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 Lee Shell Jr. (born November 26, 1946) is a famous American football player and coach. He played as an offensive tackle for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders. He was drafted by the Raiders in 1968 after playing college football at Maryland State College.

Art Shell later 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 modern era of the sport. Shell is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Early Life and High School

Art Shell was born on November 26, 1946, in Charleston, South Carolina. He attended Bonds-Wilson High School, which was a segregated school. While there, he was coached by James Fields and Eugene Gray.

Shell was a talented athlete in high school. He 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

Shell went to Maryland State College, 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.

His coach was Roosevelt "Sandy" Gilliam. In 1967, his senior year, he was named a Little All-American. He also earned All-Conference honors for three seasons. Shell graduated in 1968 with a degree in industrial arts. He was inducted into the UMES Hall of Fame in 1984. He also joined the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Professional Playing Career

The Oakland Raiders drafted Art Shell in the third round of the 1968 draft. He played as an offensive tackle. Shell played in 23 playoff games during his career. This included eight championship games.

He helped the Raiders win two Super Bowls: XI and XV. Shell was named an All-Pro four times. He was also selected for eight Pro Bowls.

Art Shell's Raiders jersey is shown displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Shell played for the Raiders for 15 seasons. He started as a special teams player for two years. Then he became a key part of the offensive line. He was excellent at both blocking for passes and runs.

Shell played 156 games in a row for the Raiders. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989. In 2019, he was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was also part of the 1970s All-Decade Team.

Coaching Career

After his playing days, Shell became an offensive line coach for the Raiders. He coached from 1983 to 1988. In 1989, Raiders owner Al Davis made Shell the team's head coach.

This was a very important moment. Art Shell became the first black head coach in the modern NFL. The last black head coach before him was Fritz Pollard in 1925.

Coaching the Los Angeles Raiders

Shell coached the Raiders from 1989 to 1994. During this time, the team was located in Los Angeles. He led the team to 54 wins and 38 losses. In 1990, Shell was named the AFC Coach of the Year.

That year, the Raiders won their division with a 12–4 record. They also reached the AFC Championship Game. This made him the first African-American coach to lead a team to a conference championship. Al Davis fired Shell after the 1994 season. Davis later said this 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 from 1995 to 1996. He then coached for the Atlanta Falcons for four years.

Later, he worked for the NFL as a senior vice president. He was in charge of football operations.

Return to the Oakland Raiders in 2006

On February 11, 2006, Art Shell returned to coach the Oakland Raiders. However, this second time was not as successful. The team had a record of 2 wins and 14 losses. This was their worst record since 1962. Shell was fired again on January 4, 2007.

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 Shell is an offensive lineman who was drafted by the New York Jets in 2016.

See Also

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