CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: Ebay, 2022
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
- Donnie Shell played DB at South Carolina State.
- He’d sign as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974.
- A key member of the secondary during the heyday of the Steel Curtain, Shell became a fulltime starter in 1977.
- Had 6 seasons in a row of 5 or more interceptions from 1979-’84.
- Widely regarded as one of the greatest FS during the Dead Ball Era.
- Played 14 seasons for the the Steelers retiring after the 1987 season and 201 games.
- At the time of his retirement, Donnie was the all-time leader at FS in interceptions, with 51.
- Jumped into the front office after retirement working with the Carolina Panthers as the Director of Pro Player Personnel from 1994-’09.
ACCOLADES:
- Pro Football Hall of Fame 2020
- PFRA 2013 Class of Very Good
- College Football Hall of Fame
- Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team
- Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor
- Pro Bowl 1978-’82
- All Pro 1979, 1980, 1982
NOTES:
Donnie was long overdue for PFHOF recognition which only underscores how disrespected the position is held by voters.
| TAC | SAC | FUM | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/a | 9.5 | 19 | 51 | 490 | 9.6 | 2 | 67 |