Chronicling the announcement of Donnie Shell being inducted to the Hall of Fame

It took longer than anyone thought it would. But Pittsburgh Steelers bias aside, Donnie Shell can finally call himself a Hall of Famer. It took the NFL and their Centennial class of 2020, with the NFL celebrating 100 years of existence, but I don’t think Shell will complain about how or when he gets enshrined.

Just that he will have his bust forever immortalized in Canton, OH along with the other members of those legendary 1970s Steelers who won four Super Bowls in six seasons.

The NFL decided to announce the members of their Centennial class in a unique way. Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher and ex-Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson were surprised on live television, and the rest of the class was announced on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” television show.

Shell joined the show live to talk about what this honor means to him, but before that he received a very important phone call. Check it out...

After Shell received the call he spent time with the “Good Morning Football” crew and talked about his time in college, choosing the Steelers as an undrafted rookie and how Mel Blount possibly saved his career.

For the younger Steelers fans, you might know not much about Shell other than how he has long been viewed as a snub for the Hall of Fame. Here is a video of just what Donnie Shell brought to the legendary Steel Curtain defense.

Of course, following the announcement of Shell being inducted, Steelers Team President Art Rooney II released a statement. You can read it below:

Even Bill Cowher took to his verified Twitter page to congratulate Shell and to tell him he will see him in Canton this summer.

Former Steelers running back and NFL analyst Merril Hoge also chimed in with congratulations for Shell.

Former teammate and Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy was thrilled with Shell’s selection.

For a full list of players, coaches and contributors being inducted as a part of the NFL’s Centennial Class, you can see the full list below: