Steven M. Sipple: Shields, the 'dancing bear,' still making big impact

[NUance]

Steven M. Sipple: Shields, the 'dancing bear,' still making big impact10 hours ago • By STEVEN M. SIPPLE | LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR

He considered himself a dancing bear, or more specifically, a break-dancing bear. You'll find that Will Shields defies convention in several regards. For one, he's "a little man trapped in a big man's body," he says. He was a vicious competitor on the football field, but has a soft heart.

Whatever the case, you couldn't knock the 6-foot-1, 305-pound Shields off his feet, says Charlie McBride, the former Nebraska defensive coordinator who watched his defenders square off against Shields in practice after practice during the early 1990s. "You couldn't grab him or throw him anywhere," McBride says.

Shields thinks his exceptional balance was developed in his hometown of Lawton, Oklahoma, where he and his friends were avid break-dancers. It was the mid-to-late 1980s. They danced to "Planet Rock" ("The song seemed to go on forever," Shields says) and all sorts of other hip-hop and soul tunes. They would try moves they saw on TV. They would have dance-offs. They would laugh and create memories for a lifetime.

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One of the all-time Husker greats. And just a great all around guy.

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[huskerhandy35]

Will Shields is probably the best lineman to ever play at Nebraska and in the NFL for that matter. Couple the type of player he was who quietly performed his job at the highest level every single day with the genuinely kind person he is and you can't find a better human being anywhere.

 

[NUance]

Will Shields is probably the best lineman to ever play at Nebraska and in the NFL for that matter. Couple the type of player he was who quietly performed his job at the highest level every single day with the genuinely kind person he is and you can't find a better human being anywhere.

And just think of the impact he's had on our basketball program too. With Shavon, that is.