Randy York N-Sider
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Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-20 season-opening road win over the Houston Texans last Sunday, one of Nebraska’s most decorated players will promote the only NFL team he ever played for Wednesday night from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at D.J.’s Dugout, located at 1003 Capital Ave. in Omaha. The event is open to the public.
Shields’ appearance gives Chiefs’ fans and Husker loyalists a chance to celebrate his remarkable career, including last month’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Shields’ Omaha visit kicks off Red Thursday – Omaha, a first-year event that expands a Kansas City tradition to other markets within the six-state “Chiefs’ Kingdom” region.
In Kansas City, Shields serves on a bank board of directors. He also owns and operates a training facility called 68 Inside Sports and spends time on his "Will to Succeed Foundation" that targets literacy and scholarship, fosters creativity and serves and helps abused and neglected women and children. Proceeds from his Wednesday night appearance will benefit the Omaha Parks Foundation, which targets funds specifically earmarked for a renovation to the baseball field at Omaha’s Miller Park honoring Kerrie Orozco, the late Omaha Police officer.
Shields Personified Chiefs with His On and Off-Field Accomplishments
Shields personified the Chiefs both on and off the field. He played 14 seasons for the Chiefs, made 12 Pro Bowls and started 224 consecutive games in the offensive line. A 1993 third-round NFL draft pick, Shields earned his first start in the second game of his rookie season and did not give up that starting spot until he retired in 2006. Three years before his retirement, Shields was named NFL Man of the Year.
Through his incredible journey to the College Football Hall of Fame and his recent rise to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Shields defined traits that he uses to achieve goals beyond what were deemed possible.
An original TeamMates volunteer, Shields helped launch the nation’s most successful mentoring organization, co-founded by Tom and Nancy Osborne. Shields is also one of only three Huskers in history to be inducted into both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame. He joins former Huskers Guy Chamberlin and Bob Brown with that elite accomplishment.
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