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Hall of Fame profile: Kansas City Chiefs G Will Shields

The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2015 gets inducted on Saturday. Shutdown Corner will profile the eight new Hall of Famers over the next week looking at each of their careers and their impact on the game.

Will Shields
Kansas City Chiefs, 1993-2006
Guard

Greatest moment

Shields will forever be known as a Chief, with his dedication to the team for 14 years, and among one of the best guards to ever play. He started 223 consecutive games and went to 12 Pro Bowls.

In a career highlighted by paving routes for running backs, perhaps his best feat is helping anchor a line that in 1994 yielded 19 sacks, a team record for fewest in a season. That year was Joe Montana's final season in the NFL.

Impact on the game

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Shields was the third-round, 74th overall pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1993 draft. His first start was the second game of that season, Sept. 12 against the Houston Oilers. In that rookie season, Shields made an immediate impact, leading the Chiefs to their first division title since 1971. He would become a bedrock in the Chiefs' starting lineup.

During Shields' career, the Chiefs won four division titles and made six playoff appearances, including the AFC championship game in the 1993 season. Shields made the Pro Bowl following his 1995 season, the first of 12 straight Pro Bowl appearances.

Shields was recognized as first-team All-Pro in 1999, 2002 and 2003. Shields was a driving force offensively for a Chiefs team that led the entire NFL in total yards in 2004 and 2005.

While Shields is known for his relentless grit on the football field, his impact on the game goes much further. As a rookie, Shields and his wife Senia started "Will to Succeed Foundation," an organization that aims to improve the lives of women and children. In 2003 Shields won the Walter Payton Man of the Year honor.

Case against his bust in Canton

Shields' career is often highlighted with his commitment to people and different communities off the field. While noble, this isn't a qualification for the Hall of Fame. The Chiefs never reached a Super Bowl with Shields.

Case for his bust in Canton

Besides never missing a game in 14 seasons, he made everyone around him better. Shields helped pave the way for running backs like Marcus Allen, Priest Holmes (three straight 1,400 yard seasons) and Larry Johnson (back-to-back 1,700-yard campaigns).

Notable quote

"Will was such a technician. He was so intelligent and did everything right. As important as anything, he was rarely hurt. If he was banged up, it never affected his play. He was that steady, that strong, that dedicated." – Trev Alberts, former teammate of Shields at Nebraska

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2015 profiles

July 31: Ron Wolf
Aug. 1: Mick Tingelhoff
Aug. 2: Will Shields
Aug. 3: Junior Seau
Aug. 4: Tim Brown
Aug. 5: Jerome Bettis 
Aug. 6: Charles Haley
Aug. 7: Bill Polian