A third time didn’t prove a charm for former Kansas City Chiefs guard Will Shields.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee announced the Class of 2014 Saturday evening, and the list didn’t include Shields, who was a finalist the previous two years.
Dec 31, 2006; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard (68) Will Shields in action. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Getting selected to the Hall of Fame are:
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks
• Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Walter Jones
• Buffalo Bills wide receiver Andre Reed
• New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan
• Arizona Cardinals/St. Louis Rams cornerback Aeneas Williams
Also selected for enshrinement by the Seniors Committee are Atlanta Falcons/Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Claude Humphrey and Oakland Raiders punter Ray Guy.
Shields, who was inducted in the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2012, entered Saturday as one of 15 modern-day Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists.
He retired in 2006 after a 14-year career, all with the Chiefs, that saw him become a three-time first-team All-Pro, four-time second-team All-Pro and a 12-time Pro Bowler.
The Chiefs selected Shields out of Nebraska in the third round (74th overall) in the 1993 NFL Draft. He appeared in 224 consecutive games and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s.
Meanwhile, part of the selection process involves a discussion among the 46-member selection board over each candidate before a vote is submitted, as pointed by Hall of Fame voter Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Twitter.
Williams’ original tweet on the duration of some discussions led to a brief Twitter exchange over how long it was for Shields.
@NFLCharean Out of curiosity, how long was the discussion on Will Shields?
— Herbie Teope (@HerbieTeope) February 2, 2014
@HerbieTeope Shields’ discussion was 14 minutes. He will go in soon. When the day started, I thought this might have been his year.
— Charean Williams (@NFLCharean) February 2, 2014
As for Shields, he looks forward to the process again next year.
Thanks KC for your support maybe next year.
— Will Shields (@Wshields68) February 2, 2014
Other awards
With Shields not making the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Chiefs also missed out on the major end-of-season awards by The Associated Press.
Andy Reid, who guided the Chiefs to an 11-5 season and a playoff berth after inheriting a 2-14 team, lost out to Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera for the Coach of the Year award.
Running back Jamaal Charles finished third for Offensive Player of the Year, an award won by Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, also the AP’s Most Valuable Player.
But for all the marketing and oversaturation of Fantasy Football by the NFL, Charles did win the 2013 NFL.com Fantasy Player of the Year presented by SAP.
Who knew that was actually an award?
