Donnie Shell HOF 'er Finally

[fractalsteel]

https://www.steelers.com/news/statement ... y-on-shell

[anpsteel]

Awesome and overdue

My man the torpedo

I wish i could find the clip of him destroying Earl Campbell. Earl wasn't brought down by too many players, one on one, but in this particular instance, both players had a head of steam and Donnie leveled him.

[SteelerJTS]

The Torpedo baby!!!! Let's go!!!!! Boom.

[JackLambert58]

FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!!! Totally well deserved, and I am absolutely delighted for him. I hope this helps L.C. and Andy get in who are deserving, too! Gonna be a ton of Terrible Towels flying in Canton next August.

[Baltostiller]

Awesome and overdue

My man the torpedo

I wish i could find the clip of him destroying Earl Campbell. Earl wasn't brought down by too many players, one on one, but in this particular instance, both players had a head of steam and Donnie leveled him.

It's about Frickin' time. Well deserved Torpedo! Ask and you shall receive. Around 29:20 of this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqXAC_vID2M

By the way, Ham got trucked on this play...

[Havoc]

Awesome!!!

(poor quality on the video)

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96nQdmi_GXo[/youtube]

[Quixotic]

About time.

[R_S]

Awesome and overdue

My man the torpedo

I wish i could find the clip of him destroying Earl Campbell. Earl wasn't brought down by too many players, one on one, but in this particular instance, both players had a head of steam and Donnie leveled him.

It's about Frickin' time. Well deserved Torpedo! Ask and you shall receive. Around 29:20 of this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqXAC_vID2M

By the way, Ham got trucked on this play...

If that's the same play, Earl had the opposite of a "head of steam"

[SteelerDayTrader]

CONGRATS DONNIE !!!!

[Baltostiller]

So I have a Super Bowl XIII pennant signed by Donnie Shell, Randy Grossman, Sam Nover, Jack Fleming and Jim O'Brien. Is it worth more now that the torpedo is going into the HOF?

[Jobu]

So I have a Super Bowl XIII pennant signed by Donnie Shell, Randy Grossman, Sam Nover, Jack Fleming and Jim O'Brien. Is it worth more now that the torpedo is going into the HOF?

Only if you can figure a way to remove Sam Nover’s name.

I kid...I kid...

[rooneytunes]

This is cool but I have a question.

With all of these Centennial guys being picked and Cowher and Jimmy Johnson over the weekend, by my count the number is already up to like 10 people

Modern day finalists I assume will be announced the day befor the Super Bowl as usual? Hoping Troy and Faneca make it then. That will be another like 5 people right?


So the final number being inducted this year will be like between 15-20 people?

How long will the Hall of Fame induction show be? 12 hours?

[BethlehemSteel]

Long overdue. Congrats

[Pabst]

This is cool but I have a question.

With all of these Centennial guys being picked and Cowher and Jimmy Johnson over the weekend, by my count the number is already up to like 10 people

Modern day finalists I assume will be announced the day befor the Super Bowl as usual? Hoping Troy and Faneca make it then. That will be another like 5 people right?


So the final number being inducted this year will be like between 15-20 people?

How long will the Hall of Fame induction show be? 12 hours?

Separate ceremonies.

The centennial class will be formally inducted in September, but they'll be present at the normal ceremony in August

[rooneytunes]

This is cool but I have a question.

With all of these Centennial guys being picked and Cowher and Jimmy Johnson over the weekend, by my count the number is already up to like 10 people

Modern day finalists I assume will be announced the day befor the Super Bowl as usual? Hoping Troy and Faneca make it then. That will be another like 5 people right?


So the final number being inducted this year will be like between 15-20 people?

How long will the Hall of Fame induction show be? 12 hours?

Separate ceremonies.

The centennial class will be formally inducted in September, but they'll be present at the normal ceremony in August

Ahh

[anpsteel]

Awesome and overdue

My man the torpedo

I wish i could find the clip of him destroying Earl Campbell. Earl wasn't brought down by too many players, one on one, but in this particular instance, both players had a head of steam and Donnie leveled him.

It's about Frickin' time. Well deserved Torpedo! Ask and you shall receive. Around 29:20 of this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqXAC_vID2M

By the way, Ham got trucked on this play...

If that's the same play, Earl had the opposite of a "head of steam"

So, I didn't find or see the clip prior to posting. I was basing it entirely off of memory some 40 years ago as a 12 year old kid. I may have the specifics wrong lol

Edit, so I just watched that clip- and to my recollection- that's not the play I was thinking of.

The play I had in mind, was on the outside. Likely a sweep or toss. Earl had broken contain and was heading upfield for a large gain. Donnie came in full speed and drilled him. Not only taking Campbell down, but quite possibly saving a TD- as EC was beyond any other defenders.

[steelmann58]

one of my hero from that 70 teams Congrats

[Old School]

Awesome and overdue

My man the torpedo

I wish i could find the clip of him destroying Earl Campbell. Earl wasn't brought down by too many players, one on one, but in this particular instance, both players had a head of steam and Donnie leveled him.

If Donnie doesn't make that hit we likely lose that game, giving Houston home field in AFCCG. That hit was the linchpin to SB 13 & 14

[anpsteel]

Awesome and overdue

My man the torpedo

I wish i could find the clip of him destroying Earl Campbell. Earl wasn't brought down by too many players, one on one, but in this particular instance, both players had a head of steam and Donnie leveled him.

If Donnie doesn't make that hit we likely lose that game, giving Houston home field in AFCCG. That hit was the linchpin to SB 13 & 14

You remember it better than I do.

My recollection is limited it being an outside run, on a day the Steelers were having trouble stopping Campbell, and Donnie's hit saved what would have been a really long gain or possibly at Houston TD.

Also- fwiw- to my recollection the video of the play shows the Oilers on the left- Early running left to right and Donnie coming in from off screen on the right side- to crush him. lol

[Old School]

Awesome and overdue

My man the torpedo

I wish i could find the clip of him destroying Earl Campbell. Earl wasn't brought down by too many players, one on one, but in this particular instance, both players had a head of steam and Donnie leveled him.

If Donnie doesn't make that hit we likely lose that game, giving Houston home field in AFCCG. That hit was the linchpin to SB 13 & 14

You remember it better than I do.

My recollection is limited it being an outside run, on a day the Steelers were having trouble stopping Campbell, and Donnie's hit saved what would have been a really long gain or possibly at Houston TD.

Also- fwiw- to my recollection the video of the play shows the Oilers on the left- Early running left to right and Donnie coming in from off screen on the right side- to crush him. lol

I'm wrong. Oilers had 4 loses going into that showdown and we only had 2 but one of those 2 losses was to Houston in TRS on a bullshit call in a Monday night game. It wouldn't have been good to have been swept by Houston and we would have only had a one-game lead with two games left.

We played them in two consecutive AFC championship games both in Pittsburgh

[MJG75]

Congratulations, Donnie! Long overdue. The Torpedo finally arrives at his well deserved spot and recognition! The Strong Safety who earned his nickname while a ST demon for the Steel Curtain Defense in his early years, eventually playing his way on the 11 man defense, demonstrating his talent as one of the greatest Strong Safety's in NFL history.

The Torpedo's election makes it 5 members of the legendary Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s. Let's make it 7 with LC and Andy in the near future.

Could hit like a linebacker, cover like a cornerback. His hits were legendary, just like the defense he played for. If you remember or go back and look at films from that era, you'll see Donnie in the middle of breaking up a lot of passes that could have changed the outcome of games, including in SB XIII.

The HOF voters got it right. Congrats, Donnie!

[MJG75]

Awesome and overdue

My man the torpedo

I wish i could find the clip of him destroying Earl Campbell. Earl wasn't brought down by too many players, one on one, but in this particular instance, both players had a head of steam and Donnie leveled him.

If Donnie doesn't make that hit we likely lose that game, giving Houston home field in AFCCG. That hit was the linchpin to SB 13 & 14

You remember it better than I do.

My recollection is limited it being an outside run, on a day the Steelers were having trouble stopping Campbell, and Donnie's hit saved what would have been a really long gain or possibly at Houston TD.

Also- fwiw- to my recollection the video of the play shows the Oilers on the left- Early running left to right and Donnie coming in from off screen on the right side- to crush him. lol

We were having a lot of trouble stopping Earl Campbell that day. Donnie's hit changed the complexion of the game, as stated, and turned it into a close, defensive struggle, with a long run by Franco near the end helping to seal the deal.

It's true, there weren't too many who could contain and knock Earl Campbell out the way Donnie did. In the 1979 AFCCG, Mean Joe did just that, with some solid, earth-shattering tackles on Campbell. Campbell was Mean Joe's personal bitch that day, and you will notice that Campbell did very little that day, just as he had in the 1978 AFCCG (though without the weather excuse this time).

[COR-TEN]

hear ye, hear ye, the torpedo is recognized. Cheers, Donnie. A bit late, but well deserved.

[Scunge]

I remember vividly Donnie Shell as a hitter but what I think people/voters of the past few years never really understood is that he was a complete player, he was a ballhawk, came up with the splash plays.

51 interceptions, 19 fumble recoveries, scored 4 TDs. That is a combined 70 turnovers.

Yes, Minkah had a fine debut this season as our FS, had 5 INTs and 2 FR for 7 turnovers. Donnie Shell had 6 straight seasons where he had at least 5 INTs, twice having 7 INTs. He had an incredible 8 straight seasons where he had at least 6 turnovers. That to me is what I remember most about him, he was always johnny on the spot, could always come up with the big play, the turnover.

Somehow, to me, when people would talk about Shell for the Hall, they would just completely neglect the fact that he was a ballhawk, that he would get INTs, get forced fumbles. His hitting took on a greater emphasis to his detriment I think, voters and fans of today would pigeon hole him as just a dinosaur of some nearly forgotten age.

[fractalsteel]

I remember vividly Donnie Shell as a hitter but what I think people/voters of the past few years never really understood is that he was a complete player, he was a ballhawk, came up with the splash plays.

51 interceptions, 19 fumble recoveries, scored 4 TDs. That is a combined 70 turnovers.

Yes, Minkah had a fine debut this season as our FS, had 5 INTs and 2 FR for 7 turnovers. Donnie Shell had 6 straight seasons where he had at least 5 INTs, twice having 7 INTs. He had an incredible 8 straight seasons where he had at least 6 turnovers. That to me is what I remember most about him, he was always johnny on the spot, could always come up with the big play, the turnover.

Somehow, to me, when people would talk about Shell for the Hall, they would just completely neglect the fact that he was a ballhawk, that he would get INTs, get forced fumbles. His hitting took on a greater emphasis to his detriment I think, voters and fans of today would pigeon hole him as just a dinosaur of some nearly forgotten age.

He did in an era where the QB's only threw about 20/25 times a game.

[COR-TEN]

I remember vividly Donnie Shell as a hitter but what I think people/voters of the past few years never really understood is that he was a complete player, he was a ballhawk, came up with the splash plays.

51 interceptions, 19 fumble recoveries, scored 4 TDs. That is a combined 70 turnovers.

Yes, Minkah had a fine debut this season as our FS, had 5 INTs and 2 FR for 7 turnovers. Donnie Shell had 6 straight seasons where he had at least 5 INTs, twice having 7 INTs. He had an incredible 8 straight seasons where he had at least 6 turnovers. That to me is what I remember most about him, he was always johnny on the spot, could always come up with the big play, the turnover.

Somehow, to me, when people would talk about Shell for the Hall, they would just completely neglect the fact that he was a ballhawk, that he would get INTs, get forced fumbles. His hitting took on a greater emphasis to his detriment I think, voters and fans of today would pigeon hole him as just a dinosaur of some nearly forgotten age.

He did in an era where the QB's only threw about 20/25 times a game.

Although many of us highlight the physicality of his play, I certainly remember his ballhawking ability. It's just that in an era where hard hits were tolerated and encouraged, he was just as vicious as jack tatum, who was recognized as the epitome of physicality in a safety.

[Scunge]

Well, I would argue that Hines Ward, just as with Donnie Shell, that he is being typecast for merely being a physical player. That people look at him and say, yeah, his blocking, his nasty physicality is the only thing that he can make a case for as being 'worthy' of the Hall.

Just like with Shell, I think that is bullshit. Ward was more nuanced, more complex of a player than just being a great blocker, or a physical player.

Look, is it fair to say that when you take into account a player's numbers, catches, yards, touchdowns, etc, that you do so from the instant said player retired??

Ward's numbers weren't good enough?? At the moment of his retirement, at that point in time, Hines Ward was 7th all time in career catches by a WR.

After that 2011 season, there were only 6 WRs in front of Hines Ward in career catches, Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Chris Carter, Tim Brown, Terrell Owens and Isaac Bruce. 5 of those 6 WRs are currently in the Hall of Fame. Hines Ward was right behind Bruce with 1,000 catches, which was good for 7th all time for WRs.

TD catches?? Again, after that 2011 season, when Ward retired he was tied with Lance Alworth for 10th all time for TD catches by a WR. 85 TD catches.

Receiving yards??? Ward's 12,083 yards was 17th all time after he retired.

Ward retires and he was 7th all time in catches, 10th all time in TD catches, 17th in receiving yards.

What might those numbers have been like on a team that actually threw the ball more in the first half of his career? Remember Ben did not come to town until Ward's 7th season in the NFL. Ward had to wait 7 seasons to get a real, true franchise QB.

What for me pushed Ward into the Hall of Fame is that he did not turn into a pumpkin once the playoffs started. Ward was the same player in the post season as he was in the regular season, maybe even better, he upped his game against the best competition in the playoffs.

Other HOF WRs can't make that case. They were more like looks like Tarzan during the regular season and then played like Jane once the post season began. Marvin Harrison was the worst offender in this regard.

Ward in the post season had 88 catches for nearly 1,200 yards and 10 TDs, he had 5 100 yard games, a catch percentage of 64, he won a Super Bowl MVP.

Harrison? Marvin perennially shit the bed for the Colts, time and time again. Harrison had one game, one, where he had over 100+ yards receiving and 2 TDs, then in his other 15 games he had no 100 yard games and failed to score again. His catch percentage was 49.

If Peyton Manning had Hines Ward for his playoff games maybe the Colts might have won another Super Bowl or two.

With Hines Ward, it is his blocking, his physicality, the substantial receiving numbers he put up in an offense that was not geared toward that, and also the post season production that was the equal if not better than what he did in the regular season that will ultimately punch his ticket to Canton. Hines Ward had all of the bases covered, no blemishes on his career at all. He was not a choker like Harrison.

[MJG75]

I remember vividly Donnie Shell as a hitter but what I think people/voters of the past few years never really understood is that he was a complete player, he was a ballhawk, came up with the splash plays.

51 interceptions, 19 fumble recoveries, scored 4 TDs. That is a combined 70 turnovers.

Yes, Minkah had a fine debut this season as our FS, had 5 INTs and 2 FR for 7 turnovers. Donnie Shell had 6 straight seasons where he had at least 5 INTs, twice having 7 INTs. He had an incredible 8 straight seasons where he had at least 6 turnovers. That to me is what I remember most about him, he was always johnny on the spot, could always come up with the big play, the turnover.

Somehow, to me, when people would talk about Shell for the Hall, they would just completely neglect the fact that he was a ballhawk, that he would get INTs, get forced fumbles. His hitting took on a greater emphasis to his detriment I think, voters and fans of today would pigeon hole him as just a dinosaur of some nearly forgotten age.

Absolutely spot on, Scunge. He had a nose for the football that is certain. If you either remember or can find videos from games of that era, you will see this in action, Donnie is always around the ball, and even when he doesn't make the INT or fumble recovery, he is breaking up passes, many of them game-saving or game-changing plays.

Let's also not forget where the nickname came from. He was a ST demon before he ever broke into the starting lineup in 1977. He was a missile on the football field.

I won't make a whole other post for it, but I also agree 100% with your comments about Hines Ward. I might have my homer glasses on a bit for Coach Cowher's HOF selection, but if Hines Ward did not have a HOF career (much like LC Greenwood and Andy Russell), then I don't really know what it would take to be one.