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21. Donnie Shell

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21. Donnie Shell

Donnie Shell was a superstar at South Carolina State, so much so that he was named to the College Football Hall of Fame. This did not translate into a drafted selection for the Safety, but the Steelers signed him that year, thus adding to the four players that year who they did draft who entered Canton.

Shell made the Steelers team in '74, and he was a backup in his first three seasons and was a member of their first two Super Bowl Championship Teams.  Shell became Pittsburgh's starting Strong Safety in 1977, beginning a five-year streak of Pro Bowls in 1978, with three of those seasons earning him as a First Team All-Pro.  In this time period, Shell was the team's best Defensive Back, and he helped them win two more Super Bowls.

Shell played until 1987, finishing a career spent entirely with the Steelers, recording 51 Interceptions.

Shell was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020 as part of the 100thAnniversary Panel, and three years before he was elected to the Steelers' Hall of Honor in the first-ever class in 2017.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Strong Safety
  • Acquired: Signed as an Undrafted Free Agent in 1974.
  • Departed: Retired after the 1987 Season.
  • Games Played: 201
  • Notable Statistics:

    162 Games Started
    51 Interceptions
    490 Interception Return Yards
    2 Interception Return Touchdowns
    19 Fumble Recoveries
    47 Fumble Recovery Yards
    2 Fumble Recovery Touchdowns
    9.5 Quarterback Sacks*
    2 Receptions
    39 Receiving Yards
    1 Punt Return
    6 Punt Return Yards
    118 Approximate Value

    19 Playoff Games
    2 Interceptions
    23 Interception Return Yards
    2 Fumble Recoveries
    0 Fumble Recovery Yards
    0.5 Quarterback Sacks*

    *Sacks were not a stat until the 1982 Season but were unofficially calculated by Pro Football Reference from 1960 to 1981.
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Super Bowl Champion (IX, X, XIII & XIV)
    First Team All-Pro (1979, 1980 & 1982)
    Second Team All-Pro (1981)
    Pro Bowl (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 & 1982)
Last modified on Thursday, 22 September 2022 16:43
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