Bobby Bell
No. 78 | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Linebacker Defensive end | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | Shelby, North Carolina,U.S. | June 17, 1940||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
High school: | Cleveland (Shelby, North Carolina) | ||||||||||
College: | Minnesota(1960–1962) | ||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1963/ Round: 2 / Pick: 16 | ||||||||||
AFL draft: | 1963/ Round: 7 / Pick: 56 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Career AFL/NFL statistics | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Player stats atPFR | |||||||||||
Bobby Lee Bell Sr.(born June 17, 1940) is an American formerfootballlinebackeranddefensive endwho played for theKansas City Chiefsof theAmerican Football League(AFL) and theNational Football League(NFL). He is a member of thePro Football Hall of Fame,theCollege Football Hall of Fame,and was a member of the Chiefs' team that wonSuper Bowl IVagainst theMinnesota Vikings.
High school career
[edit]Bell excelled in several sports at a then-segregatedCleveland High School inShelby, North Carolina.In his first two years of high school, he playedsix-man football,playing under center at the position ofhalfback.During his junior year, his school converted to playing as an 11-man football team, where Bell playedquarterback.He would receive All-State honors in football.
College career
[edit]At theUniversity of Minnesota,Bell was switched to the defensive line. He was a two-timeAll-American(1961 and 1962) and the winner of the 1962Outland Trophy,which is given to the nation's most outstanding interior lineman. He also finished third inHeisman Trophyvoting. TheGopherswith Bell were the 1960National Champions,played in the1961 Rose Bowl,and won the1962 Rose Bowl.Bell was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
He joinedAlpha Phi Alphafraternity, via the Mu Chapter, while at the University of Minnesota. At the age of 74, he completed his college degree at Minnesota by finishing the three remaining courses he required. He graduated on May 14, 2015, some 50 years after leaving college to play professional football.[1]
Professional football career
[edit]He played for theKansas City Chiefs,first in theAmerican Football Leaguefrom1963through1969,and then in the NFL from1970through1974.Bell was anAFL All-Starfor six consecutive years,1964through1969,and then an NFLPro Bowlerfor three straight years (1970-1972).
He was on two AFL Championship teams and a World Championship team. He was named to theAll-Time All-AFL Teamin 1970. He was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1980, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. The Chiefs retired his uniform number 78. In 1999, he was ranked number 66 onThe Sporting News'list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
One of Bell's finest moments came in the1969 AFL divisional playoffgame against theNew York Jets.In a criticalgoal linestand, his key coverage on Jetsrunning backMatt Snellstopped the drive and forced New York to kick afield goal.The 13–6 victory over the Jets propelledKansas Cityto its firstSuper Bowltriumph. During a regular-season game against Denver (11/27), the Broncos, trailing 24–17 late in the game, attempted an onside kick that was recovered by Bell, who promptly returned that kick for a 53-yard touchdown.[2]
Bell was noted for his one-of-a-kind athleticism at 6' 4 "and 230 pounds and was reported to have run a 4.540-yard dash.Bell was possibly the most physically gifted linebacker in professional football history, for his speed at such a size made him ideal at outside linebacker.[citation needed]He was noted as one of the finest open-field tacklers inprofessional footballhistory.
He was also a greatblitzerfrom the linebacker position. Chiefs records show Bell had 40 careerquarterback sacksand he might have had more if he had played right linebacker, not the left linebacker. In that era, more often than not the right-side linebacker got the call to "dog" or blitz since more often than not thetight endwould be lined up right, on the defense's left. Bell scored 9touchdownsin his career: 6 offinterceptions(tied for most in NFL history for a linebacker withDerrick Brooks),[3]2 more touchdowns offfumblerecoveries, and one off anonside kickoffreturn. CoachHank Stramsaid that, "He could play all 22 positions on the field, and play them well." In addition to all that, he was regarded as one of the greatest long snapper centers for field goals and points-after-touchdowns in NCAA and AFL/NFL history.[citation needed]
AFL/NFL career statistics
[edit]Legend | |
---|---|
PFWNFL Defensive Player of the Year | |
Won theSuper Bowl | |
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Regular season
[edit]Year | Team | Games | Sck | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Int | Yds | Y/I | Lng | TD | FR | Yds | Y/F | TD | |||
1963 | KC | 14 | 11 | 4.5 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
1964 | KC | 14 | 14 | 7.5 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 |
1965 | KC | 14 | 14 | 7.0 | 4 | 73 | 18.3 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
1966 | KC | 14 | 14 | 2.5 | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 |
1967 | KC | 14 | 12 | 3.5 | 4 | 82 | 20.5 | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
1968 | KC | 14 | 14 | 2.5 | 5 | 95 | 19.0 | 50 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
1969 | KC | 14 | 14 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
1970 | KC | 14 | 14 | 2.0 | 3 | 57 | 19.0 | 45 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
1971 | KC | 14 | 14 | 1.5 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
1972 | KC | 14 | 14 | 3.5 | 3 | 56 | 18.7 | 61 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
1973 | KC | 14 | 14 | 0.5 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
1974 | KC | 14 | 10 | 0.0 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
Career | 168 | 159 | 40.0 | 26 | 479 | 18.4 | 61 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 |
Postseason
[edit]Year | Team | Games | Sck | |
---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | |||
1966 | KC | 2 | 2 | 1.5 |
1968 | KC | 1 | 1 | 0.0 |
1969 | KC | 3 | 3 | 1.0 |
1971 | KC | 1 | 1 | 0.0 |
Career | 7 | 7 | 2.5 |
After football
[edit]After his retirement, he openedBobby Bell's Bar-b-queinKansas City, Missouri.
On August 22, 2016, The Tournament of Roses announced Bobby Bell,Ricky Ervins,Tommy Prothro,andArt Spanderwould be inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame as the Class of 2016. The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony then took place on January 1, 2017, outside the Rose Bowl Stadium, one day before the kickoff of the 103rd Rose Bowl game on Monday, January 2, 2017.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Bell, Bobby."Bobby Bell honors his father by accomplishing one more goal".New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 30,2020.
- ^Chiefs History: 1960'sArchivedJanuary 24, 2007, at theWayback MachineKCChiefs,retrieved January 1, 2007.
- ^Mayer, Larry (July 26, 2013)."Briggs adjusting to new role as defensive play-caller".Chicago Bears.Archived fromthe originalon July 30, 2013.RetrievedJuly 26,2013.
External links
[edit]- Pro Football Hall of Fame:Member profile
- Bobby Bellat theCollege Football Hall of Fame
- 1940 births
- Living people
- All-American college football players
- American football defensive ends
- American football linebackers
- Minnesota Golden Gophers football players
- American Football League All-Star players
- American Football League All-Time Team
- Kansas City Chiefs players
- American Conference Pro Bowl players
- College Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
- National Football League players with retired numbers
- Sportspeople from Shelby, North Carolina
- Players of American football from North Carolina
- American Football League players