Todd Shell

Todd Shell was born on June 24, 1962, in Mesa, Arizona, the son of Robert and Mary Shell. At Mountain View High School in Mesa he was a ferocious linebacker on the 1978 Toros team that won the school's first state football championship, and he also cleared seven feet in the high jump. He was named all-state, made the Arizona Republic Super 24 and the Arizona Star Super 11, and was an Adidas All-American. His high school coach was Jesse Parker, and the Toros put together a 23 game winning streak.

Recruited by Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA, Shell chose Brigham Young University, where he planned to major in medical technology. Playing for LaVell Edwards from 1980 to 1983, he appeared in 40 games and, according to BYU's official records, made 13 sacks and nine interceptions for 140 yards; he is one of six Cougars with two interception return touchdowns in one season. The Rattlers later credited him with 205 tackles and 22 sacks and said he led BYU in tackles as a junior and senior. He was first-team All-WAC in 1983, and BYU won three straight Western Athletic Conference titles during his career. The BYUstatsMAN historical account describes him as a two-time All-WAC pick, a member of the WAC's 1980s All-Decade team and the defensive captain of the 1983 team.

The 49ers drafted Shell in the first round, 24th overall, of the 1984 NFL draft. In Week 13 of his rookie season, at New Orleans, he returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown and recorded at least two sacks, the first NFL rookie to do both in one game. The 1984 49ers finished as champions, beating Miami 38 to 16 in Super Bowl XIX. He wore No. 90 and played 38 regular season games with 15 starts, seven sacks and five interceptions for 115 yards and one touchdown. Injuries kept interrupting his progress. He missed nearly all of 1986 with a quadriceps injury and all but the final two games of 1987 with torn knee ligaments. In July 1988 a training camp collision with tight end Ron Heller pinched his spinal cord and left him briefly unable to move. Doctors diagnosed congenital cervical stenosis and advised him to retire. He spent 1988 on injured reserve as the 49ers won Super Bowl XXIII, and he retired in 1989.

Shell became the Arizona Rattlers' first defensive coordinator when the franchise began play in 1992 and held the job for three seasons, finishing with the Rattlers' first ArenaBowl title in 1994. He then became the first head coach of the San Jose SaberCats in 1995, winning the Western Division in the club's first season, the first expansion team in league history to win a division title. In four seasons in San Jose he went 29 and 25 with three playoff trips. In 2003, after working as a colour analyst on Rattlers broadcasts, he took over the New York Dragons after an 0 and 4 start, finished 8 and 8, won the Eastern Division and earned his first playoff win, 48 to 45 over the Chicago Rush. He was voted AFL Coach of the Year. The Dragons went 9 and 7 in 2004. On August 5, 2004, the Rattlers named him the second head coach in franchise history; his only season in charge, 2005, ended 7 and 9. His regular season record as an AFL head coach was 53 and 45.

Shell married Kelli Gardner, who later worked as a nurse and had been a world class gymnast, according to Arizona State's biography of their son. Their son, Todd Tanner Shell, known as Tanner, was born in Provo, Utah, in 1980 and played basketball at Mountain View and Arizona State; his death was reported in June 2025. The couple also had a daughter, Krystal. The family lived in Mesa, where Shell remained a strong supporter of Mountain View football. Tom Holmoe, his teammate at BYU and with the 49ers, described him as fun, loyal, intense, hilarious and an A-1 storyteller.

After his 1988 spinal injury Shell spoke openly about the pull of the game and the fear of paralysis. He told reporters that some people might think he was crazy for even considering a comeback, but that football was what he had spent his whole life doing, and that he would only walk away if doctors told him the risk was too great. When the doctor who had cleared teammates Mike Wilson and Keena Turner agreed he should never play again, he accepted it: "That was that."

In late August 2005 Shell was arrested in Mesa. Police said they found a white powder believed to be cocaine and that he admitted snorting cocaine; he also had an outstanding warrant from an extreme DUI citation in December 2003. On September 1, 2005, the Rattlers accepted his resignation. In a statement he said, "I have decided that it is in the best interest of the Rattlers and my family to step down as head coach." General manager Gene Nudo said, "Todd's well being is first and foremost with his friends and colleagues at the Rattlers organization."

Shell is remembered as one of the great defenders of BYU's 1980s teams, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the 49ers, the rookie who first combined a pick six with multiple sacks in one NFL game, and a builder of Arena Football League franchises in Phoenix and San Jose. His 2003 turnaround in New York earned the league's top coaching award. In Mesa, Mountain View honoured him after his death with No. 90 helmet decals, a moment of silence and his jersey carried to the coin toss.

Arizona all-state football selection, Arizona Republic Super 24, Arizona Star Super 11 and Adidas All-American (late 1970s). First-team All-WAC (1983). Named to the WAC 1980s All-Decade team, per the BYUstatsMAN historical account. First round NFL draft pick (1984, No. 24 overall). Super Bowl XIX champion (1984 season) and member of the Super Bowl XXIII champion organisation (1988 season). ArenaBowl VIII champion as Arizona Rattlers defensive coordinator (1994). Arena Football League Coach of the Year (2003).

Shell worked as a colour analyst on Arizona Rattlers television broadcasts early in 2003 before returning to coaching with the New York Dragons.

Todd Shell died on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at the age of 64. Mountain View coach Andy Litten confirmed the death through the family. The place and cause of death were not made public. The San Francisco 49ers announced the news on November 4, 2026, sending condolences to his wife Kelli and the Shell family, and Mountain View planned tributes at its November 6, 2026 game against Gilbert Highland.