Pittsburgh Steelers' Troy Polamalu, Bill Cowher And Donnie Shell Enshrined Into Pro Football Hall Of Fame
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
CANTON, OHIO (KDKA) -- Steelers legends Troy Polamalu, Bill Cowher and Donnie Shell have joined football's most exclusive club.
Polamalu, Cowher and Shell were enshrined Saturday into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Cowher, Shell and Polamalu are members of the Centennial Class of 2020. The 20-member Centennial Class is made up of five modern-era players, two coaches (who coached more than five seasons ago), three contributors (any individual other than a player or coach) and 10 seniors (players from more than 25 seasons ago).
Beaver County native Jimbo Covert was also enshrined on Saturday. Covert played his entire eight-year career with the Chicago Bears from 1983-90. He spent his college days at the University of Pittsburgh.
For 12 seasons between 2003 and 2014, Polamalu racked up 770 tackles, 12 sacks, 14 forced fumbles and an astonishing 32 interceptions — all as a Steeler. The safety was also a member of the Steelers teams that won Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.
Saturday's crowd was whipped into a frenzy when Polamalu took the stage. The pro-Steelers crowd brought the house down and waved their Terrible Towels for Polamalu during his speech.
"The only approval any Steeler should seek is to earn the approval from previous legends who have donned the back and gold," Polamalu said.
The Pittsburgh legend also added that he has the biggest family in the world, also known as "Steelers Nation."
Cowher was the head coach for the Steelers for 15 seasons, starting in 1992 and ending in 2006. His accomplishments include leading the Steelers to 10 playoff appearances, including two Super Bowls.
He was the final speaker of the night and highlighted the importance of the festivities for the black and gold.
"What a weekend for the Pittsburgh Steelers," Cowher said.
Shell played for the Steelers from 1974-1987. The safety was named to the Pro Bowl five times between 1978-1982. His six straight seasons with five or more interceptions is the second-longest streak in NFL history.
During his speech, Shell gave a special shoutout to fellow Hall of Famer Bill Nunn.
"Praise God for Bill Nunn, who advocated for HBCU players across the NFL," Shell said.
Fellow Steelers legends Alan Faneca and Nunn were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021 and will be enshrined Sunday.
