TW: This article mentions details of animal abuse, death by suicide, and sexual assault that some readers may find disturbing. Resources can be found at the bottom of the story.

 

Prince Shembo’s career in the NFL only lasted one season; but he shouldn’t have been drafted to begin with. There has been a documented record of Shembo’s violent behavior dating back to when he was in highschool. The NFL continues to neglect to take any allegations that weren’t criminally prosecuted seriously. Thus, they create an environment where their players are led to believe their negative actions are acceptable. Shembo’s violence was able to continue in part due to his opportunity to play in the NFL after serious allegations were brought against him his highschool year of college at Notre Dame.

 

Sexual Assault Allegation

 

Shembo played as a linebacker for Notre Dame from 2010-2014. On September 1, 2010 Lizzy Seeberg (figure one), a 19-year-old freshman at Saint Mary’s College went to Notre Dame campus police alleging Shembo had sexually assaulted her. Seeberg said she had been in his dorm room the night before, August 31, with Shembo and two of his friends, then his friends left.

In a statement to the police she wrote, “he pulled down my tank top by the straps. He slipped them down my shoulders and proceeded to suck and lick my right breast while holding me down on his lap by his arms. I felt his hands start to move down towards my shorts as if he was trying to unbutton them or pull them off. I was still crying at this point and felt so scared that I couldn’t move.”

The next day, September 2, according to St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office and Seeberg’s parents, Seeberg received a text from one of Shembo’s friends reading, “Don’t do anything you would regret. Messing with Notre Dame football is a bad idea.”

 

A week later, ten days after the claimed assault, Seeberg died by suicide.

 

Five days after Seeberg took her own life Notre Dame police interviewed Shembo. A week later when Seeberg’s parents met with Notre Dame police Mary Seeberg said “they said they were pretty busy, because it’s football season and there’s a lot of underage drinking.” Shembo continued to claim his innocence. He was rarely publicly named at the time and continued playing football.

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The Notre Dame police informed the St. Joseph County prosecutor's office of the alleged assault almost three months after the assault on November 17, 2010. Shembo’s attorney at the time, Joe Power, told the National Catholic Reporter that Seeberg made up a “complete phony lie … this young lady was the aggressor.”

Almost a month later on December 16, 2010 the St. Joseph County prosecutor’s office announced in a press release that they would not be pursuing criminal charges against Shembo. In their statement they said “based on the likelihood that Ms. Seeberg’s statements- as a consequence of her untimely death on September 10, 2010 would be found inadmissible in a court of law because of evidentiary rules involving hearsay.”

 

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Shembo is Drafted to the Falcons

 

Having been able to continue on and to have a successful collegiate football career, even starting in all 13 games his senior season, Shembo was bound for the NFL. At the NFL scouting combine in February 2014 Shembo was asked more than two dozen times by prospective teams about the assault. It was there Shembo publicly confirmed many’s theory that he was the football player being investigated as a suspect in the Notre Dame / Seeberg sexual assault case.  

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Shembo said to ESPN, “I didn’t do anything. I’m pretty much… I’m the one who ended it and pretty much told the girl that we should stop, that we shouldn’t be doing this and that’s what happened. So, I don’t know.” This answer was good enough for curious spectators and Shembo was drafted in the fourth round as a linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons. 

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After Shembo’s time with Notre Dame he also told ESPN that he “wanted to talk about it” but his head coach Brian Kelly told him he couldn’t talk about it. Shembo said “I wasn’t in trouble with the law or nothing. No reason to talk about it. The reason I wanted to talk about it was just to clear up my name. My name was in flames, pretty much.” 

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Shembo went on to have a strong career for the Falcons. He played in all 16 games, started three times, and had 59 combined tackles. Shembo, who was 23-years-old at the time, was set up to have a long career in the NFL.

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Shembo is Charged with Animal Cruelty

 

On April 19, 2015 Shembo’s girlfriend at the time, Denicia Williams, called the police accusing Shembo of killing her Yorkshire terrier, Dior. Shembo was arrested on May 29, 2015 and charged with felony animal cruelty. 

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Shembo was subsequently dropped from the Falcons and was released from the Gwinnett jail later that night after posting his $16,700 bond. A statement released by the Falcons said “we are extremely disappointed that one of our players is involved in something like this. Accordingly, we have decided to waive Prince Shembo.”

 

 

Shembo’s May 29, 2015 Mug Shot

 

According to Williams, she had left Shembo alone with Dior. When she came back, Dior was unresponsive. Williams took Dior to the animal hospital where they died. An autopsy performed on the dog revealed Dior died from blunt force trauma. Dior had suffered from abdominal hemorrhaging, eye injuries, fractured ribs, head trauma, and extensive bruising of the muscles. In the police report Williams reports that Shembo had admitted to kicking Dior more than once. 

 

In August of 2015, Shembo tried to claim he killed the yorkshire terrier out of self defense. Shembo’s attorney, Jerry Froelich said in a public statement that Shembo had just kicked the dog after Dior had bit his hand when he was putting him in his crate. Shembo claimed self defense. For reference, during his time with the NFL Shembo weighed 258 lbs and the average Yorkshire Terrier (figure three) is 5-7 lbs. While grasping at a self defense claim Froelich added, “when you’re a small dog it doesn’t take much with the size he is.”

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Figure two, Yorkshire Terrier (for reference)

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Shembo ended up pleading guilty to the lesser charge of misdemeanor cruelty to animals. The charge came with a $1,000 fine and order to do community service. In 2016 ESPN reported that Shembo’s agent, Eugene Lee sent an apology letter from Shembo to 12 teams in need of a linebacker urging them to give him a second chance.

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In this letter Shembo wrote “I knew I was wrong, and I shouldn’t have reacted. I was really impulsive. I tried to make amends with her. It was my fault. I take 120 percent responsibility for my actions, period.” He went on to write, “ I thank Jesus Christ for what I went through because it truly opened my eyes. I was able to grow.”

 As for Seeberg’s claims and subsequent death, Shembo has remained quiet in the media, continuing to deny accusations and calling her death a “tragedy.”

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Shembo met with the NFL in November of 2015 and in the spring they decided to ban him from two games for his actions. Shembo attempted to appeal this decision but it was upheld. He began working out with another undisclosed NFL team after the incident but was never signed.

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Moving Forward

 

The NFLs response to acts of violence, both sexual and not, off the field is shameful. There needs to be actual concrete standards in place so that when someone is dropped from a team for very serious criminal charges along with other standards they don’t even have the opportunity to play in the NFL again. 

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In most cases involving sexual assault claims the survivors are left to watch their assailents continue to make millions on national television. In the case of Seeberg however she is not a survivor, she is a victim. 

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There are 1,696 players in the NFL and your chances to be one of them are slim. Of an estimated 84,835 college players only 1.2% of them will make it to the NFL. Along with the publicity and brand deals that come along with being among the few players are paid heavily. In 2022 the median salary for all positions in the NFL is $860,000 a year.

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There are many perks that come along with being drafted for the NFL and it can set someone up financially for the rest of their life. I strongly believe that for a league as exclusive as the NFL there needs to be more moral standards for their players on and off the field. Regardless of if someone was civically or criminally convicted there should be consequences for substantiated claims. 

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Even if the sexual act between Seeberg and Shembo were consensual the night in question and threatening texts from his friends afterwords are linked to Seeberg ultimately taking her own life. NFL players are admired by millions. It’s time the league starts drafting players who deserve that praise.

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In the book, We Believe You: Survivors of Campus Sexual Assault Speak out, authors Andrea Pino and Annie E. Clark dedicated the book to Seeberg and all survivors of sexual assault.

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Their dedication read, "To Lizzy Seeberg, who took her own life after her beloved institution failed to protect her, and whose assault was not taken seriously because of the status of the man she accused. To all survivors who struggle with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other invisible disabilities, who are made to feel inferior after sexual assault, we dedicate this book to you."

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According to the Youth Suicide Program people have been sexually assaulted are three times more likely to suffer from a major depressive episode brought on my the assault. In addition, 33% of survivors polled reported contemplating suicide after they were assaulted. This statistic is rooted in a variety of reasons that make survivors feel shameful and responsible for being assaulted. The NFL needs to listen. The criminal justice system needs to listen. Until they do nothing will change.

 

If you or someone you love has been affected by sexual assault there are resources available. 

 

For the National Sexual Assault Hotline call (1-800-656-4673) and visit 

rainn.org for 24/7 online chatting and alternate resources.

 

If you or someone you love is experiencing suicidal thoughts there are resources available.

 

For the National Suicide Crisis and Prevention Hotline call 988.

For alternate resources visit https://afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources