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Willie Shelby - Wikipedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Willie Shelby

No. 30

Position:

Running back
Kick returner

Personal information

Born:

July 24, 1953 (age 71)
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, U.S.

Height:

5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)

Weight:

195 lb (88 kg)

Career information

High school:

Purvis (MS)

College:

Alabama

NFL draft:

1976 / round: 5 / pick: 138

Career history

Cincinnati Bengals (1976–1977)
St. Louis Cardinals (1978)

Career highlights and awards

NFL kickoff return yards leader (1976)
National champion (1973)
First-team All-SEC (1974)
Second-team All-SEC (1973)

Career NFL statistics

Rushing attempts:	7
Rushing yards:	14
Total TDs:	2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Willie Earl Shelby (born July 24, 1953) is a former American football running back and kick returner who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). In 1976 as a rookie in the NFL he led the league in several kick return categories. He played college football at Alabama.

College career

Shelby played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 1973, 1974 and 1975.^[1] He served primarily as a kick returner in 1973, but became the starting halfback as a junior in 1974.^[2] He ran 84 times in 19974 for 541 yards, a 6.4 average.^[1] One of his best games came on October 5 against the University of Mississippi, when he scored 2 touchdowns, including on a 58-yard run.^[3] The game was particularly sweet to Shelby, as he had been called a "traitor" for attending Alabama instead of his home state school of Mississippi and had received a racist letter before the game.^[3]

As a senior in 1975 he dropped to 315 yards as fullback Johnny Davis became Alabama's primary ball carrier.^[1] Shelby was disappointed with his senior season.^[4] He had also set a goal when he entered college "to be remembered as the best ever" but realized that hadn't happened, although he felt he would be able to become a good professional running back.^[4]

Professional career

Shelby was drafted by the Bengals with the 138th pick of the 5th round of the 1976 NFL draft.^[5] He got little work as a running back in 1976, rushing just 5 times all season for 9 yards.^[5] But he served as the Bengals' primary kick returner. He returned 30 kickoffs for 761 yards, for a 25.4 yard per return average.^[5] He also scored a touchdown on a 97-yard kickoff return against the Cleveland Browns on October 3.^[6] His 761 kickoff return yards led the NFL that season, and his 97-yard return was the longest in the NFL that season.^[7] His one touchdown tied with Cullen Bryant of the Los Angeles Rams for the NFL lead.^[7] His 30 kickoff returns tied for 2nd in the NFL, one behind league leader Lou Piccone, and his 25.4 yards per return average tied for 9th.^[7] Shelby also returned 21 punts for 162 yards, a 7.7 yard per return average.^[5]

Shelby was less successful as a kick returner in 1977 and the Bengals waived him before the 1978 season.^[8] He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons, but the Falcons returned him to the Bengals when a physical exam showed that he had suffered a broken collar bone in the Bengals' final preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.^[8]^[9]^[10] The Bengals waived him again a few days later and he was claimed by the St. Louis Cardinals.^[11] He played 3 of 7 games for the Cardinals as a running back and kick returner in 1978 before being waived in October in order to make room on the roster to sign running back Lawrence Barnes.^[5]^[12]^[13]

He ended his pro career with 7 rushing attempts for 14 yards, 2 receptions for 14 yards, 58 kickoff returns for 1375 yards (a 23.7 yard average) and 42 punt returns for 302 yards (a 7.2 yard average).^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Willie Shelby". Sports Reference. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ Browning, A. (September 13, 1974). "Willie Shelby Will Start at Halfback for Alabama". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 13. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Browning, A. (October 6, 1974). "Willie Shelby Has the Last Laugh in Tides Win". The Tuscaloosa News. p. B1. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Browning, A. (December 29, 1975). "Last Chance: Years Have Passed Quickly for Alabama's Willie Shelby". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 8. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Willie Shelby". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ "Cincinnati Bengals 45 at Cleveland Browns 24". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c "1976 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Falcons' Jones Wants Patience". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. August 30, 1978. p. 27. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ "Falcons Send Willie Shelby Back". The Tuscaloosa News. September 1, 1978. p. 20. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ "Bengals' Anderson Not Sulking". Kentucky New Era. September 1, 1978. p. 14. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ "Transactions". Boca Raton News. September 7, 1978. p. 4B. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ "Shelby Is Cut By St. Louis". The Tuscaloosa News. October 19, 1978. p. 20. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^ "St. Louis Cardinals Release Willie Shelby". Gadsden Times. October 20, 1978. p. 11. Retrieved September 5, 2015.

v t e Cincinnati Bengals 1976 NFL draft selections
Billy Brooks Archie Griffin Glenn Bujnoch Chris Bahr Danny Reece Reggie Williams Tony Davis Greg Fairchild Willie Shelby Scott Perry Orlando Nelson Bob Bateman Carmen Rome Ken Kuhn Ron Hunt Lonnie Allgood Tom Klaban Melvin Morgan Joe Dale Harris Randy Walker Greg Coleman Lynn Hieber George Demopoulis Scott Dannelley

NFL annual kickoff return yards leaders

1941: Goldberg
1942: Goldberg
1943: Heineman
1944: Grigas
1945: Seno
1946: Karnofsky
1947: Saenz
1948: Sandifer
1949: Wedemeyer
1950: V. Smith
1951: Taliaferro
1952: Young
1953: W. Lewis
1954: W. Lewis
1955: Watson
1956: Carmichael
1957: Carmichael
1958: Sears
1959: Lyles
1960: Dean
1961: T. Brown
1962: Woodson
1963: T. Brown
1964: Renfro
1965: Alexander
1966: R. Smith
1967: R. Smith
1968: Latourette
1969: Morris
1970: Haymond
1971: Hampton
1972: Adkins
1973: Herron
1974: Piccone
1975: Jones
1976: Shelby
1977: Harper
1978: Harper
1979: Harper
1980: Payton
1981: Mitchell
1982: Brooks
1983: Z. Dixon
1984: James
1985: Rhymes
1986: Hunter & McGee
1987: Palmer
1988: T. D. Brown
1989: J. Dixon
1990: Metcalf
1991: Gray
1992: Sanders
1993: Verdin
1994: Hughes
1995: Hughes
1996: Hughes
1997: Williams
1998: Milburn
1999: Marion
2000: M. Jenkins
2001: R. Jenkins
2002: M. Lewis
2003: Scobey
2004: Hall
2005: Carr
2006: Carr
2007: Cribbs
2008: J. Wilson
2009: Amendola
2010: Stephens-Howling
2011: Banks
2012: D. Wilson
2013: Hester
2014: Hester
2015: Abdullah
2016: Erickson
2017: Lockett
2018: Roberts
2019: Patterson
2020: Patterson
2021: Roberts
2022: Nixon
2023: Nixon

v t e 1973 Alabama Crimson Tide football—UPI national champions
Buddy Brown Leroy Cook Sylvester Croom Ricky Davis Mike DuBose Greg Gantt Wilbur Jackson Woodrow Lowe Steve Patton George Pugh Mike Raines Mike Riley Willie Shelby Richard Todd Mike Washington Wayne Wheeler Head coach Bear Bryant Assistant coaches Ken Donahue Pat Dye Danny Ford Curley Hallman John Mitchell Bud Moore Mal Moore Bill Oliver Jimmy Sharpe

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