Will Shields Embodies All the Best Aspects of Pro Football Hall of Fame

When guard Will Shields was drafted out of Nebraska in the 1993 NFL draft (74th overall), he joined a Kansas City Chiefs squad with a plethora of talent. Shields began his career blocking for quarterback Joe Montana and eventually paved the way for running back Marcus Allen.

Nearly 21 years later, the day before Super Bowl XLIX, Shields receives a knock on the door of his hotel room in Phoenix.

A man, with a couple of cameras from NFL Films capturing the conversation and reaction, informs him that he is one of eight men who will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this August.

“It is sort of a surreal feeling in a sense,” Shields told Bleacher Report. “You are becoming enshrined in the football arena that only 295 guys will be a part of after this class. You’re really in elite company.”

Before reaching the mecca of professional football, Shields started 232 consecutive games, including nine postseason contests, spanning Week 2 of his rookie season through the ensuing 14 years.

Shields landed seven All-Pro honors while being voted to 12 Pro Bowls. He was later named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team for his illustrious, astonishing performance prior to his retirement after the 2006-07 season.

Shields played a big hand in helping the careers of running backs Allen, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson.

By the time Shields concluded his career, Holmes and Johnson became the top two rushers in franchise history while Allen finished sixth.

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

In addition to protecting Montana, Shields helped signal-callers Elvis Grbac and Trent Green to terrific careers in Kansas City.

Not only was Shields surrounded by great talent, but he was also guided by an elite coaching staff, which included head coaches Marty Schottenheimer and Dick Vermeil, both of whom eclipsed the 100-win mark while coaching the Chiefs.

Shields played a taxing position in the NFL, as he dealt with hefty defensive linemen and linebackers. However, he managed to stay healthy and be available for every game in his 14-year career.

Shields learned early in his career that staying in shape was vital to a prolific, healthy tenure in the NFL.

“Of course my first year, I thought I was Superman and could take a month off,” Shields said while laughing. “I made it to my first offseason workout and almost passed out.”

After that, Shields took little time off and was always working to keep his body in shape, successfully avoiding the highly loathed inactive list.

Pro Football Hall of Fame	2015
Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame	2012
College Football Hall of Fame	2011
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award	2003
NFL All-Decade's Team	2000s
14 Pro Bowls and 12 All-Pro Teams	1993-2006
Started 223 consecutive regular season games	1993-2006

A native of Fort Riley, Kansas, just two hours west of Kansas City, Shields held a special place for Kansas City. Late in his career, Shields was presented with an opportunity to play elsewhere but decided to stay with the Chiefs and finish his career wearing red and gold.

“I chose to stay because of the simple fact that the team drafted me here and you want to stay loyal,” Shields said. “The other thing is your family is embedded here. To think of uprooting your family and moving was also one of the tough decisions that you think about while playing.”

After spending his entire career in Kansas City, Shields now resides in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, where he purchased a gym in Overland Park and renamed it 68’s Inside Sports.

In 1993, Shields founded the Will to Succeed foundation. Monitored by Shields and his wife, Senia, the foundation's goal was to help abused and neglected women and children agencies while also remedying literacy problems by creating scholarships.

While having a Hall of Fame playing career, having Hall of Fame character was more important to Shields. He received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2003 and is just one of 20 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with that honor.

Frank Micelotta/Associated Press/Associated Press

Shields has already worked on his speech for when he is officially inducted in Canton, Ohio. He has a list of people whom he is considering for his induction, but does not know when he will come down to a decision on who will induct him.

“I will sit down with my wife and go through the list,” Shields said. “She’s always the one who helps me figure out where to go and which way to lean.

“I’ve got a nice list put together. Her favorite words were ‘Sucks to be you. I don’t want to be in your situation to pick somebody,'” he laughed. “But at least she will help me with the process.”

Through his work on the field and involvement with the community outside of the gridiron, Shields exemplifies the characteristics that fans want from an NFL leader. His quarterbacks and running backs have the statistics while Shields has the Walter Payton Man of the Year honor all as evidence. 

Even after his playing years, Shields continues to be involved with the community. He is currently active with Safehome, a service for victims of domestic violence and partner abuse. He holds an annual kids soccer clinic from which all proceeds benefit Safehome.

To fans, that is the true definition of a Hall of Famer and why he is one of the fan favorites in franchise history.

Shields will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015 in Canton.

All quotes and interview material were obtained firsthand.

Statistics and honors courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

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