Bobby Bell

Bobby Lee Bell Sr. (born June 17, 1940) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker and defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Bell is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, and played on the Chiefs' team that won Super Bowl IV. Paul Zimmerman described him as the first, and prototype, size and speed linebacker.

Early life Bell was born on June 17, 1940, in the segregated city of Shelby, North Carolina. When he was six years old, he was asleep in the family home, owned by the textile mill employing his father, when it caught fire. His mother, Zannie Lee Bell, broke free from those trying to restrain her from going into the collapsing building, where she crawled on the floor to his bedroom and pulled him out to safety. Bell had a scar on his head from this incident the rest of his life. Bell's father, Pink Lee Bell, worked in various jobs at the town's textile mill.

Bell excelled in several sports at Cleveland High School in Shelby, where he was coached by John Winston in football. He was scouted by the Chicago White Sox for baseball at 16 years old, but his father wanted him to finish school. In his first two years of high school, he played six-man football, playing under center at the position of halfback. During his junior year, his school converted to playing as an 11-man football team, where Bell played quarterback. He would receive All-State honors in football at both halfback and quarterback.

College career Coach Jim Tatum of the University of North Carolina was interested in Bell to play football, but the school was segregated. Tatum contacted coach Murray Warmath at the University of Minnesota, where Warmath had been recruiting black players. Tatum recommended Bell, and Bell went to Minnesota. At Minnesota, it was the first time he shared a classroom or dining table with whites. Bell was originally a quarterback, but Warmath switched him to the defensive line. Bell would also play offensive tackle and center.

The Gophers with Bell had a record of 22-6-1, were the 1960 National Champions, played in the 1961 Rose Bowl, and won the 1962 Rose Bowl.

Bell joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, via the Mu Chapter, while at the University of Minnesota.

Professional football career Bell was selected by the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL in the second round (16th overall), He surprisingly chose to join the Chiefs, where he would go on to play for 12 years, first in the American Football League from 1963 through 1969, and then in the NFL from 1970 through 1974. He met with Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt over ice cream on Minnesota's campus, and they agreed to a no-cut guaranteed contract, something the Vikings would not do; in addition to agreeing to a longer term of years than the Vikings offered. but in 1965, future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram moved Bell to outside linebacker. Stram moved Bell to outside linebacker for his speed to combat the Oakland Raiders' use of running back Clem Daniels as a pass receiver out of the backfield. Bell was an AFL All-Star for six consecutive years, 1964 through 1969, and then an NFL Pro Bowler for four straight years (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973). The 1965 AFL All-Star Game was moved from New Orleans to Houston because the black and white players would not have been allowed to dine together in the same New Orleans restaurant. He was named to the first team All-Time All-AFL Team in 1970, along with teammates Jerry Mays, future Hall of Famer Johnny Robinson, Fred Arbanas, Ed Budde, Jim Tyrer, Paul Lowe and Jerrel Wilson on the first team, and future Hall of Famers Buck Buchanan and Len Dawson on the second team.

A total of six defensive players on the Chiefs Super Bowl IV championship team were selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Bell, Buchanan, Curly Culp, Willie Lanier, Emmitt Thomas and Johnny Robinson). He played alongside Hall of Fame middle linebacker Willie Lanier, and was part of one of the all-time linebacker trios with Lanier and Jim Lynch.

One of Bell's finest moments came in the 1969 AFL divisional playoff game against the New York Jets. In a critical goal line stand, his key coverage on Jets running back Matt Snell stopped the drive and forced New York to kick a field goal. Jets quarterback Joe Namath was stunned Bell was in coverage and said it would have otherwise been a touchdown and Jets victory.

He was also a blitzer from the linebacker position. two more touchdowns off fumble recoveries, and one off an onside kickoff return. In addition to all that, Bell had been a center in college and played long snapper for the Chiefs.

AFL/NFL career statistics Legend PFW NFL Defensive Player of the Year Won the Super Bowl Led the league Bold Career high

Regular season Year Team Games Interceptions Fumbles 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 01969 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 Year Team Games 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

Legacy and honors Bell was noted for his one-of-a-kind athleticism. At 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) and 220 (99.8 kg) or 230 (104.3 kg) pounds, with a 28-inch (71.1 cm) waist and pyramid-like build, he was also reported to have run a 4.4 or 4.5 40-yard dash.

In 2019, Bell was selected to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, which also included teammates Buck Buchanan, Willie Lanier (who would become a lifelong friend In 1999, he was ranked number 66 on The Sporting News''' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, one above teammate Buck Buchanan. He was number 74 on the Athletics 2021 list of the best 100 football players of all time. In 1991, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, and named one of its Legends in 2006. 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.

The Bobby Bell Award is presented annually as part of the Thomas A. Simone Annual Memorial Football Awards to a high school player in the greater Kansas City, Missouri area for outstanding small class defensive lineman/linebacker.

While at the University of Minnesota, Bell joined Minnesota's basketball team as a walk-on, becoming its first black player. On August 28, 2021, there was a Bobby Bell Day in Shelby, that included unveiling a sign for Bobby Bell Boulevard, dedicating a muraled wall of a building with his images, and renaming the City Pavilion the Bobby Bell Pavilion.

After his retirement, he opened Bobby Bell's Bar-b-que in Kansas City, Missouri, which he operated for nearly thirty years. He was a motivational speaker for many years.

Bell left the University of Minnesota 13 credits short of a degree, to play for the Chiefs. 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. He did it to honor his father, who believed that blacks could compete equally with whites in sports and education if given a chance. Before going to Minnesota, Pink Lee Bell had given his son a gold watch, so he would never be late for class. Bell wore that watch 55 years later during his graduation ceremony.