Entering the NFL as an undrafted rookie free agent out of HBCU’s South Carolina State with the 1974 NFL Draft class that went on to be the best in league history, Pittsburgh Steelers safety and future Hall of Famer Donnie Shell was admittedly overzealous and overconfident one day in practice.
Despite being an All-American at South Carolina State, Shell went undrafted, overlooked by all but then-Steelers scout Bill Nunn.
Getting an opportunity with the Steelers in 1974, Shell — who appeared on the “All Things Covered” podcast with former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden and current Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson Tuesday — wanted to make his mark by picking off the No. 1 overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft, that being Steelers’ quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
That backfired for Shell though as Bradshaw’s arm strength was eye-opening for the former HBCU star, letting him know immediately that Bradshaw was the real deal and the guy that as going to lead the Steelers to great things.
“Man, this dude could throw the ball 70 yards. He had a bullet of an arm. And people don’t know, he was a great scrambler,” Shell said to McFadden and Peterson, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “He did it by necessity, but he was a great scrambler also. But when you can throw the ball on a line on an out cut going 15, 20 yards and, and then running out…”
Bradshaw’s arm talent was rather remarkable. It was his calling card coming out of Louisiana Tech. Though he took a bit to get going in the NFL, a moment in practice showed Shell in 1974 that Bradshaw was a different breed at quarterback.
“I said, ‘You know what, I’m going to intercept this ball.’ But you know what? I never could get there, man,” Shell said regarding Bradshaw’s arm strength. “I saw the break. I saw it winding up. He threw the ball on a line, man. Threw it, not only threw it out here, but out to the sideline where you couldn’t get to it.
“So I knew then that he was special.”
That 1974 season was a special one for the Steelers, the start of the 1970s dynasty for the Black and Gold. Though the defense led the way in that dynasty, Bradshaw played a significant part in it, giving the Steelers that big-play threat in the passing game to perfectly complement the power rushing attack that the Steelers had with Franco Harris.
Shell wasn’t the only one who couldn’t get to some throws from Bradshaw. Though he threw 210 interceptions in his career, Bradshaw’s arm strength and overall talent were revered. That was, until an elbow injury in 1982 ended his career.
During his time in the NFL, few could even come close to touching the arm strength that Bradshaw had. One of those guys was backup quarterback Joe Gilliam, who ended up starting some games over Bradshaw in the 1973 and 1974 seasons before Bradshaw figured things out and led the Steelers on their dynastic run.
Arm strength wasn’t a major thing back then in the passing game like it is in today’s NFL, but Bradshaw’s ability and overall strength in that area were a clear leg up for the Steelers.
