Kerwin Bell
Encyclopedia
Kerwin Douglas Bell is an American college and professional football
coach and former player who was a quarterback
in the National Football League
(NFL), World League of American Football
(WLAF) and the Canadian Football League
(CFL) for fourteen seasons in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Bell played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for four NFL teams, one WLAF team and four CFL teams. He is the current head coach
of the Jacksonville Dolphins
college football team that represents Jacksonville University
located in Jacksonville, Florida
.
in 1965. He attended Lafayette County High School in the equally small north Florida town of Mayo
, where he was the quarterback of his high school football
team and earned the nickname of "the throwin' Mayoan."
, Bell attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played quarterback
for the Florida Gators football
team under coach Galen Hall
from 1983 to 1987. Bell did not initially receive an athletic scholarship
, but was a walk-on player who was initially the eighth quarterback on the Gators' depth chart. He saw no playing time as a freshman
in 1983, and was redshirt
ed by the coaching staff.
Bell received his chance to become the Gators' starting
quarterback when all of the scholarship quarterbacks ahead of him transferred or were injured prior to the start of the 1984 season. Behind the Gators' outstanding offensive line, memorably dubbed "The Great Wall of Florida," and which included Phil Bromley, Lomas Brown
, Billy Hinson, Crawford Ker
and Jeff Zimmerman, and supported by fullback
John L. Williams
, halfback
Neal Anderson
and wide receiver
Ricky Nattiel
, Bell made the most of his opportunity and led the Gators to consecutive 9–1–1 seasons in 1984 and 1985 and earned a scholarship in the process. The Gators also finished with best-in-the-conference records of 5–0–1 and 5–1 in 1984 and 1985. Bell was the Southeastern Conference
(SEC) Player of the Year in 1984, an honorable mention All-American in 1985 and 1986, a first-team All-SEC selection in 1985, and the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award and a team captain in 1987. He finished his four-year college career with 549 completions on 949 passing attempts, for 7,585 yards and fifty-six touchdowns.
Bell graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
in psychology
in 1987, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1997.
in the seventh round (180th pick overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft
, but did not play for the Dolphins. He did play for the Orlando Thunder
of the World League of American Football
. He threw for 2,214 yards in 1991, but was a backup in 1992 when the Thunder went to the World Bowl
.
He began a seven-year Canadian Football League
career in , with the Sacramento Gold Miners
, part of the failed CFL expansion
into the United States
. As a back-up quarterback in 1993, Bell threw for 296 yards, but his passing production increased to 1,812 yards in . Bell played for the Edmonton Eskimos
in .
In , Bell landed a roster spot with the Indianapolis Colts
of the NFL, and in week 15, entered the game being played against the Philadelphia Eagles
. Bell attempted five passes and completed all of them, throwing for seventy-five yards total on the day. One of his five passes was completed for a touchdown in the only NFL game played in his career. He has the highest career passer rating
of any quarterback in NFL history, higher than current and future Hall of Fame
members Joe Namath
, Steve Young, Joe Montana
, Warren Moon
, Peyton Manning
, Dan Marino
and Brett Favre
.
After the season with the Indianapolis Colts
, and a two-year break from the CFL, Bell returned in with the Toronto Argonauts
, and had his best professional year, throwing for 4,991 yards and completing 67.3 percent of his passes (a team record). He threw for 501 yards against Edmonton on September 26, 1998. Bell played in and with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
, but would return to the Argonauts
for part of the and the seasons. Bell would throw for 8,811 career yards in forty-six regular season games in Toronto
. During his second stint with the Argos, he is humorously remembered for a play in which he hit himself in the groin after spiking the ball during a touchdown celebration.
for the Toronto Argonauts in . Afterward, he accepted a new job as the head football coach of Trinity Catholic High School
in Ocala, Florida
. After his Trinity Catholic Celtics won the 2006 Florida 2B state high school football championship, Bell was hired as head coach of the Jacksonville University
football program in 2007. In 2008, he was recognized as the Pioneer Football League
Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award
after his Dolphins went 9–4 and won the league's championship.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and former player who was a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL), World League of American Football
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
(WLAF) and the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL) for fourteen seasons in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Bell played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for four NFL teams, one WLAF team and four CFL teams. He is the current head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Jacksonville Dolphins
Jacksonville Dolphins
The Jacksonville University Dolphins are the athletics team of Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. The Dolphins participate in NCAA Division I athletics, and are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, the National Lacrosse Conference, and as the Pioneer Football League.-Sports...
college football team that represents Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, on the banks of the St. Johns River. The school was founded in 1934 as a two year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until 1958, when it shifted its focus to four-year university degrees and adopted its...
located in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
.
Early life
Bell was born in the small town of Live Oak, FloridaLive Oak, Florida
Live Oak is a city in Suwannee County, Florida. The city is the county seat of Suwannee County and is located east of Tallahassee, Florida. The population was 6,480 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,828 ....
in 1965. He attended Lafayette County High School in the equally small north Florida town of Mayo
Mayo, Florida
Mayo is a town and the only municipality in Lafayette County, Florida, United States. The population was 988 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,009...
, where he was the quarterback of his high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team and earned the nickname of "the throwin' Mayoan."
College career
After graduating from high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Bell attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team under coach Galen Hall
Galen Hall
Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
from 1983 to 1987. Bell did not initially receive an athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
, but was a walk-on player who was initially the eighth quarterback on the Gators' depth chart. He saw no playing time as a freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
in 1983, and was redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
ed by the coaching staff.
Bell received his chance to become the Gators' starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback when all of the scholarship quarterbacks ahead of him transferred or were injured prior to the start of the 1984 season. Behind the Gators' outstanding offensive line, memorably dubbed "The Great Wall of Florida," and which included Phil Bromley, Lomas Brown
Lomas Brown
Lomas Brown, Jr. is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League for eighteen seasons in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Brown played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played...
, Billy Hinson, Crawford Ker
Crawford Ker
Crawford Francis Ker is a former American college and professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League for six seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. Ker played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Dallas...
and Jeff Zimmerman, and supported by fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
John L. Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
, halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
Neal Anderson
Neal Anderson
Charles Neal Anderson is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s and 1990s...
and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Ricky Nattiel
Ricky Nattiel
Richard Rennard "Ricky" Nattiel is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for six seasons during the 1980s and 1990s...
, Bell made the most of his opportunity and led the Gators to consecutive 9–1–1 seasons in 1984 and 1985 and earned a scholarship in the process. The Gators also finished with best-in-the-conference records of 5–0–1 and 5–1 in 1984 and 1985. Bell was the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) Player of the Year in 1984, an honorable mention All-American in 1985 and 1986, a first-team All-SEC selection in 1985, and the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award and a team captain in 1987. He finished his four-year college career with 549 completions on 949 passing attempts, for 7,585 yards and fifty-six touchdowns.
Bell graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
in 1987, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1997.
Professional career
Kerwin Bell had a well-traveled football career. He was drafted by the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the seventh round (180th pick overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft
1988 NFL Draft
The 1988 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
, but did not play for the Dolphins. He did play for the Orlando Thunder
Orlando Thunder
The Orlando Thunder was a member of the World League of American Football from 1991 to 1992 . The team played their games in the 70,000 seat Citrus Bowl, and was coached by Don Matthews in 1991 and Galen Hall in 1992...
of the World League of American Football
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
. He threw for 2,214 yards in 1991, but was a backup in 1992 when the Thunder went to the World Bowl
World Bowl
The World Bowl was the American football Championship game of NFL Europe, similar to the Super Bowl of the National Football League.The World Bowl trophy itself was a globe made of glass measuring 35.5 cm in diameter and weighing 18.6 kg .-World League of American Football:When NFL Europe was...
.
He began a seven-year Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
career in , with the Sacramento Gold Miners
Sacramento Gold Miners
The Sacramento Gold Miners were a Canadian football team based in Sacramento, California. The franchise was the first American team in the Canadian Football League. The Gold Miners were originally the "descendants" of the Sacramento Surge from the defunct World League of American Football...
, part of the failed CFL expansion
CFL USA
The term CFL USA refers to the abortive expansion of the Canadian Football League into the United States in the early-to-mid 1990s. The 1993 CFL season saw the addition of the first American team to the league, the Sacramento Gold Miners...
into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As a back-up quarterback in 1993, Bell threw for 296 yards, but his passing production increased to 1,812 yards in . Bell played for the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
in .
In , Bell landed a roster spot with the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
of the NFL, and in week 15, entered the game being played against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Bell attempted five passes and completed all of them, throwing for seventy-five yards total on the day. One of his five passes was completed for a touchdown in the only NFL game played in his career. He has the highest career passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of any quarterback in NFL history, higher than current and future Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
members Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
, Steve Young, Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
, Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
and Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
.
After the season with the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, and a two-year break from the CFL, Bell returned in with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
, and had his best professional year, throwing for 4,991 yards and completing 67.3 percent of his passes (a team record). He threw for 501 yards against Edmonton on September 26, 1998. Bell played in and with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
, but would return to the Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
for part of the and the seasons. Bell would throw for 8,811 career yards in forty-six regular season games in Toronto
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
. During his second stint with the Argos, he is humorously remembered for a play in which he hit himself in the groin after spiking the ball during a touchdown celebration.
Coaching career
Bell became the offensive coordinatorOffensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the Toronto Argonauts in . Afterward, he accepted a new job as the head football coach of Trinity Catholic High School
Trinity Catholic High School (Florida)
Trinity Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory day school in Ocala, Florida, operated by the Christian Brothers. Located in the Diocese of Orlando, Trinity Catholic is the first and only Catholic high school in metropolitan Ocala....
in Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
. After his Trinity Catholic Celtics won the 2006 Florida 2B state high school football championship, Bell was hired as head coach of the Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, on the banks of the St. Johns River. The school was founded in 1934 as a two year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until 1958, when it shifted its focus to four-year university degrees and adopted its...
football program in 2007. In 2008, he was recognized as the Pioneer Football League
Pioneer Football League
The Pioneer Football League is a college athletic conference which operates in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. It has member schools that range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The conference participates in the NCAA's...
Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award
Eddie Robinson Award
The Eddie Robinson Award is awarded annually to college football's top head coach in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision . The award was established by The Sports Network in 1987 and is voted upon by the division's sports information directors and selected sports writers...
after his Dolphins went 9–4 and won the league's championship.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1980–1989
- Jacksonville DolphinsJacksonville DolphinsThe Jacksonville University Dolphins are the athletics team of Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. The Dolphins participate in NCAA Division I athletics, and are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, the National Lacrosse Conference, and as the Pioneer Football League.-Sports...
- List of SEC Most Valuable Players
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of University of Florida alumni