a 36–20 loss.
The following year, he renewed his contract with the team but was placed on the physically unable to perform list due to his torn ACL, he remained on the list till 23rd December 2017. In March 2018, Shead was released by the Seahawks and he landed a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions worth $3.5 million. The contract came with an additional $3 million as an incentive.
DeShawn Shead Wife (Jessica Martinez)
Shead is happily married to the love of his life Jessica Martinez. They began dating back in 2012, and after the 2014 Super Bowl XLVIII win against Denver Broncos, DeShawn Shead went down on his knee before a large media contingent and popped the question every woman loves to hear and you can be sure the answer was a yes.
The couple got married in July 2016 and are parents to two lovely kids – a daughter named Savannah born in April 2015 and a son named Carson who was born in February 2017. Shead is a music lover and he actually plays the piano.
He actually began playing the musical instrument as a child. Shead recalls how his mom got him and his brothers a keyboard for Christmas, which he kept playing here and there until he got a week’s suspension from school. And what did his mom do? Instead of banning him from playing the instrument, DeShawn said his mom took the TV, the radio, and left him with books and the piano.
Jessy’s parents also own a piano which Shead played each time they went visiting and she got him a piano for Christmas in 2014.
His Height, Weight, and Body Stats
The NFL cornerback stands at a height of 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and weighs 212 lb (96 kg). His body stats are not known.
