| No. 8 – Vienna Vikings | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | c. 1998 (age 25–26) Navasota, Texas, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Navasota (TX) |
| College: | Trinity Valley (2016–2017) Northwestern State (2018–2019) |
| Undrafted: | 2020 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Shelton Eppler is an American football quarterback for the Vienna Vikings of the European League of Football. He has also played in the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA) Mexico and National Ligaen in Denmark.
Eppler was a three-year letter winner at Navasota High School in Navasota, Texas. As a junior, he was named the TSWA Class 4A offensive player of the year after leading Navasota to a Class 4A-I state title. As a senior, Eppler broke the Texas high school record by throwing 71 touchdowns passes in a single season. He also graduated with the fourth- and fifth- best marks in state history in touchdown passes (159) and passing yards (12,245), respectively. Rated a two-star recruit, Eppler committed to Trinity Valley Community College.
Eppler lead Trinity Valley to a combined record of 20–4 in his two seasons with the team in 2016 and 2017, as well as back-to-back wins in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl. He transferred to Northwestern State, an NCAA Division I school. Eppler threw for 2,639 yards and 26 touchdowns in nine games as a junior, earning Southland Conference honorable mention honors. In his final season, he broke the single-season school record in passing yards (3,587) and tied the school record in passing touchdowns (28). Eppler also broke various career records, including the career passing yards mark previously held by his head coach, Brad Laird.
After going undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft, Eppler began his professional career in Denmark, taking the Aalborg 89ers to the National Ligaen playoff semifinals in 2021, before signing with the Fundidores de Monterrey in Mexico. In 2022, he earned the MVP award after leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns, and he became the first foreign quarterback to win a Tazón México.