Cracking a running back in the ribs, like he famously did to Earl Campbell in 1978, that was Donnie Shell’s forte.

So was intercepting passes. Shell did that 51 times in a 14-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers — more than anyone before or since in the NFL at the strong safety position.

Keeping secrets, though, wasn’t part of Shell’s repertoire or job description. Which made it so unnerving for the former All-Pro defensive back when Pro Football Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker called Shell at his home in South Carolina on Monday night and welcomed him to the sport’s most exclusive fraternity.

From that moment until he arrived on the set of NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” show Wednesday morning, a span of nearly 36 hours, Shell had to keep quiet about being one of 10 senior candidates selected to the Hall of Fame.

“Playing football is easy,” Shell said. “When you know you’re in the Hall of Fame and can’t share it at that particular time, that was a very difficult task. We weathered the storm. We came through it.

“I’d rather be playing football.”

AP Former Steelers safety Donnie Shell had 51 career interceptions.  

Shell and former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Harold Carmichael were the only two senior finalists brought to New York to participate in the three-hour show in which the entire 15-member Centennial Slate class of Hall of Famers was unveiled.

Carmichael was brought out first. Shell waited backstage for about another hour until his selection was revealed nearly two-and-a-half hours into the program. He was among the last Hall of Famers announced.

“It was very difficult,” Shell said. “One of the hardest things.”

Naturally, the feelings turned to relief and jubilation once Shell’s election became public. Teammates and Hall of Fame players from the 1970s Steelers such as Mel Blount, Joe Greene, Franco Harris and John Stallworth called to offer congratulations.

For Shell, the long wait was over. Since becoming eligible for the Hall of Fame five years after his retirement in 1987, Shell longed to join the nine other members from the 1970s Steelers in Canton, Ohio.

“One thing that kept me steady was my faith,” Shell said Thursday, sharing his thoughts on a conference call with Pittsburgh reporters. “I had confidence that they would make the right decision. I think all the numbers were there. I just had to keep praying, trusting. I never lost my confidence.”

AP Steelers Donnie Shell (31) hits Houston Oilers Mike Ranfro shortly after Renfro caught Dan Pastorini pass Sunday in second quarter of AFC championship game at Pittsburgh on Jan. 6, 1980. The jolt caused Renfro to fumble to Pittsburgh who scored the go ahead touchdown in the next series of plays.  

Among those lobbying for Shell throughout the years was Tony Dungy, an understudy to Shell in the 1970s before he embarked on a coaching career that carved a path from Tampa Bay to Indianapolis to the Hall of Fame.

“Tony was a great advocate,” Shell said before ticking off the names of his celebrated teammates. “Terry Bradshaw wrote a (letter of) reference for me. All those guys, when I read their comments, it kind of brought tears to my eyes. It was like we were on the field again and if we had a bad play, they are telling you, ‘Hey, I got your back, Shell.’”

AP Former NFL coach and player Tony Dungy, right, and former teammate Donnie Shell pose with his Hall of Fame bust during an induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016, in Canton, Ohio.  

Which was only appropriate considering that Shell did his share of heavy lifting for his teammates during his 14-year career.

“He was the glue of the locker room,” former Steelers cornerback J.T. Thomas said. “There were times we were all down. You made a bad play, he would come in and say, “Hey, we don’t roll that way. You got this.’ He would do those type of things to encourage you.”

While Shell had the numbers worthy of enshrinement, he didn’t have the votes from the Hall of Fame electorate. It took the expanded Centennial class to get Shell’s name back on the ballot as one of 20 finalists in the senior category.

“Look at my body of work. I produced,” Shell said. “The hay was in the barn. There was nothing I could do. You can pout about it, get sad about it, get disappointed. I was never that. I thought when my time came, I would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

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