Will Shields became the 11th member of the Kansas City Chiefs to gain election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
That news came down from Phoenix where the Hall’s selection committee voted in a class of eight that will be inducted in August in ceremonies in Canton, Ohio.
Joining Shields will be linebacker Junior Seau, running back Jerome Bettis, defensive end/linebacker Charles Haley, wide receiver Tim Brown, senior candidate Mick Tingelhoff and contributors Ron Wolf and Bill Polian.
Shields made the Hall in his fourth season of eligibility. The Chiefs third-round selection in the 1993 NFL Draft did not start the first game of his rookie season, but he finished the game and did not miss a start for the rest of his career.
He’s the first Chiefs offensive lineman to be selected for the Hall and only the second offensive player. He joins team founder Lamar Hunt, former head coach Hank Stram, quarterback Len Dawson, kicker Jan Stenerud and defensive stars Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier, Derrick Thomas, Emmitt Thomas, Curley Culp and Buck Buchanan.
The other members of the Hall of Fame class of 2015 are:
— Running back Jerome Bettis, who played for the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected with the 10th choice of the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Rams. “The Bus” played 13 years, appeared in 192 games and rushed for 13,662 yards – that ranks sixth among all-time rushers. Bettis had eight 1,000-yard seasons. It was his fifth year as a finalist.
— Wide receiver Tim Brown played 16 years with the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders and one season with Tampa Bay. He was selected with the 6th choice of the first round in the 1988 NFL Draft by the Raiders. Brown played in 255 games, catching 1,094 passes for 14,934 yards and 100 touchdown catches. He also scored four touchdowns on punt and kickoff returns. That yardage total ranks sixth in league history. He was a nine time Pro Bowler. This was his sixth year as a Hall of Fame finalist.
— Outside linebacker/defensive end Charles Haley played 13 seasons with t9he San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys (1986-99.) He came into the league as a 4th-round (#96) selection in the 1986 NFL Draft by the 49ers. Haley played in 169 games and was credited with 100.5 sacks, two interceptions, 26 forced fumbles and 498 total tackles. He played in 19 post-season games and was part of the Super Bowl championship team five times. Haley had five Pro Bowls and was twice named NFL All-Pro. He was a Hall of Fame finalist for the last six years.
— Scout/Personnel Man/General Manager Bill Polian actually began his NFL career with the Chiefs, serving as a scout for head coach Marv Levy who he got to know while working in the Canadian Football League. He also worked briefly in the CFL and USFL before landing with the Buffalo Bills in 1984 and spent nine seasons there, including four Super Bowl appearances. Polian joined the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995 as general manager for three seasons and then 14 seasons running the Indianapolis Colts. His teams won five AFC Championships and a Super Bowl with Indy.
— Linebacker Junior Seau made the Hall on his first season of eligibility. He came into the NFL as the fifth pick in the 1990 NFL Draft by San Diego and played for 20 seasons, 13 of those with the Chargers and then time with the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots (1990-2009). In 268 games Seau had 1,846 total tackles, 56.5 sacks, 18 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and 18 recovered fumbles. He was selected 12 times for the Pro Bowl and was first-team All-Pro six times.
— Center Mick Tingelhoff was selected as the senior candidate. He spent 17 seasons playing center for the Minnesota Vikings (1962-1978), appearing and starting in 240 games. Tingelhoff was a sixth-time selection for the Pro Bowl and five times was first-team All-Pro. He joins the Hall 37 years after his career ended and 32 years after he was first eligible.
— Scout, personnel man, general manager Ron Wolf entered the NFL in 1963 as a scout for the Oakland Raiders and spent 39 years in the league with the Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers (1963-2001). He has three Super Bowl rings from the Raiders and Packers.
