While his AFC teammates posed for pictures and signed autographs after Pro Bowl practice Friday, Will Shields walked straight into two hugs from his children near the corner of the field.
Family comes first for the soft-spoken, hard-nosed Shields -- but the Kansas City Chiefs guard considers the whole world to be his family. Last week, Shields was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for the vast array of community programs and charities he supports and sponsors.
And Shields will play in his ninth Pro Bowl today -- more than any player on either roster at the NFL's annual All-Star game.
The 11-year pro is a model of consistency and arguably the dominant player at his position, but those who know him say he hasn't changed from the humble, motivated lineman who didn't get picked until the third round of the 1993 draft.
If anything, Shields is more appreciative of his ninth trip to Hawaii than his first.
"It's a good honor, but luck has a lot to do with it," Shields said. "It's good to stay healthy and to be on a good team, but there's no secret to being here so often. I've just been fortunate to stay away from injuries and to have a lot of good people to play with."
Shields, who made his second straight All-Pro team this season, has played in all 176 games of his career with the Chiefs. He has started all but the opening game of his rookie season -- the third-longest active streak in the NFL.
Shields is a prototypical pulling guard who plays a large role in the Chiefs' dominant rushing attack. AFC coach Tony Dungy, whose Colts beat Kansas City in the playoffs last month, is grateful to have Shields on his side this time.
"You don't have to be around him for long to know what kind of a man he is," Dungy said.
"When you're getting ready to play against him, you see the skill level and what he can do. But he's also a great guy for these players to know. He's an example to everybody."
Shields is just the third offensive lineman to win the Man of the Year award -- the NFL's top honor for off-the-field accomplishments.
It's hard to imagine a more deserving candidate. When the Chiefs nominated Shields for the honor, they were told to limit their list of his accomplishments to one sheet of paper.
They shrunk the type and widened the margins, but they still couldn't fit everything in.
Many of Shields' community accomplishments are run through his Will to Succeed foundation, which has no fancy offices or corporate connections -- just Shields, his wife, Senia, and dozens of volunteers.
Shields' foundation organizes and sponsors an unbelievable number of charitable ventures -- from flag-football fund-raising tournaments and low-cost football camps for low-income families to book drives, writing workshops, community care centers and clothing drives.
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