WHITMIRE — Donnie Shell, a Whitmire native and a former safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1974-87, has been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the Class of 2020.
The announcement was made on January 13 and following the reveal on Good Morning Football, Shell had this to say, “my wife says I talk too much, but that was the first time I’ve been without words. It was a great feeling, just to think about where I came from. Born and raised in Whitmire, South Carolina, a mill town, playing ball at Whitmire High School, then South Carolina State University playing football.”
Shell signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974 as a safety, and played for 14 seasons and 201 games.
The official release on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 had this to say about Shell:
“Signed as free agent and earned starting role at end of rookie season … Recorded interception in his first career start … Hard-hitting tackler and integral member of Steelers’ vaunted defense … Played in six AFC championship games and four Super Bowls … Recorded five or more picks in season six straight years, 1979-1984 …. Career-best 7 interceptions in 1980, 1984 … Two career pick-sixes (52 yards vs. Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 1, 1984; and 50 yards vs. Miami Dolphins on Nov. 1, 1987) … Picked off a personal best three passes in one game (vs. Cleveland Browns, Nov. 22, 1981) … Led or shared team lead in interceptions five times (1980, 1982-84, 1986) … Career stats: 51 interceptions for 490 yards … Recovered two fumbles for TD … Selected First-Team All-Pro three times (1979, 1980, 1982) … Second-Team All-Pro three times … All-AFC twice … Voted to five consecutive Pro Bowls … Named to Super Bowl Silver Anniversary Team.” (profootballhof.com/centennial-slate-for-class-of-2020-revealed/).
Following the announcement, Tony Dungy, a former professional football player and coach for the NFL, tweeted this about Shell, “I think I’m more excited today than I was for my selection in 2016. My mentor and brother Donnie Shell has been selected to the Hall of Fame Centennial Class. No one deserves it more and I can’t wait to see him put on the Gold Jacket in August. CONGRATULATIONS DONNIE!”
Whitmire Mayor Billy Hollingsworth said it is a great honor for Whitmire to have Shell as a part of Whitmire’s legacy.
“I was in a veterans meeting that he spoke at several years ago, at that meeting we gave him the Key to the City. Him being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame just proves you can be what you want to be if you apply yourself. Proof things are available if you just apply yourself,” Hollingsworth said.
Superintendent Jim Suber, who graduated from Whitmire High School, remembered going to the games while he was in school, watching Shell.
“I was in middle school when he was a player at Whitmire, went to all the football games and I remember the lasting impression he had on me as a young student athlete. How hard he played, how disciplined he was — the respect he had for fellow teammates, coaches, administrators, teachers and all who supported him,” Suber said.
Suber said that Shell never forgot where he came from, or the people. When Suber was an assistant football coach in Whitmire, Shell called and asked if someone would be able to bring his nephew — a student at the time — to come watch him play in Pittsburgh. It was a divisional playoff game, and Shell offered for them to bring other students as well.
Suber said that along with another coach, they took Shell’s nephew and another player to the game.
“Great experience, and a great experience for those two young men,” Suber said. “He never forgot where he came from, and he is a great success story for today’s student athletes.”
