Shields was born in Fort Riley, Kansas.[1] He graduated from Lawton High School in Lawton, Oklahoma,[2] where he played for the Lawton Wolverines high school football team.
College career[]
While attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Shields played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team from 1989 through 1992. Shields was a consensus first-team All-American and Outland Trophy winner during his final year at Nebraska. He is one of eight Cornhuskers players to win the Outland Trophy. In 1999 he was selected to the Nebraska All-Century Football Team via fan poll and to the All-Century Nebraska football team by Gannett News Service. In 2002 he was named to the Athlon Sports Nebraska All-Time Team. He is one of only sixteen Cornhuskers to have his jersey retired by the team. In 1999 Shields was selected as an offensive guard to the Walter Camp Football Foundation College Football All Century Team. The other offensive guards selected were John Hannah of Alabama, Aaron Taylor of Nebraska, Brad Budde of USC, Dean Steinkuhler of Nebraska and Jim Parker of Ohio State. Shields was one of six Nebraska Cornhuskers selected to this team; the others being Johnny Rodgers, Dave Rimington, Steinkuhler, Tommie Frazier and Taylor.
Shields blocked for Marcus Allen, Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson during his career. He had blocked for 1,000-yard rushers for five seasons. He blocked for 4,000-yard passers for five seasons while Elvis Grbac did it in 2000 and Trent Green in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In fourteen seasons, Shields never missed a game, and he failed to start only one contest, his first regular-season outing, as a rookie in 1993.[6] On April 15, 2007, following 14 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, he announced his retirement from football.[6]
Life after football[]
Shields currently works for the NFL Legends community and is a member of the CPA selection committee. Shields is married with his wife Senia, they have one daughter, Sanayika (30), and two sons, Shavon (28) and Solomon (26). The Shields family resides in Overland Park, Kansas.
Honors[]
In 2003 Shields was the recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, for his work in The "Will to Succeed" Foundation, the charitable organization he started in 1993.
On March 3, 2012 it was announced that Shields will be inducted into the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame. The official induction ceremony happened during the Chiefs alumni weekend during the Chiefs 2012 season.[8]
Shields was inducted into NFL Hall of fame in 2015.
A member of every hall of fame he is eligible for.
References[]
↑National Football League, Historical Players, Will Shields. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
↑databaseFootball.com, Players, Will Shields. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
