Brandon McArthur Shell (born February 6, 1992) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was an

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tendency to cause acts of violence by the ...

for seven seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

South Carolina Gamecocks The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I. The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fight ...

. He is the great nephew of

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...

tackle

Art Shell Arthur Lee Shell Jr. (born November 26, 1946) is an American former professional football player and coach. He played as an offensive tackle in the American Football League (AFL) and later in the National Football League (NFL) for the Oakland / ...

Early life

A native of

Goose Creek, South Carolina Goose Creek is the most populous city in Berkeley County, South Carolina, Berkeley County in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 45,946 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in South ...

, Shell attended West Ashley high school for his freshman year later transferring to Goose Creek High School, where he was an

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

offensive lineman. Regarded as a four-star recruit by '' Rivals.com'', Shell was ranked as the fourth best

in his class.

College career

Shell attended the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

, where he played

. He made 47 consecutive starts for the Gamecocks. As a

redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Sports * Redshirt (college sports) Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically ...

senior in 2015, Shell earned the start at left tackle for every game. In 2014 and 2013, Shell played every game at right tackle. In 2012 as a redshirt freshman, Shell started at left tackle before transitioning to right side. For the 2012 season he started 10 out of 13 games and earned Freshman All-

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...

honors and was named first-team Freshman All-American by FoxSportsNext.com. Shell was invited to play in the

East-West Shrine game East West (or East and West) may refer to: *East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture Arts and entertainment Books, journals and magazines *'' East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...

following his senior season.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Coming out of college, Shell was projected by many analysts to be either a sixth or seventh round selection. He was ranked the 20th best offensive tackle out of the 108 available by NFLDraftScout.com.

New York Jets

Shell was selected in the fifth round with the 158th overall pick by the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

in the

2016 NFL draft The 2016 NFL draft was the 81st annual draft of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...

. On May 7, 2016, the Jets signed Shell to a four-year, $2.91 million rookie contract with a signing bonus of $551,133. Shell became a starter for the Jets in 2017, starting 12 games at right tackle, missing four games due to shoulder and neck injuries and a concussion. In 2018, Shell started the first 14 games at right tackle before suffering a knee injury in Week 15. He was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

on December 19, 2018.

Seattle Seahawks

On March 24, 2020, Shell signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

. He was placed on the reserve/

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

list by the team on January 2, 2021, and activated three days later. In the 2021 season, Shell started 10 games for the Seahawks before being placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

Miami Dolphins

On September 19, 2022, Shell signed with the

practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...

of the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

. He was elevated for Week 6 and started at right tackle. He was signed to the active roster on October 22.

Buffalo Bills

On June 1, 2023, Shell signed with the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

. He announced his retirement from the NFL on August 15, 2023.

References

External links

South Carolina Gamecocks football bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shell, Brandon 1992 births Living people American football offensive tackles Buffalo Bills players Miami Dolphins players New York Jets players People from Goose Creek, South Carolina Players of American football from South Carolina Seattle Seahawks players South Carolina Gamecocks football players