Will Shields

Will Shields, a 6-foot-3, 320-pound guard out of Nebraska, was drafted in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He was placed into the lineup in his first NFL game after the team’s starting left guard Dave Szott suffered an injury. The next week, the offensive line was shuffled and Shields was inserted as the starting right guard. He started every game from that point through his retirement after the 2006 season. Shields never missed a game during his 14-season career and his 224 games played and 223 starts were franchise records when he retired.

As a rookie, he helped the Chiefs to an 11-5 record and the AFC West Division crown. It was the first division title for Kansas City since 1971. In all, the Chiefs won four division titles and made six playoff appearances during Shields’ career.

He earned his first Pro Bowl berth following the 1995 season and embarked on a string of 12 straight AFC-NFC Pro Bowl berths that ran through the end of his career. He was named first-team All-Pro in 1999, 2002, and 2003 and picked as a second-team All-Pro choice four other times. Shields was named All-AFC seven times including in each of his final six seasons.

Shields was the anchor of an offensive line that helped the Chiefs field potent offenses. In fact, five of the Chiefs' best seasons for most net yards came during Shields' tenure. He and his linemates helped Kansas City lead the NFL in total yards gained in 2004 and 2005. They also topped the AFC in that category in 2003. The team led the NFL in points scored in 2002 and again in 2003, highlighted by running back Priest Holmes’ then-record 27 rushing touchdowns in '03. In 1994, Shields and his linemates established a franchise record by allowing a mere 19 sacks.

He is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s. He joined Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Thomas in 1999 as the only active players to be named to the Chiefs’ 40th Anniversary Team.