Art Shell
 Shell in 2006 | |||||||||
| No. 78 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | November 26, 1946 Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Bonds-Wilson (North Charleston, South Carolina) | ||||||||
| College: | Maryland State (1964–1967) | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1968 / round: 3 / pick: 80 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| As a player: | |||||||||
| As a coach: | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career AFL/NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||
| Regular season: | 56–52 (.519) | ||||||||
| Postseason: | 2–3 (.400) | ||||||||
| Career: | 58–55 (.513) | ||||||||
| Record at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||
Arthur Lee Shell Jr.[1][2] (born November 26, 1946) is an American former professional football player and coach. He played as an offensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and later in the National Football League (NFL) 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 (80th overall) 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.
Playing career
Shell was drafted by the American Football League's Oakland Raiders from Maryland State College (now known as the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore). Playing offensive tackle, Shell participated in 24 playoff contests, including Super Bowls XI and XV, and was named to eight Pro Bowls.
Shell was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1999, he was ranked number 55 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
Coaching career
Los Angeles Raiders
Through Al Davis, Shell is a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. As coach of the Raiders (at the time located in Los Angeles), Shell compiled a record of 54 wins, 38 losses, and was named AFC Coach of the Year in 1990, when the Raiders won the AFC West division with a 12–4 record, and advanced to the AFC championship game in the playoffs, becoming the first African-American coach to lead the team to the Conference Championship game. Al Davis, owner of the Raiders, fired Shell after a 9–7 season in 1994, a move Davis later called "a mistake."
After the Raiders
After leaving the Raiders, Shell went on to coaching positions with the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons, before serving as a senior vice president for the NFL, in charge of football operations.
2006 return to Raiders
Shell was officially re-hired by the-then Oakland Raiders as head coach on February 11, 2006. After leading the team to its worst record (2 wins, 14 losses) since 1962, despite having one of the best defenses, Shell was fired for the second time as head coach of the Raiders on January 4, 2007.[3]
Head coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| RAI | 1989 | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 3rd in AFC West | — | — | — | — |
| RAI | 1990 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC West | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Buffalo Bills in AFC Championship Game |
| RAI | 1991 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3rd in AFC West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Kansas City Chiefs in AFC wild card game |
| RAI | 1992 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4th in AFC West | — | — | — | — |
| RAI | 1993 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in AFC West | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Buffalo Bills in AFC Divisional Game |
| RAI | 1994 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3rd in AFC West | — | — | — | — |
| OAK | 2006 | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 4th in AFC West | — | — | — | — |
| Total[4] | 56 | 52 | 0 | .518 | 2 | 3 | .400 | |||
Personal life
Shell attended Bonds-Wilson High School in North Charleston, South Carolina. The school is no longer in existence. Shell is an alumnus of Maryland State College, now known as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, located in Princess Anne, Maryland. Shell is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. In 2013, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He hosts an annual celebrity golf tournament.
Shell is the father of Billie Dureyea Shell, the author of the Unfaithful book trilogy, and the great uncle of Brandon Shell, an offensive lineman who was drafted in 2016 by the New York Jets.[5]
See also
References
- ^ "Brother Art Shell elected to the NFL Hall of Fame". The Sphinx. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Spring 1989. p. 19. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ Cullen, Rick (January 8, 1977). "The spotlight for Art Shell". Salisbury Daily Times. p. 18.
- ^ White, David; Gay, Nancy (January 5, 2007). "Shell fired by Raiders again / Davis called coach's '94 dismissal 'a mistake'; apparently thought rehiring was another". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
- ^ Art Shell NFL Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks - Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ^ "Jets Trade Up, Take T Brandon Shell in Round 5". www.newyorkjets.com. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- Art Shell at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Art Shell at the College Football Hall of Fame
- 1946 births
- Living people
- African-American coaches of American football
- American Conference Pro Bowl players
- American Football League All-Star players
- American Football League players
- American football offensive tackles
- Atlanta Falcons coaches
- College Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Kansas City Chiefs coaches
- Los Angeles Raiders coaches
- Los Angeles Raiders head coaches
- Los Angeles Raiders players
- Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks football players
- Oakland Raiders head coaches
- Oakland Raiders players
- People from North Charleston, South Carolina
- Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Players of American football from Charleston, South Carolina
- 21st-century African-American sportspeople
- 20th-century African-American sportspeople
- National Football League executives