Clarence Shelmon

Clarence Shelmon Has a Pro Bowl Touch

Behind every good running back, there usually is a good running backs coach. And since 1991, one of the coaches behind the best backs in the National Football League has been Bossier City native Clarence Shelmon.

Shelmon has spent the last 15 seasons carving out a reputation as one of the best running backs coaches in the NFL. His career is marked by a string of Pro Bowl selections for his most outstanding students. Many of the runners he coached benefited from a special drill he developed to ensure ball security.

For five years Shelmon has tutored runners for the San Diego Chargers, where he helped hone the skills of LaDanian Tomlinson, the league's MVP award after a 2007 season in which he won a rushing title and set an NFL record with 31 TDs. Tomlinson had words of praise for his position coach, whom he credits with having the biggest influence on him as a player.

Prior to working under Coach Marty Schottenheimer with the Chargers,  Shelmon served as running backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys for four seasons, working with another consistent Pro Bowl selection, Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

Before that, Shelmon helped Chris Warren become the all-time leading rusher for the Seattle Seahawks and earn three Pro Bowl trips.

As a player, Shelmon lettered two years as a running back at the University of  Houston, where he earned a bachelors degree in education. He launched his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Cougars (1975-1976).

Shelmon's college coaching career included four seasons at the University of Southern California (1987-1990). The first two seasons there, he was running backs coach and the last two he was running game coordinator. The Trojans made three consecutive Rose Bowl appearances during his stay in Los Angeles. Shelmon also coached running backs  and tight ends at Army (1978-1980) and running backs at Indiana University (1981-1983).

Shelmon starred in football at Charlotte Mitchell High School in Bossier City. After integration of the school system, he finished high school at Airline High where he earned a spot in the school’s baseball hall of fame.

In 1999 in memory of his mother, Ruby Shelmon, the coach and his wife, Nancy, created a foundation that in the past seven years has helped more than 20 high school graduates from Bossier City attend college.

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