Kenny Bell

Last updated

Kenny Bell
No. 80
Position: Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1992-02-25) February 25, 1992 (age 32)
Boulder, Colorado, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:188 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High school: Boulder (CO) Fairview
College: Nebraska
NFL draft: 2015  / round: 5 / pick: 162
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kenny Bell (born February 25, 1992) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Nebraska and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft.

Contents

Early life

Bell attended Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado, where he was a three-sport star in football, track and basketball. In football, Bell helped Fairview High to a 12–1 record and a state semi-final appearance in 2009. As a junior, Bell earned first-team All-Front Range League honors, playing wingback and rushing for 958 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a senior, Bell caught 18 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns, and added an interception and kickoff return for a touchdown. He missed much of the season with an injury, but scored five touchdowns in his first five games back in action. Despite his limited action, Bell's impact was recognized, as he was a first-team All-Colorado selection and first-team Class 5A All-state pick by The Denver Post . In basketball, Bell helped his team to the state title game as a senior.

Also a standout track & field athlete, Bell was one of the state's top performers in both the sprinting and jumping events. In the long jump, he posted a personal-best leap of 7.62 meters (24–9), [1] while in the high jump he had a best of 2.02 meters (6–7.25). [2] He also ran the 100-meter dash in 10.8 seconds. [3]

Bell was ranked among the top 10 players in the state of Colorado, and was rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com . Bell committed to play college football at Nebraska after also visiting Minnesota and Texas Tech. [4] He also had offers from several other schools, including Colorado, Cal, Arizona and Arizona State. [5]

College career

Bell attended Nebraska from 2010 to 2014. As a freshman, he was redshirted. As a redshirt freshman in 2011, he played in all 13 games making 11 starts. He led the team with 32 receptions for 461 yards and three touchdowns. [6] He became the second freshman in school history to lead the team in these categories. [7] As a sophomore in 2012, Bell started all 14 games and again led the team with 50 receptions for 863 yards and eight touchdowns. As a junior, he played in all 13 games and for the third straight year led the team with 52 receptions for 577 yards and four touchdowns.

Bell set numerous Nebraska records his senior season in 2014. [8] Against Rutgers he broke the career receptions record which had been held by Nate Swift. [9] [10] A few weeks later against Wisconsin he broke Johnny Rodgers career receiving yards record. He played in all 13 games that year and for the fourth straight season he led the team in receiving, becoming the first player in school history to do so all four years. Bell earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors after recording 47 receptions for 788 yards with six touchdowns. Bell started 49-of-53 games played at the University of Nebraska, finishing his career ranked first in school history in receptions (181) and receiving yards (2,689) as well as third in receiving touchdowns (21). He made the most starts on offense (49) in school history and posted 51 kickoff returns for 1,277 yards (25.0 avg.) with one touchdown during his career. [11]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1+18 in
(1.86 m)
197 lb
(89 kg)
31+58 in
(0.80 m)
9+14 in
(0.23 m)
4.38 s1.47 s2.54 s4.15 s6.66 s41.5 in
(1.05 m)
10 ft 9 in
(3.28 m)
7 reps
All values from NFL Combine except 40 yd dash from Nebraska Pro Day [12] [13]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Bell in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft at pick 162, using the pick they acquired from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Jeremy Zuttah. [14] He spent the 2015 season on the Buccaneers' injured reserve list following a preseason hamstring injury; he did not have any catches in the first two preseason games. [15] On September 3, 2016, he was released by the Buccaneers as part of final roster cuts. [16]

Baltimore Ravens

On October 5, 2016, Bell was signed to the Ravens' practice squad. [17] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Ravens on January 2, 2017. [18]

On August 18, 2017, Bell was waived/injured by the Ravens and placed on injured reserve. [19] He was released on August 20, 2017. He was re-signed to the Ravens' practice squad on October 24, 2017. [20]

Denver Broncos

On January 17, 2018, Bell signed a reserve/future contract with the Denver Broncos. [21] He was waived/injured on August 3, 2018, and was placed on injured reserve. [22] He was released four days later.

Salt Lake Stallions

In October 2018, Bell joined the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football. [23] The league ceased operations in April 2019. [24]

Personal life

His father, Ken Bell, played for the Broncos from 1986 to 1989, totaling more than 2,000 career yards in kickoff returns. [25]

He is canonically included in the Better Call Saul series Season 6 Episode 10.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willis McGahee</span> American football player (born 1981)

Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American former professional football running back. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning consensus All-American honors. McGahee was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft. In addition to his time with the Bills, he played for the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Stokley</span> American football player and radio personality (born 1976)

Brandon Ray Stokley is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL draft. He is famously known as The Slot Machine.

DeVier Stewart Posey is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. He played college football at Ohio State. He was also a member of the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Toronto Argonauts, Baltimore Ravens, Montreal Alouettes, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and BC Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Wallace (American football)</span> American football player (born 1986)

Burnell Michael Wallace III is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Ole Miss Rebels, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft with the 84th overall pick. He also played for the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles. Throughout his career, Wallace was known for his speed after finishing with a time of 4.33-seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He has ran the 40 in as fast as 4.21 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Smith (cornerback)</span> American football player (born 1988)

James Michael Smith is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 27th pick in the 2011 NFL draft. He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rex Burkhead</span> American football player (born 1990)

Rex Burkhead is a former American football running back. He played college football at Nebraska, and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft. After four seasons with the Bengals, Burkhead spent his next four seasons with the New England Patriots, where he appeared in consecutive Super Bowls and won Super Bowl LIII, the second of the two Super Bowls he appeared in. Burkhead signed with the Houston Texans in 2021 and spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with them. After spending the 2023 NFL season as an un-signed free agent, Burkhead announced his retirement from professional football during the 2024 off-season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlon Brown</span> American football player (born 1991)

Marlon D. Brown is an American former professional football wide receiver. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played college football at Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie Snead</span> American football player (born 1992)

Willie Lee Snead IV is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and has also been a member of the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Ball State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Brown (wide receiver)</span> American football player (born 1990)

John Brown, nicknamed "Smokey" or "Smoke," is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football for the Pittsburg State Gorillas and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft. He has also played for the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Campanaro</span> American football player (born 1991)

Michael Campanaro is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football at Wake Forest and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breshad Perriman</span> American football player (born 1993)

Breshad Raynard Perriman is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the UCF Knights and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Waller</span> American football player (born 1992)

Darren Charles Waller is an American former professional football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He is a great-grandson of composer and jazz pianist Fats Waller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Leggett</span> American football player (born 1995)

Jordan Kristopher Leggett is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers. He was selected by the New York Jets in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demarcus Robinson</span> American football player (born 1994)

Demarcus Dontavian Robinson is an American professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft and won Super Bowl LIV with the team. He has also played for the Baltimore Ravens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamal Agnew</span> American football player (born 1995)

Jamal Agnew is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist. He played college football for the San Diego Toreros. On September 26, 2021, he tied the NFL record for the longest play with a 109 yard return off a missed field goal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Moore (wide receiver)</span> American football player (born 1995)

David James Moore is an American professional football wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at East Central and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft. He has also previously played in the NFL for the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Patrick</span> American football player (born 1993)

Timothy Mychael Patrick is an American professional football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase Edmonds</span> American football player (born 1996)

Chase Edmonds is an American professional football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Fordham Rams and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft. He has also played for the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos.

Rashod Bateman is an American professional football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Minnesota and was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Tyler Badie is an American professional football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Missouri.

References

  1. "Broomfield Shootout 2010 – Track & Field Meet". Athletic.net.
  2. "Front Range Conference Meet 2010 – Track & Field Meet". Athletic.net.
  3. "Thornton HS Last Chance Meet". Colorado Track XC.
  4. "Fairview's Kenny Bell commits to play football at Nebraska". dailycamera.com. January 5, 2010.
  5. "Kenny Bell". yahoo.com.
  6. "Football: Fairview grad Kenny Bell primed to back up breakout season". bocopreps.com. July 30, 2012.
  7. "Freshman Bell comes on strong for Huskers". The Grand Island Independent.
  8. Sherman, Mitch (November 24, 2014). "Huskers' Kenny Bell's career full of fun, heartbreak, and he wouldn't change a thing". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  9. Nyatawa, Jon (September 30, 2024). "Kenny Bell's No. 1, but it's beside his point". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  10. Brian Christopherson – Lincoln Journal Star (October 25, 2014). "Bell grabs record, tries to soak up every moment of senior season". JournalStar.com.
  11. http://files.denverbroncos.com/resources/custom/Images/email_blast/2018_Denver_Broncos_Media_Guide_a.pdf Broncos 2018 Media Guide at the Wayback Machine (archived December 16, 2019)
  12. "Kenny Bell Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  13. "Kenny Bell, Nebraska, WR, 2015 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  14. "2015 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  15. "Report: Bucs put WR Kenny Bell on injured reserve". Sports Illustrated. September 4, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  16. Smith, Scott (September 3, 2016). "Bucs Trim Roster to 53". Buccaneers.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017.
  17. Mink, Ryan (October 5, 2016). "Ravens Promote TE Daniel Brown To 53-Man Roster". BaltimoreRavens.com.
  18. Downing, Garrett (January 2, 2017). "Ravens Sign Six Players to Reserve/Future Contracts". BaltimoreRavens.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
  19. Mink, Ryan (August 18, 2017). "Ravens Bring Back Center Jeremy Zuttah To Bolster Thin Interior Offensive Line". BaltimoreRavens.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  20. Mink, Ryan (October 24, 2017). "Ravens Bring Back Wide Receiver to Practice Squad". BaltimoreRavens.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017.
  21. "Broncos sign three players to future contracts". DenverBroncos.com. January 17, 2018.
  22. DiLalla, Aric (August 3, 2018). "Broncos sign WR Bryce Bobo, waive/injured WR Kenny Bell". DenverBroncos.com.
  23. "AAF Player Profile: Kenny Bell – Salt Lake Stallions, WR". Big Rod, Bear, and The Basement Boys Show. October 23, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  24. Rothstein, Michael; Wickersham, Seth (June 13, 2019). "Inside the short, unhappy life of the Alliance of American Football". ESPN.com . Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  25. "Kenny Bell Follows His Father's Footsteps". proplayerinsiders.com. February 20, 2015.