Art Shell
Arthur Lee Shell Jr. is an American former professional football player and coach. He played as an football position)|offensive tackle] in the American Football League and later in the National Football League for the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders. He played college football at Maryland State College—now University of Maryland Eastern Shore—and was drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft. He was later a twice head coach for the Raiders. He holds the distinction of becoming the second African American head coach in the history of professional football and the first in the sport's modern era. Shell was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013 and into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
Early life
Shell was born on November 26, 1946, in Charleston or North Charleston, South Carolina. He was the oldest child of Arthur Lee Shell Sr., a machine set operator, and Gertrude Shell, who died when Shell was 15. After her death, Shell took on added responsibility caring for his siblings. Shell attended the segregated Bonds-Wilson High School, which no longer exists, graduating in 1964. He was coached by James Fields and Eugene Gray. He made all-state teams in both basketball and football.In 2015, Shell was inducted into the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame.
College
Shell went to college at Maryland State College, now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, an historically black college in Princess Anne, Maryland. He was coached by Roosevelt "Sandy" Gilliam, and played offensive tackle and defensive tackle on the football team. He was named a Little All-America his senior year in 1967, All-Conference in three seasons, and was named All-America by the Pittsburgh Courier and Ebony magazine in 1967. Shell's teams were 20–8–1. Future College Football Hall of Fame and NFL running back Emerson Boozer was one of his teammates. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial arts. Shell is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.Playing career
Shell was drafted in the third round by the American Football League's Oakland Raiders. Playing offensive tackle, Shell participated in 23 postseason playoff contests in the AFL and NFL, including eight AFC or AFL championship games, a loss in Super Bowl II, and victories in Super Bowls XI and XV. He was a four time All-Pro, and was named to eight Pro Bowls.He played 15 seasons for the Raiders. He was a top special teams player his first two years, and then moved to offensive line in his third year, becoming equally adept at pass and run blocking. Shell played 156 straight games for the Raiders until he suffered a preseason injury in 1979, and after he recovered, Shell played another 51 straight games until he was injured again in 1982, his final season. Shell played next to Hall of Fame and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team|100th Anniversary All-Time] teammate guard Gene Upshaw in three different decades. He was also offensive linemates with Hall of Fame and 100th Anniversary All-Time teammate Jim Otto and Hall of Fame offensive tackle Bob Brown.
Legacy and honors
Shell was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989. In 2019, he was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 1999, he was ranked number 55 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. In 2021, The Athletic listed Shell as the 76th greatest player ever. He was also a member of the 1970s All-Decade Team and the Super Bowl Silver Anniversary Team.He was inducted into the UMES Hall of Fame in 1984, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2006, the Black College Hall of Fame in 2011, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Since 2000, Shell has held the UMES Celebrity Golf Classic, a celebrity golf tournament.