#63

 

BOBBY BELL

Bobby Bell could take over a game from the outside linebacker position and dominate on defense like few others.

In a game known for its brilliant athletes who can wow scouts with speed, leaping ability, and coordination, it’s hard to find anybody who could top Bell. But aside from his athletic ability, Bell was a hardworking player who made the most of his God-given gifts and dominated on the field at the high school, college, and professional level.

Bell, of course, was one of the mainstays of Hank Stram’s Kansas City Chiefs. He was one of the dominant figures on the football field every time he stepped on it, and while the American Football League was known for its high-scoring, light-up-the-scoreboard ways, there were some brilliant defensive players and Bell was perhaps their best.

Bell was so talented that he could play any position and be successful. Throughout his professional career, he played defensive line and linebacker, and Stram knew that Bell was going to dominate every time he went on the field.

Stram depended on Bell in every big-play situation his team found itself in to come through with a big play. Bell was never better than he was against the New York Jets in a 1969 playoff game.

With the Chiefs leading the game 6-3 in the fourth quarter, the Jets had the ball in a first-and-goal situation on the one-yard line.

It seemed obvious that the Jets were going to ram the ball into the endzone and take the lead. However, Bell and the Chiefs’ defense rose up and stopped the Jets. Joe Namath gave the ball to the power-running fullback Matt Snell twice, but he could not overpower Bell and the Kansas City defense.

On the third-down play, Namath faked a handoff to Snell in an effort to draw Bell out of position. Bell wasn’t buying and he stayed with Namath, and he prevented the Hall of Fame quarterback from throwing a touchdown pass. The Jets had to settle for a tying field goal.

That goal-line stand spurred on Len Dawson and the Chiefs offense. Kansas City drove the length of the field and scored the game-winning touchdown when Dawson hit wide receiver Gloster Richardson with a game-winning touchdown pass.

The Chiefs would then go on to beat the Oakland Raiders in the last AFL championship game before beating the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl IV.

In that game, the heavily favored Vikings were expected to run all over the Chiefs and regain glory for the NFL. However, the Chiefs defense rebuffed and repulsed Minnesota, as the Vikings did not have the athleticism or speed to contend with active defensive players like Bell.

Whether he was playing in the American Football League or the NFL, Bell was dominant. He was a six-time AFL all-star, while he also made three NFL Pro Bowls after the two leagues merged prior to the 1970 season.

Bell was also named to the All-Time AFL first team. He recorded 40 sacks and 26 interceptions in his career, and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Bell was the first outside linebacker to be enshrined in the Hall, and when he was inducted into Canton, Stram called him the “greatest outside linebacker to ever play the game.”

While Stram was given to hyperbole, there is every reason to believe that he may have been dead-on with his analysis. He was superb against the run, stellar in pass coverage, and he could rush the passer and cause havoc every time he went after the quarterback.

Additionally, he was a dominant player on special teams. Trying to return punts and kickoffs against the Chiefs was a near-hopeless task because Bell could run down the fastest return specialists, even when they had a big lead.

Bell returned six interceptions for touchdowns, and no linebacker has ever returned more picks for scores. Bell had the remarkable ability to read the quarterback’s eyes, recognize where he was going to throw the ball, and then get to that spot at full speed just as the ball was arriving.

“I just marveled at his athletic ability,” said Dawson. “I got to see him in practice every day, so I knew what he could do on the field, and I was just happy that I didn’t have to play against him. There was no way anyone could get the better of him. He was as dominant at his position as any player I have ever seen.”