# Shelly Novack

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{{Short description|American football player and actor (1944–1978)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox person
| name                      = Shelly Novack
| image                     = 
| image_size                = 
| alt                       = 
| caption                   = 
| birth_name                = Sheldon Lennard Novack
| birth_date                = {{birth date|1944|1|10|mf=y}}
| birth_place               = [Los Angeles County, California](/source/Los_Angeles_County%2C_California), U.S.
| death_date                = {{death date and age|1978|5|27|1944|1|10|mf=y}}
| death_place               = [Santa Monica, California](/source/Santa_Monica%2C_California), U.S.
| resting_place             = [Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery](/source/Hillside_Memorial_Park_Cemetery) 
| alma_mater                = [Santa Monica City College](/source/Santa_Monica_City_College)<br/>[California State University, Long Beach](/source/California_State_University%2C_Long_Beach)
| occupation                = Football player, actor
| years_active              = 1964&ndash;1978
| known_for                 = 
| spouse                    = {{marriage|Colleen Belle Johnson|1973|1978}}
| children                  = 1
}}

'''Sheldon Lennard "Shelly" Novack''' (January 10, 1944 – May 27, 1978) was an American [college football](/source/college_football) player for the [Long Beach State 49ers](/source/Long_Beach_State_49ers_football). He was selected by the [San Diego Chargers](/source/San_Diego_Chargers) in the 15th round (135th pick overall) of the [1966 American Football League draft](/source/1966_American_Football_League_draft).<ref name="1966afldraft">{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1966_AFL/draft.htm|title=1966 AFL Draft|date=November 27, 1965|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[Pro-Football-Reference.com](/source/Pro-Football-Reference.com)|accessdate=August 28, 2020}}</ref> After his retirement as a football player, Novack became an [actor](/source/actor) in both television and film.

==Football career==
===Scholastic football===
Novack was an all-league and special mention Junior College [All-American](/source/All-American) at [Santa Monica City College](/source/Santa_Monica_City_College) (class of 1963), and first-team All-American at [Long Beach State](/source/California_State_University%2C_Long_Beach) in 1964 and 1965.

===Professional football===
In November 1965, Novack was drafted as a [wide receiver](/source/wide_receiver) by the [American Football League](/source/American_Football_League) (AFL) San Diego Chargers. He was the 135th pick in the 1966 AFL draft, but never played in a regular season game.

After two seasons in [San Diego](/source/San_Diego%2C_California), Novack met [Universal Studios](/source/Universal_Pictures) acting coach Vincent Chase while playing in a [touch football](/source/Touch_football_(American)) league during the offseason. Chase invited Novack to a meeting at the studios, which led to Novack embarking on an acting career.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iHskAAAAIBAJ&pg=3359,671652&dq=shelley+novack+san+diego+chargers&hl=en|title=Universal Studios' Flowering Talent|date=May 12, 1970|page=2|publisher=[The Milwaukee Journal](/source/The_Milwaukee_Journal_Sentinel)|work=milwaukeejournal.com|accessdate=November 30, 2012}}</ref>

==Acting career==
In 1968, Novack made his screen debut in the ''[Hallmark Hall of Fame](/source/Hallmark_Hall_of_Fame)'' television film ''A Punt, a Pass, and a Prayer''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gH5QAAAAIBAJ&pg=7015,6505982&dq=shelley+novack+san+diego+chargers&hl=en|title=Drama Fans Will Get A Taste Of Football|date=November 20, 1968|publisher=[St. Petersburg Times](/source/St._Petersburg_Times)|page=12–D|accessdate=November 30, 2012}}</ref> He went on to appear in guest roles on television shows such as  ''[Ironside](/source/Ironside_(1967_TV_series))'', ''[Police Story](/source/Police_Story_(1973_TV_series))'', ''[The Streets of San Francisco](/source/The_Streets_of_San_Francisco)'', ''[Quincy, M.E.](/source/Quincy%2C_M.E.)'', ''[The Virginian](/source/The_Virginian_(TV_series))'' and ''[The Love Boat](/source/The_Love_Boat)''.<ref name="tcm">{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/142384%7C139861/shelly-novack#biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512182802/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/142384%7C139861/Shelly-Novack/#biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 12, 2015|title=Biography for Shelly Novack|date=2020|publisher=[Turner Classic Movies](/source/Turner_Classic_Movies)|work=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref>

Novack was a regular on the [Quinn Martin](/source/Quinn_Martin)-produced TV shows ''[The F.B.I.](/source/The_F.B.I._(TV_series))'' (1973–74) and ''[Most Wanted](/source/Most_Wanted_(1976_TV_series))''. In addition to television, he performed in a few theatrical film releases, including Johnny Finney in 1969's ''[Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here](/source/Tell_Them_Willie_Boy_Is_Here)''; and Rolling, the cockpit mechanic who assists in moving the stranded jet, in 1970's ''[Airport](/source/Airport_(1970_film))''.

In 1977, Novack won the very first [Toyota Grand Prix](/source/Long_Beach_Grand_Prix) pro-celebrity race.<ref>{{cite news|title=Catching On|date=April 19, 1977|work=[The Los Angeles Times](/source/The_Los_Angeles_Times)|page=D–3}}</ref>

==Death==
On May 27, 1978, Novack died of a heart attack in [Santa Monica, California](/source/Santa_Monica%2C_California) at age 34.<ref name="tcm"/> He is interred in the [Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery](/source/Hillside_Memorial_Park_Cemetery) in [Culver City, California](/source/Culver_City%2C_California).
==Screen appearances==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1967–1970
| ''[The Virginian](/source/The_Virginian_(TV_series))''
| Various roles
| 5 episodes
|-
| 1968
| ''A Punt, a Pass, and a Prayer''
| Barney
| Television movie
|-
| 1968–1974
| ''[Ironside](/source/Ironside_(1967_TV_series))''
| Various roles
| 5 episodes
|-
| 1969
| ''The Outsider''
| Edward Potolski
| Episode: "Service for One"
|-
| 1969
| ''[The Bold Ones: The New Doctors](/source/The_Bold_Ones%3A_The_New_Doctors)''
| H.P. Leader
| Episode: "The Rebellion of the Body"
|-
| 1969
| ''Willie Boy''
| Johnny Finney
|
|-
| 1969
| ''[Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here](/source/Tell_Them_Willie_Boy_Is_Here)''
| Johnny Finney 
|
|-
| 1969–1970
| ''[The Name of the Game](/source/The_Name_of_the_Game_(TV_series))''
| Various roles
| 3 episodes
|-
| 1970
| ''The Forty-Eight Hour Mile ''
| 
| Television movie
|-
| 1970
| ''[McCloud](/source/McCloud_(TV_series))''
| James Waldron
| Episode: "Portrait of a Dead Girl"
|-
| 1970
| ''[Airport](/source/Airport_(1970_film))''
| Rolling
| 
|-
| 1970
| ''[Gunsmoke](/source/Gunsmoke)''
| Adam Bramley
| Episode: "Stark"
|-
| 1970
| ''[The Intruders](/source/The_Intruders_(1970_film))''
| Theron Pardo 
| Television movie shot in 1967
|-
| 1971
| ''[Dan August](/source/Dan_August)''
| Matt Lawrence 
| Episode: "Days of Rage"
|-
| 1971
| ''[The Mod Squad](/source/The_Mod_Squad)''
| Ed Kelton
| Episode: "The Sands of Anger"
|-
| 1971
| ''[The D.A.](/source/The_D.A._(1971_TV_series))''
| 
| Episode: "The People versus Boley"
|-
| 1971
| ''[Cade's County](/source/Cade's_County)''
|  Earl Grimes
| Episode: "Inferno"
|-
| 1972
| ''[Emergency!](/source/Emergency!)'' 
| Vern Hammond
| Episode: "Hang-Up"
|-
| 1972
| ''[Kansas City Bomber](/source/Kansas_City_Bomber)''
| Fan
| 
|-
| 1972
| ''[The Rookies](/source/The_Rookies)''
| Cody
| Episode: "Concrete Valley, Neon Sky"
|-
| 1972
| ''[Banyon](/source/Banyon)''
| 
| Episode: "The Old College Try"
|-
| 1972–1975
| ''[Medical Center](/source/Medical_Center_(TV_series))''
| Various roles
| 3 episodes
|-
| 1972–1976
| ''[The Streets of San Francisco](/source/The_Streets_of_San_Francisco)''
| Various roles
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1973
| ''[Circle of Fear](/source/Ghost_Story_(TV_series))''
| Art
| Episode: "Dark Vengeance"
|-
| 1973
| ''[The Letters](/source/The_Letters_(1973_film))''
| Sonny
| Television movie
|-
| 1973
| ''[The Delphi Bureau](/source/The_Delphi_Bureau)'' 
| Carson
| Episode: "The Self-Destruct Project"
|-
| 1973
| ''Toke''
|
|
|-
| 1973–1974
| ''[Kung Fu](/source/Kung_Fu_(1972_TV_series))''
| Various roles
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1973–1974
| ''[The F.B.I.](/source/The_F.B.I._(TV_series))''
| Agent Chris Daniels
| 23 episodes
|-
| 1974
| ''[Kolchak: The Night Stalker](/source/Kolchak%3A_The_Night_Stalker)''
| York
| Episode: "Horror in the Heights"
|-
| 1974–1977
| ''[Police Story](/source/Police_Story_(1973_TV_series))''
| Various roles
| 7 episodes
|-
| 1975
| ''The Desperate Miles''
| Lou
| Television movie
|-
| 1975
| ''Cop on the Beat''
| Henderson 
| Television movie
|-
| 1975
| ''Medical Story''
| Jerry 
| Television movie
|-
| 1975
| ''[Hawaii Five-O](/source/Hawaii_Five-O_(1968_TV_series))''
| Officer Oliver MacDougall
|  Episode: "Sing a Song of Suspense"
|-
| 1975
| ''[Barnaby Jones](/source/Barnaby_Jones)''
| Ralph Forester 
| Episode: "Portrait of Evil"
|-
| 1975
| ''[Switch](/source/Switch_(American_TV_series))''
| Strayhorn
| Episode: "Mistresses, Murderers and Millions"
|-
| 1976
| ''[Bert D'Angelo/Superstar](/source/Bert_D'Angelo%2FSuperstar)''
| Bobby Cox
| Episode: "Murder In Velvet"
|-
| 1976
| ''[Good Heavens](/source/Good_Heavens)''
| Andy Reed
| Episode: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"
|-
| 1976
| ''[Vigilante Force](/source/Vigilante_Force)''
| D.O. Viner
|
|-
| 1976
| ''[The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries](/source/The_Hardy_Boys%2FNancy_Drew_Mysteries)''
| Wally Siebert
| Episode: "Wipe-Out"
|-
| 1976–1977
| ''[Most Wanted](/source/Most_Wanted_(1976_TV_series))''
| Sgt. Charlie Benson
| 22 episodes
|-
| 1977
| ''[The Love Boat](/source/The_Love_Boat)''
| Brad Brockway
| Episode: "The Captain and the Lady/One If by Land/Centerfold"
|-
| 1977
| ''[Quincy, M.E.](/source/Quincy%2C_M.E.)''
| Ben
| Episode: "The Hero Syndrome"
|-
| 1978
| ''[Superdome](/source/Superdome_(film))''
|  Peter Brooks
| Television movie
|-
| 1978
| ''Love's Dark Ride''
|  Karl Sears 
| Television movie, (final film role)
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*{{IMDb name|0636796|Shelly Novack}}
*{{find a Grave|7175414}}

{{San Diego Chargers 1966 draft navbox}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Novack, Shelly}}
Category:1944 births
Category:1978 deaths
Category:Male actors from Los Angeles
Category:American male film actors
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:American male television actors
Category:California State University, Long Beach, alumni
Category:Jewish American male actors
Category:San Diego Chargers players
Category:Santa Monica College alumni
Category:Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:Players of American football from Los Angeles
Category:20th-century American Jews

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Shelly Novack](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelly_Novack) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelly_Novack?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.