Jail bound Seahawks fan turns down $20,000 offer for game-winning ball

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Jermaine Kearse's game-winning ball was caught in the stands by Scott Shelton on Sunday. But Shelton, who wants to go to the Super Bowl, has to report to jail on February 2.
Jeff Chiu / AP

A $20,000 piece of Seahawks memorabilia fell into his lap on Sunday, but the jail bound Scott Shelton is refusing to give up his piece of NFL history.

Shelton is a 32-year-old unemployed father of two from Monroe, Wash. During overtime of Sunday's NFC Championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, wide receiver Jermaine Kearse made the game-winning catch which he tossed into the crowd. That ball was caught by Shelton.

"Wilson drops back. Throws a strike to Kearse," Shelton recapped to KOMO. "Pulls down the game-winning catch. He got up and chucked it into the stands. And it bounced about four times. And right into my lap. Just right into my chest. Like, just, boom! Just like that. And I jumped up into the seat and just screaming! It was just amazing! Amazing feeling! We just won the game. I got this thrown to me, by Kearse. It was, it was like a dream come true. It still is. I haven't woke up yet, you know."

Shelton's already received a sizable $20,000 offer for the ball from an Everett, Wash. based sports memorabilia dealer. However, the Seahawks' Kearse has already contacted Shelton to get the ball back.

"My phone rings, and it was Jermaine! Jermaine Kearse, you know? The Man!" Shelton excitedly told KOMO. "We were just talking about the game. He told me he wanted to trade his game helmet signed by the team and his jersey, for the ball. And then he asked me what (else) I wanted for the ball. And I said 'honestly, it would be nice to go see you guys whip New England in the Super Bowl.' So he's going to see what he can do about that. But I told him I wouldn't give it up unless it was going to him. I wouldn't want anyone else to have it."

It may be difficult for Shelton to attend the Super Bowl seeing how he is set to start a jail sentence on February 2 after the game. Shelton, however, is still enjoying his moment.

"This is a cool ball, man. To think that this is the one that I watched sail. The pass is still re-playing in my mind. It's been going all night and all day - really, that really happened!" he told KOMO.

The Seattle Seahawks will face off against the New England Patriots on February 2.