Seahawks fan: Catching Kearse ball worth it despite negative press

The Seahawks fan that scored the football Jermaine Kearse caught in the Sunday’s game-winning play says catching the ball was worth more to him than the negative press that’s followed.

Since Sunday, headlines detailing an impending prison term and the criminal past of Scott Shelton have appeared in Seattle and nationwide as press outlets followed his decision on what he’d do with the highly-sought after ball.

After sleeping on it, Shelton tells KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson that he decided to return the ball in exchange for a signed jersey and helmet from Kearse. Other offers reportedly included $20,000 from a memorabilia collector, but Shelton says you can’t put a price on this piece of Seattle history.

“It was an amazing play. We’re in the Super Bowl. It was just a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal, man.”

Catching that football among 68,000 other crazed Seahawks fans was like being struck by lightning, Shelton says, and he wouldn’t trade the experience for his anonymity or any amount of money.

“I’m glad it happened,” he says.

Shelton confirms the reports about his past are accurate. He will be heading to prison the day after the Super Bowl and serve a 26-month term for unlawful possession of a firearm. A search at his home turned up nine firearms, including an AK-47, an AR-15 and a stolen 12-guage shotgun.

Shelton tells Monson he thought he’d successfully petitioned Pierce County to restore his firearms rights following a juvenile conviction, but later found he was in violation.

Shelton says he’ll be leaving behind two young children, which will be very difficult.

“It’s really been hard knowing that I’m going to have to be away from my babies and miss birthdays and holidays and just watching them grow up.”

But Shelton doesn’t begrudge the media for researching his past.

“I have nothing to hide about my past. I’ve made some mistakes and I’m paying for them.”