Johnny Shelton, chaplain of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, will speak in the Meagher Theatre on Wednesday, April 2. His presentation, entitled “From Solitude to Community to Ministry,” is scheduled for 12:45-1:40 p.m. and is open to students, faculty and staff.

In separate meetings on the same day, Shelton will meet Neumann’s coaches and chaplains and address senior athletes.

As an undrafted free agent after college, Shelton signed professional contracts as a defensive back with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and then-Los Angeles Raiders but was not able to claim an NFL roster spot.

Once he realized that a career in the NFL would not materialize, he worked for 10 years at Procter & Gamble.

Shelton then followed his calling into full-time ministry, joining The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in Greensboro, North Carolina. He spent two years at Elon University and later went to Virginia Tech to work as the FCA chaplain for the football team, arriving two weeks before the tragic shooting on Virginia Tech's campus in 2007.

Six years later, Shelton returned to the NFL as team chaplain and life coach for the Baltimore Ravens. In his current role, he is entrusted with spiritual development of the players and staff.

"I am in charge of the spiritual culture of the team, in terms of my title," said Shelton in an article by The Baltimore Sun. "But man, I wear many hats. The biggest thing I do here is I really, really focus on building relationships, whether the guys are Christians or not. I build a relationship, so I encourage them and … tell them what they need instead of what they want to hear."

Shelton’s appearance is sponsored by the Center for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development.