Art Shell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Art Shell

Shell in 2006
No. 78
Position:	Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1946-11-26) November 26, 1946 (age 78) 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 player:
Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders (1968–1982)
As coach:
Los Angeles Raiders (1983) Offensive line coach Los Angeles Raiders (1989) Interim head coach Los Angeles Raiders (1990) Head coach Kansas City Chiefs (1995) Offensive line coach Atlanta Falcons (1997) Offensive line coach Oakland Raiders (2006) Head coach
Career highlights and awards
As a player 3× Super Bowl champion (XI, XV, XVIII) 2× First-team All-Pro (1974, 1977) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1975, 1978) 8× Pro Bowl (1972–1978, 1980) NFL 1970s All-Decade Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team Second-team Little All-American (1967) 3× First-team All-CIAA (1965–1967) South Carolina Sports Hall of Fame As a coach UPI NFL Coach of Year (1990)
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 PFR
Coaching stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Arthur "Art" Lee Shell Jr. (born November 26, 1946) is a famous American former professional football player and coach. He played as an offensive tackle for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders. He was a star player in both the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL).

After his playing career, Shell became a head coach for the Raiders twice. He made history as the second African American head coach in professional football. He was the first in the sport's modern era. Art Shell is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Art Shell's Early Life

Art Shell was born on November 26, 1946, in Charleston or North Charleston, South Carolina. He was the oldest child in his family. When he was 15, his mother passed away. Art took on more responsibility to help care for his younger brothers and sisters.

He went to Bonds-Wilson High School, which was a segregated school at the time. He was a talented athlete there. Art earned all-state honors in both basketball and football. In 2015, he was honored by being inducted into the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame.

College Football Career

Art Shell attended Maryland State College, which is now known as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). This college is a historically Black college. He played both offensive and defensive tackle on the football team.

During his senior year in 1967, he was named a "Little All-America" player. He was also named All-Conference for three seasons. His college teams had a great record of 20 wins, 8 losses, and 1 tie. Art graduated in 1968 with a degree in industrial arts. He was later inducted into several Hall of Fames for his college achievements. These include the UMES Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.

Playing in the NFL

The Oakland Raiders drafted Art Shell in the third round of the 1968 draft. He became an amazing offensive tackle. Art played in 23 playoff games during his career. This included eight championship games. He also played in three Super Bowls, winning two of them: Super Bowl XI and Super Bowl XV.

He was named an All-Pro player four times. He also played in eight Pro Bowl games. Art Shell played for the Raiders for 15 seasons. He was known for being great at both blocking for passes and blocking for runs. He played many games in a row without missing one.

Art Shell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989. In 2019, he was chosen for the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. This team honors the best players from the NFL's first 100 years. He is truly one of the greatest football players ever.

Coaching Career

After his playing days, Art Shell became an offensive line coach for the Raiders from 1983 to 1988. In 1989, the Raiders' owner, Al Davis, made him the head coach. This was a very important moment. Art Shell became the first Black head coach in modern NFL history. Before him, only Fritz Pollard had been a Black head coach, way back in 1925.

Leading the Los Angeles Raiders

As the head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders, Art Shell led the team from 1989 to 1994. He had a strong record of 54 wins and 38 losses. In 1990, he was named the AFC Coach of the Year. That year, the Raiders won their division with a 12–4 record. They even made it to the AFC Championship game. This made him the first African American coach to lead a team to a conference championship game.

Even though he had a good record, the Raiders' owner fired him after the 1994 season. The owner later said that firing Art Shell was "a mistake."

Coaching After the Raiders

After leaving the Raiders, Shell coached for other teams. He was an offensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs (1995-1996). Then he coached for the Atlanta Falcons for four years. Later, he worked for the NFL as a senior vice president. In this role, he helped manage all football operations and development for the league.

Return to the Raiders in 2006

In 2006, Art Shell returned to coach the Oakland Raiders again. However, this second time was not as successful. The team had a tough season, winning only 2 games and losing 14. After this season, he was fired for the second time as the Raiders' head coach.

Head Coaching Record

Personal Life

Art Shell is the father of Billie Dureyea Shell, who is an author. He is also the great uncle of Brandon Shell. Brandon is also an offensive lineman who plays in the NFL. He was drafted by the New York Jets in 2016.

See Also

• List of American Football League players
• Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame