The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee announced on Saturday that former Chiefs G Will Shields will be enshrined as part of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015.
Shields becomes the 11th longtime member of the Kansas City Chiefs to be enshrined. He joins Bobby Bell, Buck Buchanan, Len Dawson, Lamar Hunt, Willie Lanier, Jan Stenerud, Hank Stram, Derrick Thomas, Emmitt Thomas and Curley Culp, who all have earned the NFL’s highest individual honor.
During his 14-year career, Shields was selected to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls, earning his first trip to the NFL’s annual all-star game following the 1995 season. He has played in 12 career Pro Bowls, which stands tied for first all-time in NFL history for most Pro Bowl game appearances. He received first-team AP All-Pro honors twice during his career and was a five-time honoree (first and second-team) for All-Pro by the AP. Shields was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
Shields played in 224 regular season games (223 starts) during his 14 years with Kansas City (1993-06). His 224 games played and his 223 consecutive starts with the Chiefs both rank first in team history. His 14 seasons donning a Chiefs uniform tie him for the second-most seasons played in franchise history. He originally entered the NFL as a third-round selection (74th overall) of Kansas City in the 1993 NFL Draft out of Nebraska.
The Fort Riley, Kan., native offered a stalwart presence on the interior of the Chiefs offensive line that saw some of the most successful offenses in franchise history. During those 14 seasons, the Chiefs ranked in the top five in total offense six times and ranked in the top five in rushing offense seven times. Shields helped pave the way for five individual 1,000-yard rushers during his time with the Chiefs. He was part of a blocking unit that helped Kansas City lead the league in rushing offense in 1995 with 2,222 yards and also helped block for RB Priest Holmes as he claimed the NFL’s rushing title in 2001 with 1,555 yards on 327 carries. In 2011, Shields was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and in 2012 he was enshrined as the 42nd member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame.