Nebraska Hall of Fame offensive lineman Will Shields has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Big Ten’s Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award, the conference announced on Tuesday. The award recognizes a Big Ten football student-athlete who has achieved success in humanitarianism following their academic and athletic career at a Big Ten university.
The award was one of two announced by the Big Ten on Tuesday with former Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell receiving the Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award.
Shields and his wife, Senia, are the founders of the Will to Success Foundation, which facilitates programs and provides assistance and resources to individuals, families and other charitable organizations who have little to no access to other aid.
The Foundation has helped over 100,000 individuals and has raised millions of dollars since its inception in 1993. The Shields’ take particular interest in mentoring the women and children who benefit most from their contributions.
Shields starred as an offensive guard for Nebraska from 1989 to 1992, helping the Huskers to consecutive conference titles in 1991 and 1992. Shields won the 1992 Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman and was a three-time first-team All-Big Eight selection for Coach Tom Osborne.
Shields went on to spend 14 years with the Kansas City Chiefs, a career that included seven All-Pro selections. His efforts off the field earned him the 2003 NFL Walter Payton Man-of-the-Year Award. A member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame, Shields was inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016 and is a member of the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.
Shields is Nebraska’s first recipient of one of the two prestigious Big Ten awards presented to former football student-athletes.
The Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian and Ford-Kinnick Leadership Awards are part of the Big Ten’s annual awards program. The Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award is named for Minnesota’s Tony Dungy and Indiana’s Anthony Thompson. The Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award is named for Michigan’s Gerald Ford and Iowa’s Nile Kinnick. For more information on these awards, including biographical information on the namesakes, visit bigten.org.
Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award Recipients:
2011: George Taliaferro, IND
2012: Chris Spielman, OSU
2013: Drew Brees, PUR
2014: Brian Griese, MICH
2015: John Shinsky, MSU
2016: Trent Green, IND
2017: Chad Greenway, IOWA
2018: Jake Wood, WIS
2019: J.J. Watt, WIS
2020: Vincent Smith, MICH
2021: Malcolm Jenkins, OSU
2022: Nate Sudfeld, IND
2023: Dick Butkus, ILL
2024: Madieu Williams, MD
2025: Will Shields, NEB
Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award Recipients:
2011: Archie Griffin, OSU
2012: Jon Runyan, MICH
2013: Gene Washington, MSU
2014: Mike Hopkins, ILL
2015: Brian Griese, MICH
2016: Reggie McKenzie, MICH
2017: Troy Vincent, WIS
2018: Antwaan Randle El, IND
2019: Doug Schlereth, IND
2020: Napoleon Harris, NU
2021: Pat Richter, WIS
2022: Ron Guenther, ILL
2023: Richard Coachys, IND
2024: Russell Wilson, WIS
2025: Jack Campbell, IOWA
Huskers.com
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