Sometimes life can deal a bad hand, but it also gives second chances.
Citrus Owls defensive linemen Jonathan Shelley is taking his second shot by playing football in hopes for a Division I scholarship. Though he did have a rough start getting to this point.
“I was born in prison, drugs in my system,” Shelley said. “They said I wasn’t supposed to make it.”
At a young age Shelley was put into foster care with his half brother in East LA. He said he remembers visits from potential parents.
A single mother first adopted his half brother, and later Shelley, so they could grow up together.
“Growing up was hard,” Shelley said. “I grew up in a mobile home — single mom, two adopted troubled kids.”
On first encounter Shelley is an imposing figure that stands out among the crowd like a defensive lineman should. But, on first interaction he brings a positive and likeable personality, leaving out the question of his difficult life growing up.
As a child, Shelley found an escape through sports. His first experience on the gridiron was playing flag football at Living Way Christian Academy in Pasadena, where he attended elementary school.
He started playing contact football at Charter Oak High School as well as basketball, baseball and track. But he said football was his main focus.
His high school football team was dominant during Shelley’s tenure.
But Shelley did not obtain individual success in high school. Low grades and arguments with coaches stumped his playing time and eligibility.
Shelley graduated from Charter Oak in 2010, and went to Washington D.C. to help one of his foster brothers with his political campaign.
After seven months, Shelley moved back and enrolled into Mt. San Antonio College. He said the decision was to pursue his dream of playing football.
He grey shirted his first year, which means he was not a full-time student, so by doing so he does not start his clock in college sports.
In his first semester, Shelley encountered trouble.
“I ended up finding out my foster mom was really sick and she was given not even six months to live,” Shelley said.
His foster mother suffered from Alzheimer’s. She became immobile.
“She lasted years man, it’s crazy,” Shelley said. “She was holding onto something.”
When his foster mother died, Shelley said the death “took a toll on him.”
He said after her death he just wanted to work and make money. He failed his classes at Mt. SAC and was ineligible to play sports.
Shelley moved to San Francisco to help his foster brother with another political campaign.
During his stay, he started working three jobs and started hanging out with the wrong group of people which got away from his academics.
“I got obsessed with the money,” Shelley said. “Coming from somewhere that didn’t have any money, literally nothing. Rock bottom, I hate to say it but it’s the truth.”
When he turned 21, Shelley moved back to Southern California to get back into college.
He was working and going to school at East Los Angeles College, but once again his job stood the way of his education.
He worked in the mortgage industry and moved up to a management position. Until, he finally decided this type of work was not for him even with the type of money he was making.
“I’m making the money, but I really wanna go to school,” Shelley said. “I started to realize materialistic items aren’t going to be there forever.”
In 2017, Shelley moved to Glendora with a friend, and enrolled in Citrus College. He wanted to play football before his age would not let him anymore.
“I knew it was going to be hard,” Shelley said. “I knew I was coming in older.”
Shelley did not play much his first year with the Owls, but trained in the offseason to become a starter.
Sophomore defensive end Grant Trueman played with Shelley last season and said, he did not start every game last year, but has seen a huge improvement from putting in the work during the offseason to become a starter on the team.
“He’s definitely a captain now, a leader on the defense,” Trueman said.
Now at 26, Shelley has stepped up as a leader for the Owl’s defense. Even earning the moniker “Uncle Shelley” because of his age and leader mentality.
“The step from last year to this year has been a huge change,” Trueman said.
Shelley doesn’t let his age or background slow down his progression.
“You can make excuses or you can use it to motivate you,” Head coach Ron Ponciano said. “Jonathan’s a motivator.”
“He’s a great kid and a great player.”
This season he has recorded 36 tackles and 4.5 sacks in nine games. The Owls finished the season 7-4 and 4-1 in conference play — drastically improving from a 3-7 record last season.
“This year is one of the best teams I’ve ever played with,” Shelly said. “We’ve had almost every position step up.”
Shelley received recognition for his performance.
“He’ll have plenty of options at the next level.” Ponciano said “He could be 30 and he’d still be getting offers.”
Shelley said he has heard from division I schools such as Tennessee Tech.
As of now, the recruits are not the first thing on his mind.
“I know (the scholarship) going to come, but I need to get the AA before I get recruited,” Shelley said. “I just want to stay humble and keep working.”
Though it took some time, Shelley brought football back into his life, giving him another chance in life.
“The best thing that happened to me was someone telling me ‘No one gives a f— about your story,’” Shelley said. “I think it’s kind of harsh to say, but that is what helped me keep pushing through.”
After all the struggles and mistakes, Shelley encountered growing up, he said he kept this static in the back of his head.
The National Foster Youth Institute did a 2011 study that said only three percent of foster kids graduate from a four year college.
“I don’t want to be seen as another statistic,” Shelley said. “I want to be seen as someone who could actually make it.”
