NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players: No. 11 - Leonard Bell, Jefferson

The No. 11 player on our list remains the second-highest NFL draft pick in NIC-10 history.

Leonard Bell turned out to be the greatest of a number of big-time athletes that made Jefferson a consistent power under Joe Blume in the 1980s.

In high school, Bell was better known as a running back. He was first team All-Big 9 in 1980 with 536 yards on 99 carries in eight conference games for a J-Hawks team that went 4-5. In 1981, he improved those numbers to 712 yards on 112 carries in eight conference games. The J-Hawks improved to 7-2 and Bell was again first team all-conference.

Bell was one of two J-Hawks to earn tickets to the Big Ten off those teams. Defensive demon, Ted Teske, who was named to several all-state teams, signed with Wisconsin, while Bell went to play for the University of Indiana.

Bell redshirted a season and then earned several starts as the Hoosiers went 3-8 under Sam Wyche, who then left Indiana to become head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. Bill Mallory, who has ties to several NIC-10 greats because of his stints as an assistant at the University of Colorado and head coach at Northern Illinois, took over for Wyche and started to turn the Hoosiers around.

It didn't happen right away. Indiana would go 0-11 in Bell's sophomore season. The Hoosiers improved to 4-7 in 1985 and then went 6-6 in 1986, qualifying for the All-American Bowl, the school's first since 1979. Bell was named honorable mention All-Big 10. 

For his college career, Bell recorded 296 tackles, including 13 for loss, with nine interceptions. These are big numbers. He ranks fourth all time among all NIC-10 players in tackles at college football's highest level and third in interceptions.

His former coach, Wyche, certainly took notice. He drafted Bell in the third round - 76th player overall - of the 1987 draft. The 1987 draft was a historic one for the NIC-10. Former Belvidere linebacker Mike Junkin was taken fifth overall in the first round by the Cleveland Browns. Junkin and Bell remain the two highest picks in conference history.

Unfortunately, that was the highlight of a frustrating pro career for Bell. The Bengals changed defensive coordinators, Bell injured his foot, and never got a chance to play. He appeared in one game for Cincinnati. In 1988, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 1988, but then Jerry Jones bought the team and brought in Jimmy Johnson, who released everyone former coach Tom Landry had signed.

Bell gave it one last shot in 1989, signing with the Houston Oilers. When he didn't make that roster he gave up the football dream. He remained in Houston and has been working at the city's largest Toyota dealership for more than 15 years. He's now the lease and purchasing manager at Fred Haas Toyota World.

No. 11 - Leonard Bell, Jefferson
Year	Level	School	Accomplishments	Points
1980	High School	Jefferson	First Team All-Conference	2
1981	High School	Jefferson	First Team All-Conference	2
			Winning Team	1
1983	College	Indiana	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1984	College	Indiana	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1985	College	Indiana	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
1986	College	Indiana	Letter Winner on Power 5 Team	4
			Starter	1
			Honorable Mention All-Big 10	0.5
			Winning Record	1
			Bowl Game	1
1987	NFL	Bengals	3rd Round Pick	8
			Played in NFL	3
1988	NFL	Cowboys	Free Agent Contract	1
1989	NFL	Oilers	Free Agent Contract	1
Total				40.5

NIC-10's 100 Greatest Football Players