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.

Art Shell
refer to caption
Shell in 2006
No. 78
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1946-11-26) November 26, 1946 (age 77)
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:
Career highlights and awards
As a player
As a coach
Career AFL/NFL statistics
Games played:207
Games started:169
Fumble recoveries:8
Head coaching record
Regular season:56–52 (.519)
Postseason:2–3 (.400)
Career:58–55 (.513)
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR
Coaching stats at PFR

Playing career edit

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 edit

Los Angeles Raiders edit

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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Brother Art Shell elected to the NFL Hall of Fame". The Sphinx. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Spring 1989. p. 19. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  2. ^ Cullen, Rick (January 8, 1977). "The spotlight for Art Shell". Salisbury Daily Times. p. 18.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Art Shell NFL Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks - Pro-Football-Reference.com
  5. ^ "Jets Trade Up, Take T Brandon Shell in Round 5". www.newyorkjets.com. Retrieved April 30, 2016.

External links edit