NevilShed

StandPoint Communications

Creating & Building Strategic Partnerships

NEVIL SHED INSPIRED THE MOTION PICTURE "GLORY ROAD"

Native son of The Bronx, New York and graduate of Morris High School, Mr. Shed started his basketball journey as a member of the All-City Basketball Team. After graduating from Texas Western College --“The Miners” with a B.A. in Kinesiology & Health, Nevil was drafted by the NBA and played with the Boston Celtics. Mr. Shed is now married to wife Melba of 18 years, has 7 children, and 5 grandchildren. Nevil is a celebrated motivational speaker and loves to share his story. In his spare time he consults for NBA World Champions San Antonio Spurs for the past 20 years.

As a player, Nevil “The Shadow” Shed is known for his tenacious defense and all out hustle on the court. Throughout his career, Nevil averaged 15ppg, 10rpg, and .800 from the free throw line. Mr. Shed was a key ingredient for the 1966, NCAA Champion Texas Western College “Miners”. Shed sank the free throw that put his team into the lead it never relinquished.

Walt Disney’s “Glory Road” tells the story of victory in spite of obvious racial obstacles. During the NCAA basketball finals Coach Haskins made an unprecedented decision to start an all black team against an all white team. Few in the capacity crowd believed that this was happening against the highly favored Kentucky Wildcats. That game was first in NCAA history --in fact, it’s recognized as one of the NCAA "25 Defining Moments." "That team went against every notion that black athletes were supposedly not capable of," says Shed, at 6-foot-8 the tallest Minor. "They could not play under pressure," the stereotype went, he says. "They weren't individuals of character; they didn't have the mentality to get the job done. This team dispelled those myths. We were doing things that were not supposed to happen."

Subsequent to winning the national title, the “Miners” became civil rights pioneers who inadvertently dismantled conservative southern views toward black student-athletes and served as symbols of hope for every American faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. "The focus was more on being an underdog, not on race, the impact came when you saw that some of the schools that were all-white began to recruit black athletes," Shed says. "And what was so good about it, is that there were so many qualified black athletes who should have been at these schools and if we played a role in opening the doors to allow African-Americans to attend any school of their choice, that is a great impact."

Come help Mr. Shed continue his plight toward helping youth. He strives to share his incredible story across the nation in community centers, churches, colleges, and corporations. "What people did for us yesterday, has a story for the youth, today. I'm hoping “Glory Road” will be a teaching tool to let them know how it was then, so those facing any challenge will be able to recall how far we have come as a country and that with determination, anything can be achieved"