Former Coach Sees Shades of Hall of Famer in Duke Shelley

Tom Hayes is retired from the job of coaching after 2017. This is a man who worked at the college and professional level since 1976. Along the way he crossed paths with a lot of great football players, particularly defensive backs. So he might know what he's talking about when it comes to assessing whether new Chicago Bears 6th round pick Duke Shelley can play.

For those who might be curious, Hayes has coached and developed a ton of great defensive backs. At UCLA he delivered future five-time Pro Bowler Carnell Lake to the NFL and then eventual Hall of Famer Kenny Easley. He helped Darnell Walker and Jacob Belser become longtime starters out of Oklahoma. He even coached Champ Bailey for a year in Washington.

However, when thinking about who Shelley reminds him of as a player and person, it was another Redskins legend that came to mind.

"The biggest thing he has always fought is people look at him as a small guy. I coached Darrell Green, who’s in the Hall of Fame, for six years with the Redskins, and he’s 5-8. There’s only one Darrell Green, I get that, but there are guys who are 5-8 in the National Football League, and they play well because they’re competitive and they’re prepared and they’re really gifted athletes. And I think that’s Duke’s case."

Duke Shelley isn't as fast but his game does have similarities to Darrell Green

Nobody should talk themselves into the idea that Shelley is the next Green. The former Redskin was a 1st round pick out of Texas A&I and played 20 seasons in the NFL. He won two Super Bowls and became a Pro Football Hall of Famer. A big reason for his success was speed. Rare speed. Like Olympic sprinter levels of speed.

Shelley isn't that fast, but he did run a 4.46 at the Kansas State pro day. That's pretty good too. So if the Bears were to, say, have secured themselves a poor man's version of Green? That too can be considered a win. Hayes also stated that Shelley would absolutely have gone earlier in the draft had it not been for an untimely toe injury he suffered last season.

His coverage talent and willingness to tackle are both qualities that should make him a success in the NFL. In 29 games for the Wildcats he had eight interceptions, scored two defensive touchdowns, and made 125 tackles. Again, this is a 5'8 cornerback who is 173 lbs. To accomplish that much despite missing some games? Pretty impressive.