HOF Safety Donnie Shell Hopes He’s Not Last 70s Steeler Enshrined, Make Case for L.C. Greenwood

PITTSBURGH — Steelers president Art Rooney II said on Steelers Nation Radio on Saturday that safety Donnie Shell, who was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this August, might be the last member of the 1970s Steelers to enter immortality in Canton.

Shell joined cornerback Mel Blount, quarterback Terry Bradshaw, defensive tackle Joe Greene, linebacker Jam Ham, linebacker Jack Lambert, head coach Chuck Noll, scout Bill Nunn, founder Art Rooney Sr., chairman Daniel Rooney, wide receiver John Stallworth, wide receiver Lynn Swann and center Mike Webster as members of the Steelers’ four Super Bowl champions in the Hall of Fame.

But the number of potential future candidates is dwindling, as Rooney acknowledged. Shell doesn’t see it that way. Wearing sneakers adorned with the number 68 for his Hall of Fame ring ceremony at Heinz Field on Sunday, Shell believes that defensive end L.C. Greenwood should join him and the others in the Hall of Fame.

“He played in a era before they were recording sacks,” Shell said. “The thing about L.C., as good of a pass rushers as he was, he was a great run defender. I was on his side, with Jack Ham in the middle, I was on the outside and L.C. was on the inside. He played the run extremely well. He doesn’t get credit for that because he was a prolific pass rusher, but he played the run from the 4-3 defense, from the end perspective quite well.”