Bobby Bell
Linebacker
Career: 1963-1974
Induction: 1979
When Bobby Bell walked off the University of Minnesota campus back in 1963, he could have played any position on the football field. "I can honestly say that Bobby Bell had as much talent as anyone I ever coached," former Chiefs coach Hank Stram said.
Bell could throw a football the length of the field. He could outrun most fullbacks and punt with the league's best kickers.
He started his NFL career as a defensive end, but soon switched to outside linebacker, where he joined Dick Butkus, Sam Huff, Ray Nitschke and his Chiefs teammate, Willie Lanier, as one of the greatest to ever play the linebacking position.
While Butkus, Lanier and Co. used brute strength to dominate the middle, Bell used a rare combination of speed and strength to redefine the outside linebacking position. He earned eight consecutive trips to post-season All-Star and Pro Bowl games and surprised no one when he joined team owner Lamar Hunt in Professional Football Hall of Fame, July 30, 1983.
He was also selected as the outstanding outside linebacker in the American Football League and was named to the league's All-time All-Star team.
He showcased his speed by returning five interceptions for touchdowns. He also picked up an attempted on-side kick and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown.
He was a chiseled 6-foot-4, 228 pounder with a 28 inch waist and a lean torso. His trademark high-topped shoes and ability to stop a runner in the open field area are a rich part of Kansas City's football legacy.
He's one big reason the Chiefs appeared in the first AFL-NFL championship game and why the underdog team from Kansas City defeated Minnesota 23-7 in Super Bowl IV.
Bell resides in suburban Lee´s Summit and maintains his playing weight by water skiing and swimming. He presently freelances, doing speaking engagements around the country.
