Former Raiders patrons of Art
The Shadow
ERIC GILMORE: TIMES COLUMNIST
THEY GATHERED at a San Leandro restaurant one night in late May, some
50-plus former Raiders along with coach Art Shell and his assistants.
Ben Davidson flew in from Southern California for the event planned by
ex-Raiders great Jim Otto. Tom Keating and John Vella were there, too.
"Jim Otto organized it to welcome Art back, show the support of the
former players in the area," Vella said. "Art, we're behind you. That
was the message of the night."
Twelve years after firing Shell, Al Davis rehired him this year to coach
a Raiders team that has won a combined 13 games the past three seasons.
Shell hasn't coached in the NFL since 2000 when he as an Atlanta Falcons
assistant. He spent the past five years working for the NFL as an executive.
To those on the outside looking in, rehiring Shell at age 59 surely
qualifies as another only-with-the-Raiders move, another Davis curveball.
To ex-Raiders wide receiver Cliff Branch, Shell's former teammate,
rehiring him was the right pitch at the right time.
"That man will be a presence," Branch said of Shell. "All the players
are glad to have him back. He'll get it done.
"Having him back is going to be a plus. He knows the Raider way. He
knows what it's like to be a Raider. He's going to bring that commitment
back."
During Shell's Pro Football Hall of Fame playing career from 1968-82,
the Raiders were one of football's most dominant teams, making the
playoffs 11 times and winning two Super Bowls.
Shell coached the Raiders to three playoff appearances from 1989-94.
"I'm happy to see Art back," said ex-Raiders running back Pete Banaszak,
who was another teammate of Shell's. "I'm delighted.
"I'll tell you one thing, Art's not afraid to get in their faces. Anyone
on that team who thinks he's more important than the team, he'll get in
his face. He'll straighten them out. Art's that type of guy. The team is
the most important thing. He played that way."
Shell made history in 1989, becoming the first black coach in the NFL's
modern era. Five years later, after a 9-7 season, he was fired.
"When he was first let go or fired, it was very, very difficult," said
Janice Shell, Art's wife. "He couldn't find a job. Finally got one with
Kansas City. That was a little different."
In 1998, Shell was a finalist for the Raiders coaching job that went to
Jon Gruden.
"Al called him out here, and he thought he was going to get the job,"
Janice said. "It was rough, rough, rough going. Sometimes it's just not
meant to be."
Shell said he never gave up hope of getting a second chance to coach in
the NFL. He continued interviewing for jobs but eventually stopped
worrying about whether he would ever get one.
"You can't concern yourself with it," Shell said. "You'd drive yourself
crazy. I had other things going on in my life, working in the league
office."
When Davis fired Norv Turner and began searching again for a new coach,
Shell was considered a long shot.
Davis, though, turned to Shell after Louisville's Bobby Petrino rejected
his overtures.
"It's just a chance to finish what I started before," Shell said. "I'm
back in the organization I love.
"I just want to win. These players want to win. I want to put this
organization back on the top where it belongs. It's not going to be
easy, and the players know that. If you work hard enough, good things
will happen."
Vella said he expects Shell to bring back "discipline" to a Raiders team
that has become infamous for racking up foolish penalties and making
critical mistakes.
When he and Shell were fellow offensive tackles under coach John Madden,
there was little Vella feared more than watching game tapes if he had
made a mistake, especially one that led to a sack.
"John Madden would run the play back and forth five times," Vella said,
"sometimes not even mentioning your name, saying, 'We cannot have our
quarterback get hit.'
"You're just crawling in the corner. ... I think Art will bring that
real fear and peer pressure back. It wasn't acceptable in our day. You
need that. You need the peer pressure. You need the fear of failure."
At 6-foot-5 and 300-plus pounds, Shell was an intimidating, scary sight
to opponents on the field. When Davis announced Shell's hiring in
February, he said he would "depend on the great Art Shell" to
re-establish a toughness and "nastiness" his team has lost.
To Madden, Shell was "as close to a perfect offensive lineman" that he
ever coached. What truly set him apart was the "pride" he took in his job.
"If someone ever beat him, it would just kill him," Madden said. "He
took everything so personally. He would be completely devastated.
"I have as much respect for Art Shell as a player and a guy as anyone.
I'm glad to see him around."
Madden's not alone.