Shields Selected for Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award

Nebraska Hall of Fame offensive lineman Will Shields has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Big Ten’s Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award, the conference announced on Tuesday. The award recognizes a Big Ten football student-athlete who has achieved success in humanitarianism following their academic and athletic career at a Big Ten university.

The award was one of two announced by the Big Ten on Tuesday with former Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell receiving the Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award.

Shields and his wife, Senia, are the founders of the Will to Success Foundation, which facilitates programs and provides assistance and resources to individuals, families and other charitable organizations who have little to no access to other aid.

The Foundation has helped over 100,000 individuals and has raised millions of dollars since its inception in 1993. The Shields’ take particular interest in mentoring the women and children who benefit most from their contributions.

Shields starred as an offensive guard for Nebraska from 1989 to 1992, helping the Huskers to consecutive conference titles in 1991 and 1992. Shields won the 1992 Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman and was a three-time first-team All-Big Eight selection for Coach Tom Osborne.

Shields went on to spend 14 years with the Kansas City Chiefs, a career that included seven All-Pro selections. His efforts off the field earned him the 2003 NFL Walter Payton Man-of-the-Year Award. A member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame, Shields was inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016 and is a member of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.

Shields is Nebraska’s first recipient of one of the two prestigious Big Ten awards presented to former football student-athletes. 

The Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian and Ford-Kinnick Leadership Awards are part of the Big Ten’s annual awards program. The Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award is named for Minnesota’s Tony Dungy and Indiana’s Anthony Thompson. The Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award is named for Michigan’s Gerald Ford and Iowa’s Nile Kinnick. For more information on these awards, including biographical information on the namesakes, visit bigten.org.

Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award Recipients:

• 2011: George Taliaferro, IND
• 2012: Chris Spielman, OSU
• 2013: Drew Brees, PUR
• 2014: Brian Griese, MICH
• 2015: John Shinsky, MSU
• 2016: Trent Green, IND
• 2017: Chad Greenway, IOWA
• 2018: Jake Wood, WIS
• 2019: J.J. Watt, WIS
• 2020: Vincent Smith, MICH
• 2021: Malcolm Jenkins, OSU
• 2022: Nate Sudfeld, IND
• 2023: Dick Butkus, ILL
• 2024: Madieu Williams, MD
• 2025: Will Shields, NEB

 

Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award Recipients:

• 2011: Archie Griffin, OSU
• 2012: Jon Runyan, MICH
• 2013: Gene Washington, MSU
• 2014: Mike Hopkins, ILL
• 2015: Brian Griese, MICH
• 2016: Reggie McKenzie, MICH
• 2017: Troy Vincent, WIS
• 2018: Antwaan Randle El, IND
• 2019: Doug Schlereth, IND
• 2020: Napoleon Harris, NU
• 2021: Pat Richter, WIS
• 2022: Ron Guenther, ILL
• 2023: Richard Coachys, IND
• 2024: Russell Wilson, WIS
• 2025: Jack Campbell, IOWA