Shell Retires in Midst of Layoffs

It’s been a rough week for the Carolina Panthers, as the team has made 20 personnel cuts and has seen longtime director of player development Donnie Shell announce his retirement this week. Shell’s retirement from the Panthers has nothing to do with the several layoffs the NFL team is putting in place, but it does put a damper on the mood in Charlotte.

In his playing days, Donnie Shell got his start playing at South Carolina State and was even inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998. In the NFL, Shell was a 13-year Pittsburgh Steeler and member of the team’s famed “Steel Curtain” defense in the 1970s, retiring from playing in 1987 before joining the Panthers as part of the team’s community relations expansion project, eventually growing into the director of player personnel, where he contributed his energy for 15 years.

Shell’s retirement comes the same day the Panthers announced cuts for 20 employees, stating economic turmoil in the NFL as a main reason for the layoffs. The Panthers will continue mulling over money issues this week as the team tries negotiating a contract with Jordan Gross while also trying to accommodate Julius Peppers.

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