Hall of Fame S Donnie Shell was a feared defender with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and not just because he had 51 career interceptions. Wide receivers feared being near him as his physical play earned him the nickname “The Torpedo”. WR Lynn Swann saw up close in practice just how hard Shell hit when he knocked the literal snot out of John Stallworth with a hit.
That begs the question of whether Shell could play in today’s NFL. He was asked that very question when he joined Rothman & Ice on 97.1 The Fan on Thursday. Shell’s answer was about as short as the odds teams had of putting up points against the Steel Curtain.
“I think good athletes adjust,” Shell said. “I would have adjusted with a frown on my face.”
Shell got to see an elite defensive back adjust in the face of rule changes on his own team. Mel Blount had to deal with rule changes that prohibited contact by a defender down the field. He was so adept at locking down receivers that they named the rule after him. Rather than short-circuit his career, Blount continued to excel after the rule change. He had 17 interceptions in the four years after the rule change.
We’ve seen that the rule changes haven’t stopped there, either. Just this year, the NFL banned the hip-drop tackle. That angered many defenders, including Steelers DL Cam Heyward.
Unfortunately for fans of defensive play, this is the trend for the league. There is certainly an element of protection, but there is also the league trying to make the game more exciting. That means favoring offenses.
Mel Blount went through it in his career. He may have been unhappy, but he continued to play and excel. I don’t doubt that Donnie Shell would find a way to be a big playmaker. You don’t get 51 interceptions in a career by accident.
