While Harry Carson is a Giants' legend and worthy of recognition, the title for South Carolina's greatest NFL player goes to Art Shell, not only for his Hall of Fame play, but for what he represents to the National Football League and society in general. Hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, offensive tackle, Art Shell, took his talents north to Maryland where he would play his collegiate footnall as a member of the Maryland State University Terrapins. While he was standout collegiately, Shell somehow slipped down to the third round of the 1968 NFL Draft being picked 80th overall by the Oakland Raiders.
Shell would go on to play his entire fifteen-season NFL career with the Oakland Raiders (1968-1972), earning two Super Bowl rings as the starting left tackle (Superbowl XI and XV), eight Pro Bowl invites, and two All-Pro First Team roster spots in 207 games and 168 starts with the Bay Area ball club. Not only was Shell inducted into the Football Hall of Fame for his performance on the field, Art Shell went on to become the second African-American head coach in the NFL and the first om the modern sports era. Shell was the first Black-American head coach to lead a team to a conference championship game (1990) and had overall head coaching record of 54-38 with two stints with the Oakland Raiders.
When you fly by private jet charter, you experience travel comfort known only to those who know private jets. And nothing illustrates this luxury better than celebrity private jets. Stars with their own private aircraft fly fancy.
John Travolta, the star of 70s cult movies like “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever”, is not only one of the most famous Hollywood actors, but also one of the best celebrity pilots. John Travolta is a bonafide aviation enthusiast with five private planes total, which he parks on his front lawn. His most impressive aircraft is a customized Boeing 707-138 (as pictured above), a beast of a plane that he acquired in 1998 upon his promotion to an honorary pilot of Qantas, the Australian airline.
Oprah Winfrey’s production company HARPO bought her custom-built Global Express XRS VIP business jet to provide the media mogul and her associates with maximum aviation comfort. Oprah’s private jet features designer fixtures in the bathroom and galley, along with an exquisite all-leather interior. The aircraft was designed by Bombardier Aerospace to perform as a premier long-range business jet. Custom design allowed for an enhanced cabin layout with nine cushy leather seats, aesthetically-placed lighting, and additional luxury amenities. The jet cruises through the air at high speeds, made possible by two Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan engines, which produce enough power to send HARPO clear across the map with only one refuel stop
Tom Cruise played an elite naval fighter jet pilot in the blockbuster movie “Top Gun”, and he now indulges his real love for flying in his own Gulfstream IV, one of the finest celebrity private jets around. Cruise’s beautiful business jet accommodates up to 19 passengers, providing comfort and class with state-of-the-art furnishings and aircraft technology. The jet even automatically refreshes the air inside the cabin every two minutes. Designed by Gulfstream Aerospace, Cruise’s jet is powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8 engines, propelling the aircraft to a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet over a maximum range of 7,820 km, zipping through the air at speeds up to Mach 0.80.
Mark Cuban, business mogul and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, landed himself in the Guinness Book of World Records for purchasing his Boeing 767-277 online in 1999, making “the largest single e-commerce transaction”. Cuban modified the jet with large, custom seats to give his team’s lengthy players plenty of room while flying.