Bell was born on June 17, 1940 in the segregated city of Shelby, North Carolina.[1][2] 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.[2][3]
Bell excelled in several sports at a then-segregatedCleveland High School in Shelby, where he was coached by John Weston in football.[4] 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.[3][4][5]
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, to recommend 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.[3][4] Warmath said of Bell, "'He would have been a standout at any position; he was of maximum value to us at tackle.'"[1]
He was a two-time first team All-American (1961 and 1962) and the winner of the 1962 Outland Trophy, which is given to the nation's most outstanding interior lineman. In 1962, he was also named Lineman of the Year by the United Press and the Columbus Touchdown Club as well as Player of the Year by Coach & Athlete Magazine. He also finished third in Heisman Trophy voting.[4][1]
Bell was offered the key to the city of Shelby in 1962, after all his success, but asked instead if he could walk into the front door of the ice cream parlor across the street to get an ice-cream cone. Shelby was still a segregated city, and he was refused.[2]
Bell joined Minnesota's basketball team as a walk-on, becoming its first black player.[3]
He joined Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, via the Mu Chapter, while at the University of Minnesota.[6] Bell left 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.[3] Bell wore that watch 55 years later during his graduation ceremony.[7]
Professional football career
Bell was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL in the second round (16th overall),[5] and in the seventh round of the AFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. 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.[4][7]
In 1964, Bell was All AFL as a defensive end, but in 1965, future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram moved Bell to outside linebacker. Bell was then All AFL or All NFL as a linebacker every year from 1965 to 1971. 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).[4] He was AFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1969.[8][7] Bell never missed a regular season game, playing in 168 during his professional career.[5]
Bell was the one of the first black outside linebackers in professional football.[2][7] 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.[3]
The Chiefs retired his uniform number 78.[14] 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).[15][16] Quarterback Len Dawson and kicker Jan Stenerud from that team are also in the hall of fame.[17][18] He played alongside hall of fame middle linebacker Willie Lanier,[19] and was part of one of the all-time linebacker trio's with Lanier and Jim Lynch.[20] He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, and named one of its Legends in 2006.[8]
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 backMatt 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 .[4][7] The 13–6 victory over the Jets propelled Kansas City to its first Super Bowl triumph. 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.[21]
Bell was noted for his one-of-a-kind athleticism. At 6' 4" and 220 or 230 pounds, with a 28-inch waist and pyramid-like build, he was also reported to have run a 4.4 or 4.5 40-yard dash.[3][7] Some consider Bell the greatest all-around athlete to have played football.[5] 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 in professional football history.[4] He has been called the first great "size and speed" linebacker and the "prototype speed linebacker". He had been a lineman, but was moved 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.[22]
He was also a great blitzer from the linebacker position.[7] Bell played left side linebacker in Stram's "stack defense".[5] Chiefs records show Bell had 40 career quarterback sacks[23][4] and 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 the tight end would be lined up right, on the defense's left. [citation needed] Bell scored 9 touchdowns in his career: 6 off interceptions (tied for most in NFL history for a linebacker with Derrick Brooks),[24] 2 more touchdowns off fumble recoveries, and one off an onside kickoff return.[4] In his hall of fame induction speech for Bell, coach Stram described Bell as the only player who could play any position on a winning football team.[4] Stram said that, "He could play all 22 positions on the field, and play them well."[25] In addition to all that, Bell had been a center in college and played long snapper for the Chiefs.[7] 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]
After his retirement, he opened Bobby Bell's Bar-b-que in Kansas City, Missouri, which he operated for nearly thirty years.[3][7] He was a motivational speaker for many years.[7]
On August 22, 2016, The Tournament of Roses announced Bobby Bell, Ricky Ervins, Tommy Prothro, and Art Spander would be inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame as the Class of 2016.[26][27] 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.[28]
There is an historical marker for Bell in Shelby.[29] 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.[2]
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