DT Danny Shelton Says Pet Pit Bull Helped Him Overcome Tragedy

Along his journey to becoming the Lions' newest defensive lineman, Danny Shelton had to face several adversities.

In 2011, Shelton, when he was a senior in high school, witnessed his two older brothers get shot -- one fatally.

According to reports, Shelton's oldest brother Gaston was involved in an altercation, and sought assistance after getting jumped. He called upon the help of his three brothers.

Shelton and his brothers did not hesitate to help out after Gaston was attacked.

Unfortunately, Olenthis Woods opened fire, and shot Gaston in the chest and Shelton's brother Shennon, age 22, in the head.

A third bullet never reached Shelton.

Shennon died as a result of the shooting, and Gaston was hospitalized after a bullet ended up lodged in his lung.

Shelton's mother, Oneone, always wondered if he would be able to overcome such a tragic incident.

Speaking to Detroit media via a teleconference, Shelton noted:

"Throughout my life and journey, (I've) faced a lot of adversity. That was probably one of the biggest impacts. It was a time where I was young. Didn't know if I was going to continue with my plan to attend the University of Washington. I had great support from my family, support from the team and it just really helped me keep my life in perspective."

Shelton added, "My mom, she was a single mother raising five kids. My brothers, my sister. They were all going through the same things I was going through. For me, I always took that into account when I was training and going to school. One of the ways that helped me was getting my first pit bull. She was a turning point for me in college. Stayed away from the party life. Started to build more responsibility, taking care of a dog."

Shelton joins the Lions after spending the past two seasons with the New England Patriots.

Entering his first season with the Lions, his career totals include 210 tackles, 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 75 games.

Shelton was originally drafted out of Washington by the Cleveland Browns in 2015 with the No. 12 overall pick.

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