Duke Shelley secured the first interception of his NFL career and immediately knew what he was going to do next. After making an athletic catch on a Tim Boyle pass intended for Chase Claypool, Shelley sprinted to the midfield logo at Soldier Field and slammed the ball down on it.
That had to feel good.
"They had to feel how disrespected I felt when they cut me," Shelley tweeted, in response to former teammate Jaquan Brisker taking umbrage with his celebration.
Shelley was drafted by the Bears in 2019 out of Kansas State. Because of his 5'8", 183-pound frame, they played him at slot corner, even though Shelley was used to playing on the outside. After a few unremarkable seasons, the Bears waived him in final roster cuts this year. The Vikings, sensing there was untapped potential in Shelley, scooped him up and have reaped the benefits.
In mid-November, the Vikings signed Shelley to their active roster after two months on the practice squad. The very next day, he made a game-saving pass breakup in the end zone against the Bills' Dawson Knox, a player eight inches taller than him. The Vikings secured a victory on the next play.
Since then, all Shelley has done is make plays — while playing outside corner, not in the slot. He had eight pass breakups in his first eight games with the Vikings, several of them preventing touchdowns. Shelley has surpassed Cameron Dantzler on the depth chart, starting each of the last four games. He'll be a starting corner when the Vikings open the postseason next week.
On Sunday, Shelley punctuated his season with the first interception of his career. That it happened in his old stadium, against the team that gave up on him, made it extra special.
After the game, Kevin O'Connell gave game balls to Shelley and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, another player released by the Bears who is now a key contributor in Minnesota.
"It’s been huge," O'Connell said of having Shelley. "He got that ball out on the field and then we gave him a game ball in the locker room, coming back here to his former team. All that guy’s done since he got to Minnesota is be a great teammate, work incredibly hard, be reliable as any player I’ve ever been around. He’s as competitive as any player I’ve ever been around. And he’s an absolute joy to have on your football team. I feel blessed and lucky to have benefited from Kwesi’s guys identifying a player like that to add, and just continue to hope for Duke to experience success here with us and continue to be a big part of our defense."
When Shelley secured the interception, no one was happier for him than Patrick Peterson, his fellow starter at outside corner. Peterson, who has been a mentor for Shelley this season, told him before and during the game that he was going to get an interception. He was right.
"It's surreal, man," Shelley said. "It's a blessing. I just thank God for the opportunity, placing me here when he did. I just feel like everything came to fruition for me at the right time."
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