It's officially the 2018 season, and that means there will be some new faces around the Patriots locker room, like Danny Shelton. The Browns traded Danny to the Patriots this week.
While you can easily look up stats, there is more to Danny than his play on the field, and we're helping Patriots Nation meet the new defensive tackle off the field.
Here are a few fun facts about Danny Shelton.Â
1. Danny is Samoan and very proud of his culture.
Danny moved from Samoa when he was three, and he cherishes his heritage. He wore a lavalava, a traditional Samoan piece of clothing worn on formal occasions, for some of the biggest days in his career: his pro day, the 2015 draft and before Browns games. While Danny was interning at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle, he developed a workshop to teach children about Polynesian culture.Â
2. He and his wife crushed their Halloween costumes.
Danny and his wife dressed as Moana and Maui from the Disney movie, "Moana," and they nailed it.Â
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba7wiBulc47/?taken-by=immistalavalava71
3. He wore No. 55 in Cleveland for a reason.
Danny not only wanted to honor Junior Seau, whose influence on the game and in the Polynesian community is unforgettable, but he also wanted to celebrate his brother, Shennon. Shannen passed away in 2011 when Danny was a senior in high school. Shennon wore No. 55 during his football days, and Danny wanted to honor him by wearing it as well. Â
4. Danny and his wife are newlyweds.
On Feb. 24, the 55th day of the year, Danny and his wife Mara were married in Seattle.Â
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdIrFHdAxtF/?hl=en&taken-by=thefurrysheltons
5. Danny and Mara have four dogs, and they're precious.
And their family is more than just the two of them. Danny and Mara have four dogs: two huskies, a pit bull and a French bull dog. Of course, Moni, Juicy, Mojo and Juju are stars of their own Instagram page. Danny is passionate about animals and hopes to one day own a shelter of his own.
New England is happy to have Danny and a few more Petriots, as well.Â
