Post by TheShadow on Jul 26, 2006 18:36:13 GMT -5
www.raiders.com/
As legendary Raiders head coach John Madden prepares to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday, August 5th, we present a look back at the 16 proud members of the Silver and Black who have previously earned such distinction. We continue with Raiders left tackle Art Shell, who was enshrined in 1989.
A third round draft pick of the Raiders in 1968, Art Shell started on special teams for two years before becoming the starting left offensive tackle in 1970. During the next 13 years of his career, Shell became one of the best offensive linemen to ever play the game.
By the time of his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Shell had been selected All-American Football Conference six straight times (1973-78), was All-Pro in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and played in 207 league games, the third most in the history of the Silver and Black. He was selected to play in eight Pro Bowls and his career spanned three decades playing a total of 15 years.
In Super Bowl XI, Shell was credited with near perfect performance, limiting Minnesota's highly regarded defensive end Jim Marshall to no tackles, sacks or assists helping the Raiders defeat the Vikings by a score of 32-14. He played in 23 post-season games, including eight AFL-AFC Championship games and two Super Bowls victories (Super Bowls XI and XV).
According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame web site, many observers rated Shell, who was equally adept as a pass protector and a run blocker, as the finest of many excellent Raiders offensive lineman of the 1970s. Through much of his career, Shell teamed up with left guard Gene Upshaw to provide the Raiders with an exceptional nucleus to a forward unit that powered the perennially strong Oakland offense of the 1970s.
In college, Shell was named All-Conference three years and All-American two years by the Pittsburgh Courier and Ebony Magazine while playing as a two-way lineman at Maryland State-Eastern Shore.
His success with the Raiders continued after his retirement in 1982, as the Raiders offensive line coach from 1982-88, and as head coach until 1994, compiling a record of 56 wins against 41 losses. He was named AFC Coach of the Year in 1990, when the Raiders compiled an outstanding record of 12-4, won the AFC Western Division title and earned a berth in the AFC Championship game.
After a serving as an assistant coach with two teams, and a stint in NFL office, Art Shell has returned to the Raiders. Introduced as the team's Head Coach on February 12, 2006, Shell has become the first person to hold the post twice.
"Tradition, history, excellence, leadership is wrapped up all in one when you mention the name Art Shell; there is no question about that," said Raiders Owner Al Davis. "And here we are here today, still with great records, still with great tradition, great history, but we're going to do more for it than we've ever done in the past. The guy that I'm tapping, that the Raiders are tapping to lead us back - and we will be back - is Art Shell, the 15th head coach of the Raiders."
"I just can't tell you how I feel about being a part of the Raider organization again. There are certain standards that are very high and expectations are high. I understand that. The players have to understand that, the coaches have to understand that, and of course the whole building has to understand that," Coach Shell said during a press conference on February 12.
"We're about winning and we will win. We will be tough, we will be power, and I want the ability, as always, to strike from anywhere on the football field. That's important to me," Coach Shell said. "You know, people say, 'How are you going to change? Are you going to change what you've done?' I grew up in this organization. My philosophy has not changed. I believe in the things that we have done throughout the years, and those things work."
