Arman Shields is an American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 wide receiver

Wide receiver

A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

 who is currently a free agent

Free agent

In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

. Prior to his selection in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft

2008 NFL Draft

The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...

 by the Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

, he played college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 for the University of Richmond

University of Richmond

The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...

 Spiders

Richmond Spiders

The Richmond Spiders represent the University of Richmond, a member of the NCAA's Division I and a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except football and women's golf, which participate as members of the Colonial Athletic Association....

. He was drafted by Al Davis

Al Davis

Allen "Al" Davis was an American football executive. He was the principal owner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League from 1970 to 2011...

, who loves players with speed, and considering Shields had the second fastest 40 yard dash

40 yard dash

The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football...

 at the NFL Combine, it was a perfect fit.

Shields was placed on injured reserve, along with new receiver Drew Carter

Drew Carter

Christopher Drew Carter is a retired American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...

, FB Oren O'Neal

Oren O'Neal

Orenthal O'Neal is a current American football fullback of the National Football League who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft....

, and CB John Bowie

John Bowie

John Bowie is an American football cornerback who is currently a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...

. He was waived on July 29, 2009.

High school years

Shields attended Gonzaga College High School

Gonzaga College High School

Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington, D.C. The school is named in honor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16th century...

in Washington, D.C. and was a letterman in football and track. In football, as a senior, he led his team to a Conference Championship and was an All-Conference selection.