Monday, February 03, 2025, 3:54AM |  37°
MENU
Advertisement
Steelers great Donnie Shell at his induction ceremony to the Black College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
4
MORE

Famed Steeler Donnie Shell enshrined in Black College Football Hall of Fame

Rory Sharrock / Special to the Post-Gazette

Famed Steeler Donnie Shell enshrined in Black College Football Hall of Fame

ATLANTA - Ever since he first buckled up a chinstrap as a lad in rural Whitemire, S.C., Donnie Shell has attained greatness on the football field.

He excelled as a defensive stud at South Carolina State University. He later transferred those talents to the professional ranks, winning four Super Bowl rings as a member of the famed Steel Curtain Defense. Shell also played in five Pro Bowls and was a three-time AP All Pro.

Now, at age 62, he is still standing tall as a dominant football figure.

Advertisement

This past weekend, Shell was honored for his skills as a student-athlete as he was enshrined in the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Shell was inducted with six other greats from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) who left a lasting legacy on the sport at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

“It’s amazing. I was very excited when I heard the news in November. I was an All Pro and won four Super Bowls, but when you’re honored by historically black colleges, a place where I came from, it’s a different type of excitement,” said Shell. “When I went to South Carolina State University, I received more than an education. I learned how to move forward in life, and that’s what you get when you go to an HBCU.”

Before becoming an intimidating force in the secondary with the Steelers, Shell struck fear in the hearts of offensive players as first linebacker and then strong safety with the Bulldogs. Shell enjoyed a fruitful four-year stint (1970-73) at the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision formally Division I-AA) school in Orangeburg. He capped off his senior season by being named First Team All Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and AP All-American.

Oddly, after receiving all these postseason accolades, his name was left off the draft board of every team in 1974. However, this didn’t derail him from fulfilling his dream of playing in the NFL. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Steelers and embarked upon an illustrious career with one of pro football’s most notable dynasties.

Advertisement

“I just wanted an opportunity and Pittsburgh was a team that fit for me. They gave me a fair chance, I worked hard and made the team,” said Shell.

Joining Shell as a classmate in the Black College Football Hall of Fame was the late L.C. Greenwood. The towering defensive end, who died in 2013, was a monster player at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff before suiting up for Pittsburgh in 1969. While at UAPB, Greenwood bullied offensive linemen, quarterbacks and running backs on a weekly basis. This habitual excellence earned him Ebony All American honors during his senior year.

“L.C. was beloved all throughout Canton, Mississippi,, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and Pittsburgh. This was special evening,” said L.C.’s sister, Annie Greenwood, who accepted the Hall of Fame honor on her brother’s behalf.

Shell and Greenwood were championship teammates in the 1970s. Now, they are immortal icons of HBCU royalty.

“L.C. was a great person and mentor to me as well as to a lot of others on the team. He was an HBCU guy that took me under his wing, taught what to say, what not to say, and how to act,” said Shell.

Along with Shell and Greenwood, the Black College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015 includes Ken Riley (FAMU), Ernie Ladd (Grambling State), Roger Brown (Maryland Eastern Shore), Richard Dent (Tennessee State) and W.C. Gorden (former head coach, Jackson State).

First Published: March 2, 2015, 9:43 p.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
President Richard M. Nixon, who named the “Madman Theory” for scaring other nations into doing what the U.S. wanted. President Donald Trump has adopted it for his own foreign policy. Here Nixon points to transcripts of conversations in the Oval Office, which would later help force him to resign.
1
opinion
David M. Shribman: Donald Trump acts on Richard Nixon’s ‘madman theory’
PNC Bank corporate headquarters in Downtown.
2
business
PNC accused of short-changing clients in low-yield accounts
Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka catches a touchdown pass as Oregon defensive back Brandon Johnson defends during the first half in the quarterfinals of the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif.
3
sports
Brian Batko’s post-Senior Bowl Steelers 7-round mock draft: Best playmaker available
FILE - A boat is seen on the Susitna River near Talkeetna, Alaska, on Sunday, June 13, 2021, with Denali in the background. Denali, the tallest mountain on the North American continent, is located about 60 miles northwest of Talkeetna.
4
news
Alaskans say Trump can change the name of Denali but can't make people call it Mount McKinley
Elise Duckworth is a 17-year-old Pine-Richland junior who has spoken out against a proposed library book policy that would give the school board more authority over which books are permitted in the library, while allowing them to make the final call on challenged books.
5
news
Meet the Pine-Richland student fighting to keep access to books in her school
Steelers great Donnie Shell at his induction ceremony to the Black College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.  (Rory Sharrock / Special to the Post-Gazette)
A pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs Anthony Hancock, right is broken up by Steelers Donnie Shell, 31, 1987.  (Marlene Karas/Post-Gazette Archives)
Donnie Shell in 1982.  (Courtesy of Pittsburgh Steelers)
From left, Steeler greats Mike Merriweather, John Stallworth, Donnie Shell, Joe Greene and Dwayne Woodruff at the 2009 Mel Blount Youth Home All-Star Celebrity Roast.  (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)
Rory Sharrock / Special to the Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST sports
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story