Art Shell

Arthur Lee Shell Jr. (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.

Early life Shell was born on November 26, 1946, in Charleston or North Charleston, South Carolina. He was the oldest child of Arthur Lee Shell Sr., a machine set operator, and Gertrude Shell, who died when Shell was 15. After her death, Shell took on added responsibility caring for his siblings. Shell attended the segregated Bonds-Wilson High School, which no longer exists, graduating in 1964. He was coached by James Fields and Eugene Gray. He made all-state teams in both basketball and football. now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), an historically black college in Princess Anne, Maryland. He was coached by Roosevelt "Sandy" Gilliam, and played offensive tackle and defensive tackle on the football team. He was named a Little All-America his senior year in 1967, All-Conference in three seasons, and was named All-America by the Pittsburgh Courier and Ebony magazine in 1967. Shell's teams were 20–8–1. Future College Football Hall of Fame and NFL running back Emerson Boozer was one of his teammates. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial arts. Playing offensive tackle, Shell participated in 23 postseason playoff contests in the AFL and NFL, including eight AFC or AFL championship games, a loss in Super Bowl II, and victories in Super Bowls XI and XV. He was a four time All-Pro (two times first-team and two second-team), and was named to eight Pro Bowls.

Legacy and honors 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. In 2021, The Athletic listed Shell as the 76th greatest player ever. He was also a member of the 1970s All-Decade Team and the Super Bowl Silver Anniversary Team (1990). the Black College Hall of Fame in 2011, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. In 1989, the Raiders owner Al Davis hired Shell as his head coach to replace Mike Shanahan, becoming the first black head coach in modern NFL history, and the first since Fritz Pollard in 1925.

Los Angeles Raiders Through Al Davis, Shell is a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. As coach of the Raiders from 1989 to 1994 (at the time located in Los Angeles), Shell coached 12 games in 1989, and 16 games/year from 1990 to 1994, compiling a record of 54 wins and 38 losses. Shell 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. and Pro Football Weekly's NFL Coach of the Year Award. 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 (offensive line coach 1995-1996) and Atlanta Falcons (offensive line coach for four years before resigning in early 2001),

Head coaching record

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