Donnie Shell

Donnie Shell (born August 26, 1952) is an American former professional football player who played safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1974 to 1987. He grew up in Whitmire, South Carolina, and played for the Whitmire High School football team, where in his senior season as a linebacker his team did not allow a single touchdown by opponents. Shell played college football under Willie Jeffries at South Carolina State University, where he was a teammate of future Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson and earned All-American and all-conference honors. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

Signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent, Shell spent his entire professional career with the team and was a member of the famed Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s. He started 11 consecutive seasons and retired as the NFL strong safety career leader in interceptions with 51. Shell was selected to the Steelers All-Time Team and to the NFL Silver Anniversary Super Bowl Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2020.