Good morning! Congratulations to Will Shields on his selection into the Chiefs Hall of Fame. An amazing player and good man. Enjoy today's Kansas City Chiefs news.
Shields was a rock for the Chiefs during a career that started in 1993 and ended in 2006. He was a member of what for a time in the early 2000s was the league's best offensive line.
Even playing with other premier offensive linemen such as Willie Roaf and Brian Waters, Shields was a standout. He was selected to play in 12 Pro Bowl games, which is tied for sixth in NFL history...
...Shields was also known for his many contributions to the Kansas City community through his Will to Succeed Foundation. The NFL honored Shields in 2003 with the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his extensive off-field efforts.
Will Shields Selected To Join Chiefs Hall Of Fame from KC Star
Shields was Kansas City's top pick in 1993, but only by default. With future Pro Football Hall of Famers like Montana and RB Marcus Allen surrounding him, Shields' arrival in Kansas City went largely overlooked.
"That was a great thing because when I first came in I wasn't ready," Shields said. "The first day I came to training camp and put on the pads, I was still behind both mentally and physically.
"I think it was a good thing that our team had all of those big-time athletes because it showed me the way to become a better player."
Overlooked Beginning Paved Will Shields' Path To Chiefs Hall Of Fame from The Mothership
"When I was with the Chiefs, we used to create a pot for our special teams guys, a lot of undrafted free agents. We used to create a pot for tackles inside the 20 or something like that. That's the only thing I've ever been a part of.
"If there are people paying to injure people, it's a sad day. We all do this for a living."
Former Chief Allen Says It 'Makes Sense' That Saints Had A Bounty Program from KC Star
Staubach recalled that he was drafted by the Chiefs in 1964 when they were still in the AFL. Staubach, who played in college at Navy, opted to play for the NFL's Cowboys once his military commitment was finished.
"Lamar is probably up there saying, ‘Clark, don't give an award to him.' " Staubach said.
101 Awards Notebook: Staubach Remembers Lamar from KC Star
Nobody drafted Edwards and he didn't forget. In a position of power two decades later, Edwards refused to automatically cross players off the board. When one of his colleagues called a player a "bad guy" for getting caught smoking marijuana, Edwards scowled.
"I looked at him and said, 'Marijuana? That makes him a bad guy? Ehh, I don't know about that,' " Edwards said. "I know a lot of guys that smoke up now. That doesn't make him a bad guy. A guy smoked the reefer or drank two six-packs of beer, to me, what's the difference?
"Every guy is different. You can't put them all in the same box. You really can't."
In NFL, Teams Often Avoid Risky Draft Prospects from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
To illustrate that point, I will point to an example from my time with the Kansas City Chiefs during which we routinely would reward players with framed pictures of their big hits in team meetings. This certainly didn't promote dirty play or encourage defenders to play beyond the whistle, but receiving recognition for a bone-jarring hit definitely was motivating.
Saints 'Pay For Performance' System Commonplace In NFL from NFL.com