Shelton Quarles

Infobox NFLretired


|width=
caption=
position=Linebacker
number=53
birthdate=birth date and age|1971|9|11
Nashville, Tennessee
deathdate=
debutyear=1997
finalyear=2006
college=Vanderbilt
teams=
* British Columbia Lions (1995–1996)
* Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1997-2006)
stat1label=Tackles
stat1value=737
stat2label=Sacks
stat2value=13
stat3label=Interceptions
stat3value=4
nfl=QUA366462
highlights=
* Pro Bowl selection (2002)
* Super Bowl champion (XXXVII)

Shelton Eugene Quarles (born September 11, 1971 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a former linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team he played for in his ten year career from 1997 to 2006. He now serves as a scout for the Buccaneers.

High school years

Quarles is an alumnus of [http://www.WhitesCreekAlumni.org Whites Creek High School] in Nashville, Tennessee and was a student and a letterman in football. In football, he won a first-team All-State honors as a senior, and finished his career with 30 sacks, 505 tackles, and five interceptions. He was also a member of National Honor Society. Shelton Quarles graduated from Whites Creek High School in 1990.

College and pro career

Quarles played college football in Vanderbilt earning second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors as a senior and signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins in 1994 but got cut in training camp. Quarles then played for two seasons (1995-96) with the Canadian Football League's British Columbia Lions before signing with the Buccaneers as a free agent in 1997.

Quarles helped lead the Buccaneers to its first Super Bowl championship in the 2002 season. Quarles also owns the longest play in Buccaneers history with a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in 2001. On April 24, 2007 it was announced that the Bucs were going to release him before the 2007 NFL Draft after failing a physical. [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2848048]

Quarles has also launched the [http://www.sheltonquarles.org/ IMPACT Foundation] whose mission is to benefit at-risk children, youth and their families by providing assistance, programs and events designed to build self-esteem, provide unique life changing opportunities and help them to set and achieve their life goals.

Post-Playing Career

On August 1, 2007, the Buccaneers hired Quarles as a pro scout in their personnel department.