They just don’t play the game like they used to.
Former Steelers safety and Pro Football Hall of Famer Donnie Shell joined Bryant McFadden and Patrick Peterson on the All Things Covered podcast recently, talking about his playing days as well as the impact of HBCUs on his life as well as the NFL game.
Later in the show, McFadden asked Shell to walk through his famous hit on Pro Football Hall of Fame RB Earl Campbell back in 1978 when the Steelers were playing the AFC rival Houston Oilers on the road.
“Well, he was beginning to have a good day on us, and we had to stop him,” Shell said on All Things Covered, which aired on the show’s YouTube channel. “And I remember, it was kinda like a toss play. And he broke out and he cut back, and Mike Wagner came up. He turned him back to me, and then he gave Mike the spin move, and then I caught him in the spin move. Yeah, that was it. We needed that play at the time.”
When you watch the play above, you see Shell decleat one of the best, most powerful running backs in league history. Shell managed to catch Campbell off-balance as he attempted to spin out of a tackle attempt by Wagner, spinning directly into Shell’s grasp. Shell wrapped up Campbell around the waist, got him up into the air, and then pile-drived Campbell into the turf in the Astrodome. Campbell fumbled and the Steelers were able to recover it.
Campbell would miss the rest of the game, finishing the game with seven carries for 41 yards (5.8 YPC). Pittsburgh would end up winning the game, 13-3, after Campbell exited, having a tough time containing the rookie from Texas in the midst of a first-team All-Pro and Pro-Bowl season.
Pittsburgh would go on to win its final two regular-season games against the Baltimore Colts and the Denver Broncos to finish the year 14-2 record. The Steelers would defeat the Broncos again in the divisional round and play the Oilers again in the AFC Championship Game, blowing out Houston 34-5 before claiming another Super Bowl victory against the Dallas Cowboys.
Shell’s hit on Campbell lives in Steelers’ lore not only for the nature of the hit, but for what it represented at the time. Shell delivered a clean, textbook tackle that resulted in a turnover and forced Houston’s best player to leave the game, turning the tide into Pittsburgh’s favor. It helped the Steelers go into a hostile environment and secure victory, continuing a winning streak that would extend to eight games and put another Lombardi in their trophy case. Shell embodied Pittsburgh Steelers football during his playing career, and there may not be one singular play that represents what Shell meant to Pittsburgh than his hit on Earl Campbell.
You can watch the full interview with Shell below:
