Sam Shields Samuel George Shields III ( born December 8 , 1987 ) is an American football cornerback / kick returner for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2010 . He played college football at the University of Miami . Early years . A native of Sarasota , Florida , Shields attended Booker High School , where he played wide receiver . During his senior year , Shields had 67 receptions for 1 , 201 yards and 22 touchdowns . Of those 67 receptions , 44 of them went for either firstdowns or touchdowns . His performance helped his team make it to the Class 3A Championship game . Shields was ranked the 17th best receiver coming out of highschool by Rivals . com . He received scholarships from the University of Miami , Louisville , LSU , and Pittsburgh . College career . Shields ultimately decided to play at Miami where he started in seven games out of 13 and played during the others during his freshman year in 2006 . Shields had 37 receptions , which was the most by a Miami true freshman since Reggie Wayne in 1997 . During his first start against Louisville , he caught three passes for 63 yards including a reception for 49 yards . His first touchdown pass came on a trick play when he caught a 37 yard pass from safety Lovon Ponder versus the North Carolina Tarheels . Shields also had the only two touchdown game of his career against Duke University . Miami was given a bowl bid to the MPC Computers Bowl against Nevada . In the bowl , Shields had four receptions for 101 yards and caught a 78 - yard touchdown pass to win the game . His performance earned him a spot as an honorable mention All - American on the freshman team by Sporting News . He was also named a selection to the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Football Team . During his sophomore season , Shields started five of the ten games that he participated in . On September 20 , 2007 in a game against the Texas A & M Aggies , Shields had a career high 117 yards coming off six receptions . Shields stated to win the game that his team had to trust each other , come out , play hard , and win . " He finished the season with 27 receptions for 346 yards and three touchdowns . Shields saw an increase in playing time and played in all 13 games during his junior year either as a receiver or on special teams . He had a season high three catches for 32 yards against the Virginia Cavaliers . Shields was also voted Miami ' s special teams players of the year . During his final season with the Hurricanes , Shields switched positions from wide receiver to cornerback . During a game against Georgia Tech , he had six tackles . Continuing on in a game between Wake Forest , Shields posted a career high seven tackles as well as a forced fumble and a fumble recovery . He received the Nich Chickillo most improved player award at Miami ' s award banquet . Professional career . Green Bay Packers . Shields was projected to be a seventh round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft but went undrafted after being arrested for possession of marijuana and signed with the Green Bay Packers for a minimum contract and a $ 7 , 500 bonus . In his rookie year in the NFL , Shields played the nickel back position serving as the third cornerback behind veterans Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams . Shields played in 14 of 16 regular season games , missing two with a calf injury early on . In the regular season , he had 27 tackles ( 22 solo ) , with two interceptions and nine defensed passes . During the opening game of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles , Shields and teammate Morgan Burnett became the first rookie defensive back tandem to start for the Packers since the AFL and NFL merged . The first interception of his entire career came against the Dallas Cowboys . He had one more that season against the New York Giants . During the playoffs , Shields added an additional 13 tackles ( eight solo ) with two interceptions , a forced fumble , and a sack . In the 2011 NFC Championship game , Shields intercepted Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie in the final minute to send the Packers to Super Bowl XLV . Shields recorded two interceptions , a sack , and a forced fumble in the game , the only rookie in NFL history to do so in a playoff game and only the fifth NFL player to do so since 1982 when the NFL began tracking sacks as an official statistic . Shields had 2 tackles in the Packers victory over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV . Shields suffered a shoulder injury late in the second quarter and saw limited play time in the second half . Shields started 3 games at cornerback in the 2011 regular season and contributed in 15 games overall , intercepting 4 passes and making 45 tackles along with 1 forced fumble . During the Week 3 Green Bay Packers at the Seattle Seahawks game during the 2012 NFL season , Shields was shoved down during a play by Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate at the end of regulation play that resulted in a simultaneously catch by Tate and Packers safety M . D . Jennings as ruled by officials and which gave the Seahawks their second victory of the season . The NFL would later release an official statement that acknowledged pass interference should have been called on Tate , but supported the decision to uphold the play .