Willie Shelby
{{Short description|American football player (born 1953)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
|number= 30
|position=Running back
Kick returner
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1953|7|24}}
|birth_place= Hattiesburg, Mississippi, U.S.
|height_ft=5
|height_in=11
|weight_lbs=195
|high_school=Purvis (MS)
|college=Alabama
|draftyear=1976
|draftround=5
|draftpick=138
|pastteams=
- Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|1976|1977}})
- St. Louis Cardinals ({{NFL Year|1978}})
|highlights=
- NFL kickoff return yards leader (1976)
- National champion (1973)
- First-team All-SEC (1974)
- Second-team All-SEC (1973)
|statlabel1=Rushing attempts
|statvalue1=7
|statlabel2=Rushing yards
|statvalue2=14
|statlabel3=Total TDs
|statvalue3=2
|pfr=ShelWi00
}}
Willie Earl Shelby (born July 24, 1953) is an American former professional 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.{{cite web|title=Willie Shelby|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/willie-shelby-1.html|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=September 5, 2015}} He served primarily as a kick returner in 1973, but became the starting halfback as a junior in 1974.{{cite news|title=Willie Shelby Will Start at Halfback for Alabama|newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19740913&id=M180AAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q5wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7114,2714944&hl=en|date=September 13, 1974|page=13|author=Browning, A.|access-date=September 5, 2015}} He ran 84 times in 19974 for 541 yards, a 6.4 average. 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.{{cite news|title=Willie Shelby Has the Last Laugh in Tides Win|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19741006&id=TEYgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R5wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6578,784989&hl=en|date=October 6, 1974|author=Browning, A.|page=B1|access-date=September 5, 2015|newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News}} 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.
As a senior in 1975 he dropped to 315 yards as fullback Johnny Davis became Alabama's primary ball carrier. Shelby was disappointed with his senior season.{{cite web|title=Last Chance: Years Have Passed Quickly for Alabama's Willie Shelby|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19751229&id=mnc0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=5Z0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2202,6624057&hl=en|date=December 29, 1975|author=Browning, A.|page=8|access-date=September 5, 2015|newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News}} 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.
Professional career
Shelby was selected by the Bengals with the 138th pick of the fifth round of the 1976 NFL draft.{{cite web|title=Willie Shelby|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/ShelWi00.htm|publisher=Pro Football Reference|access-date=September 5, 2015}} He got little work as a running back in 1976, rushing just 5 times all season for 9 yards. But he served as the Bengals' primary kick returner. He returned 30 kickoffs for 761 yards, for a 25.4 yard per return average. He also scored a touchdown on a 97-yard kickoff return against the Cleveland Browns on October 3.{{cite web|title=Cincinnati Bengals 45 at Cleveland Browns 24|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197610030cle.htm|publisher=Pro Football Reference|access-date=September 5, 2015}} His 761 kickoff return yards led the NFL that season, and his 97-yard return was the longest in the NFL that season.{{cite web|title=1976 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1976/leaders.htm|publisher=Pro Football Reference|access-date=September 5, 2015}} His one touchdown tied with Cullen Bryant of the Los Angeles Rams for the NFL lead. 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. Shelby also returned 21 punts for 162 yards, a 7.7 yard per return average.
Shelby was less successful as a kick returner in 1977 and the Bengals waived him before the 1978 season.{{cite news|title=Falcons' Jones Wants Patience|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19780828&id=O0ggAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-p0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6720,7110191&hl=en|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News|date=August 30, 1978|page=27|access-date=September 5, 2015}} 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.{{cite news|title=Falcons Send Willie Shelby Back|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19780901&id=fnk0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=AJ4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1414,95524&hl=en|newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News|date=September 1, 1978|page=20|access-date=September 5, 2015}}{{cite news|title=Bengals' Anderson Not Sulking|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19780901&id=jNwwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=89wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3417,70740&hl=en|newspaper=Kentucky New Era|page=14|date=September 1, 1978|access-date=September 5, 2015}} The Bengals waived him again a few days later and he was claimed by the St. Louis Cardinals.{{cite news|title=Transactions|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19780907&id=tdFOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wowDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5856,1006467&hl=en|newspaper=Boca Raton News|access-date=September 5, 2015|date=September 7, 1978|page=4B}} 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.{{cite news|title=Shelby Is Cut By St. Louis|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19781018&id=TggdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_p0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2223,5565469&hl=en|date=October 19, 1978|access-date=September 5, 2015|newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News|page=20}}{{cite web|title=St. Louis Cardinals Release Willie Shelby|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19781020&id=1KcfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=V9YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5679,2849563&hl=en|newspaper=Gadsden Times|date=October 20, 1978|access-date=September 5, 2015|page=11}}
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).
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Bengals1976DraftPicks}}
{{NFL kickoff return yards leaders}}
{{1973 Alabama Crimson Tide football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shelby, Willie}}
Category:Cincinnati Bengals players
Category:St. Louis Cardinals (football) players
Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players
Category:American football running backs