Former Steelers safety Donnie Shell waited more than 20 years after his retirement for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
One of the pluses of that process is that Shell's children are now all grown. And when Shell is inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year in September as part of the Centennial Class, it will be his daughter, April Shell, who will be his presenter.
"It was tough," Shell told Steelers.com. "It was a tough decision. That is why I wanted to pray about it. Once I got a clear idea in my quiet time, my prayer time, it was to be about my family. I knew April would be a good presenter. Her siblings agreed with the choice."
Shell, a hard-hitting safety who won four Super Bowls with the Steelers, will be one of three members of the organization who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. Former Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and former head coach Bill Cowher will be inducted in early August.
Because the hall is putting 20 members in this year as part of the NFL's 100-year anniversary, it was forced to split the class in two. The first group of 10 men will be enshrined Aug. 8. The 10-player Centennial Class will be enshrined Fri., Sept. 18.
The Steelers are scheduled to play the Cowboys in the Hall of Fame game Aug. 6.
Polamalu and Cowher had not yet announced who their presenters will be, though the Hall of Fame said Saturday that Polamalu will let his pick be known on Sunday.
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