Prince Shembo (born December 24, 1991) is a former American football linebacker. He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.
 Shembo with the Atlanta Falcons in 2014 | |||||
| No. 53 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | December 24, 1991 Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 253 lb (115 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Ardrey Kell (Charlotte, North Carolina) | ||||
| College: | Notre Dame | ||||
| NFL draft: | 2014 / round: 4 / pick: 139 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
| |||||
Early life
editPrince attended Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. He played in only five games during the senior campaign. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the preseason and then was suspended from school on September 16, 2009 for an aggressive incident directed at a teacher.[citation needed] He recorded 86 tackles with nine sacks and added two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries as a junior in 2008, and made 117 tackles during sophomore season in 2007 and was named to 2007 all-Observer team by the Charlotte Observer.
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he was rated as the 7th best inside linebacker in the nation.[1] He accepted a scholarship offer from Notre Dame over offers from Miami, Duke, and North Carolina.
College career
editAs a true freshman, he saw action in all 13 games in 2010. He was one of six freshmen to make their Irish debut against Purdue, and one of three freshmen to play in every game. He registered 15 tackles on the year, including six solo stops and nine assisted tackles, and had five tackles for loss and four and a half sacks. In 2011, he appeared in 12 games for the Irish, while starting eight contests. He totaled 31 tackles, including three and a half for loss, and also had a pair of sacks. In his junior season in 2012, Shembo set career highs in tackles (51), tackles for loss (10.5), sacks (7.5) and quarterback hurries (12), and earned first-team all-independent honours. As a senior, he started all 13 games, totaling 46 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, 5.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hurries.
Professional career
editShembo was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round (139th overall) of the 2014 NFL draft.[2] He signed with the Falcons on May 18, 2014.[3]
The Falcons waived Shembo on May 29, 2015, after he was arrested for aggravated cruelty to animals after allegedly killing his girlfriend's dog.[4] Shembo's attorney says Shembo accidentally killed the Yorkshire terrier his girlfriend owned when he kicked it after it had bitten him.[5]
Personal life
editHis father, Maurice Shembo, immigrated to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1986. His sister, Christelle Shembo, was a forward for the Wake Forest University women's basketball team.[6]
Controversies
editHigh school suspension
editIn 2009, his senior year of high school, Shembo was suspended[7] for throwing a desk at a teacher who had taken away his cell phone.[8]
Sexual battery accusation and suicide of Lizzy Seeberg
editDuring the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine, Shembo admitted that as a Notre Dame student in 2010 he was accused of sexually assaulting Lizzy Seeberg. Seeberg, was a freshman student at nearby Saint Mary's College who tragically later died by suicide. Shembo claimed that he is innocent of the accusation.[9] Seeberg's father responded in a statement citing that Notre Dame was negligent in their investigation into Seeberg's case. He attributed this negligence to their fear of outing Shembo, as Shembo was part of Notre Dame Football, an institution that has immense presence, power, and prestige within the surrounding community.[10] This case was discussed in the 2015 documentary, The Hunting Grounds. [11] [12]
Death of girlfriend's dog
editOn May 29, 2015, Shembo was arrested by Gwinnett Police after being accused of killing his girlfriend's dog.[13]
References
edit- ^ Prince Shembo - Yahoo Sports
- ^ Falcons draft Notre Dame's Prince Shembo
- ^ Falcons sign five draft picks
- ^ Alexis Stevens (May 29, 2013). "Falcons waive player accused of killing ex-girlfriend's dog". m.ajc.com. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "Falcons waived LB Prince Shembo". Twitter. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
- ^ "Christelle Shembo Bio - The Official Site of Wake Forest Demon Deacon Athletics". www.wakeforestsports.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2013.
- ^ "Ardrey Kell suspends star defensive end". Prep Insiders. September 24, 2009. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ "Lizzy Seeberg's Family Feels Rejected by Notre Dame as Football Star Is Not Charged". Politics Daily. December 17, 2010. Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ Rothstein, Michael (February 22, 2014). "LB Prince Shembo claims he's innocent". ESPN. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- ^ Lighty, Todd & Campbell, Rich (February 26, 2014). "Ex-Notre Dame player's remarks reopen wound". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- ^ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/notre-dame-sexual-harassment-hunting-ground_n_7082702d
- ^ "Saint Mary's students respond to 'Hunting Ground' film".
- ^ "Falcons Shembo allegedly killed GF's dog". The Big Lead. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
External links
edit- Notre Dame Fighting Irish bio
Media related to Prince Shembo at Wikimedia Commons
