Ernest Shazor

NFL player


ImageWidth = 150px
|DateOfBirth=birth date and age|1983|7|4
Birthplace=flagicon|USA Detroit, Michigan
DateOfDeath=
College=Michigan
Position=Safety
DraftedYear=
DraftedRound=
years=2005
teams=Arizona Cardinals|

Ernest Shazor (born July 4, 1983 in Detroit, Michigan) is a former professional American football safety in the National Football League. He went undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent. The Cardinals officially announced his release and granted him an injury settlement September 4, 2006.As of 2008, he is listed as an Arena Football League player, but is not on any of the league's rosters.

High school

Shazor attended Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, Michigan, where he led the Crusaders to their first Detroit Public School League title since 1991 as a senior in 2000. The "Parade" All American was selected Michigan Player of the Year by "USA Today" in his final campaign. He was rated the best prep prospect in the Midwest and the No. 3 defensive back in the nation by SuperPrep. He was a consensus all-state choice and a member of the "Detroit News" ' Blue Chip List (top-rated player). He recorded 224 tackles, caused two fumbles, blocked eight punts and intercepted 21 passes as a safety, and tallied 11 receptions and four touchdowns as a wide receiver during his last two years at MLK. Shazor was credited with 97 tackles, eight interceptions, two forced fumbles and blocked two punts during his senior year and posted 127 tackles and seven interceptions as a junior. He also excelled in track, clocking a personal best 10.7 in the 100 meter dash.

College career

Shazor played college football at the University of Michigan. Called the premier addition to the Wolverines' stellar 2000 recruiting class, Shazor redshirted as a freshman at Michigan. He appeared in 12 games as a reserve safety in 2002, posting 25 tackles (18 solos) with a 4-yard sack and two forced fumbles. He took over strong safety duties in 2003, starting the final 11 games. Shazor finished fourth on the team with 57 tackles (40 solos), adding eight stops behind the line of scrimmage, two pass thefts and three pass deflections.

Shazor's breakout season was 2004, as he earned All-America honors in addition to being a finalist for the coveted Jim Thorpe Award. He started every game at strong safety and led the team with 84 tackles (67 solos), including 10 stops behind the line of scrimmage. Shazor also had two interceptions, three pass deflections, two forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries. In 35 games with the Wolverines, he was credited with 166 tackles (125 solos), three sacks for minus-23 yards, 19 stops for losses of 72 yards, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also had four interceptions for 123 yards in returns and a touchdown and deflected 10 passes.