Donnie Shell
Safety | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | August 26, 1952 Whitmire, South Carolina, U.S. | ||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Whitmire | ||
| College: | South Carolina State | ||
| Undrafted: | 1974 | ||
| Career history | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
| |||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
| |||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||
Donnie Shell (born August 26, 1952) is an American former professional
Shell retired as the NFL strong safety career leader in interceptions with 51. He started 11 consecutive seasons for the Steelers and was selected to the Steelers All-Time Team, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2020), and to the NFL Silver Anniversary Super Bowl Team.
Early life
Shell grew up in the town of
Shell is a member of Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship Incorporated.
NFL career
Shell was a five-time Pro Bowler between 1978 and 1982, a 4-time All-Pro selection, and was the Steelers team MVP in 1980. He saved several possible touchdowns in Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV. He had been in the top 15 in balloting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame once before, in 2002 but with no success.[2] The Professional Football Researchers Association named Shell to the PRFA Hall of Very Good Class of 2013.[3]
In 2019, despite not being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he was chosen as a finalist for the NFL’s
Shell resides in Rock Hill, South Carolina and was the Carolina Panthers Director of Player Development from 1994 to 2009.[5]
He played in 201 games for the Steelers, fourth most in franchise history behind just Ben Roethlisberger (249), Mike Webster (220), and Hines Ward (217).[6]
On January 15, 2020, Shell was announced as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Centennial Class of 2020. He was inducted by Tony Dungy, one of Shell's teammates on the Steelers and later a Hall of Fame coach.[7]
Post-retirement
Shell previously served as Director of Spiritual Life at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. He currently lives in South Carolina and has three children and three grandchildren.
References
- ^ Shell inducted into Division II HOF Archived November 26, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved in 2006-07-25.
- ^ Pro Football Hall of Fame yearly finalists Retrieved in 2006-07-25.
- ^ "Professional Researchers Association Hall of Very Good Class of 2013". Archived from the original on January 4, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
- ^ "Defensive back finalists announced for NFL All-Time Team".
- ^ "Donnie Shell Announces His Retirement". 18 February 2009.
- ^ "Ward has milestones within his reach".
- ^ "Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Class revealed".