Hello!!!!! My name is Johnny Shelton. I am a Husband, Father, Minister, Sports Chaplain, Mentor, and Life Coach with an extraordinary desire to encourage and challenge the hearts of God’s people!! People say that I am a powerful speaker that inspires them to do things and go places that they would not go on their own. They tell me that I am a gifted listener with a calm presence about me that provides a safe place for them to process life. I am married to Thlitha( pronounced Talatha) my college sweetheart , the love of my life and my helper. We have two young adult children, Shawnda’ & Shawnta’ who resides in NC.
I was born and raised in the Midwest region between three states: MO,TN,& IL. The frequent moving along with the non-presence of a father, presented challenges for my mom, three sisters and myself in the form of emotional, mental and financial deprivation. However, there were two things that were consistent in my life; “SPORTS” and “CHURCH”. Though I was not a very good athlete throughout my youth and middle school days, I loved everything that sports had to offer; structure, competition & being part of a team. My coaches called me a “Late Bloomer” & my friends, well they called me “Sorry“!!! By the time I graduated from high school, my physical growth and skills matured drastically and I was awarded a scholarship to play football and run track at Southeast Missouri State University.
Things were going really good for me athletically, but the pressures of being a collegiate athlete literally magnified the “Issues of Life” that lay dormant in my heart. That young man that grew up going to church every Sunday, quickly realized that the relationship with God that he thought he had was superficial and he was living on his Mothers salvation. I had accepted Jesus as savior, but my junior year of college my life spiraled out of control and I made a decision to make Jesus Christ, Lord of my life.
After college I got an opportunity to play in the NFL as an undrafted free agent signing contracts with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49er’s, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Raiders as a defensive back.
With free agency making it very difficult to make a final roster, I began a career with Procter & Gamble. After working in corporate America for 10 years, I answered God’s call into full- time ministry and joined staff with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Greensboro, NC. After serving three years as Area Director in NC and team chaplain at Elon University, God called us to Virginia Tech as the FCA chaplain for the football team from April of 2007(two weeks before the shooting) until July 2013.
In July 2013 I joined the Baltimore Ravens football staff as team Chaplain/Life coach where God has entrusted me to their spiritual development. Though my days as an athlete have passed, my passion to pour into the hearts of coaches and athletes so that they can be their very best has not. I enjoy being able to share the Love of Christ with them and also being able to look them in the eye and tell them what they NEED to hear instead of what they WANT to hear.
In addition to what I do, I am also involved heavily with ministries and organizations in the sport industry. I serve as a Board Member for Baltimore City Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) https://baltimorefca.org , whose mission is to to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. I also serve as a Board Member for Uncommon Sports Group, a ministry focused on developing Christ-centered future leaders of the college and pro sport industry.