Kendrell Bell

Kendrell Alexander Bell (born July 2, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. In his first year with the Steelers, Bell was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He later played for the Kansas City Chiefs before retiring following the 2007 season.

Early life

Bell attended Lucy Craft Laney High School in Augusta, Georgia. He was a three-sport star in football, basketball, and track and field. In football, he was an All-State selection and won Atlanta Journal All-South honors. In track & field, he was ranked fifth in the state in the shot put as a senior.

In a 2024 retrospective interview with Steelers play-by-play announcer Rob King, Bell mentioned that he was more into track and field than football and that his brother was more knowledgeable about the NFL, being familiar with Blitzburgh-era linebackers Greg Lloyd and Levon Kirkland through his brother.

College career

Junior college years

Bell attended Middle Georgia Junior College for two years. He was a two-time Super Prep JUCO 100 selection. As a freshman, he played fullback and finished the season with 689 rushing yards. As a sophomore, he garnered six sacks and 132 tackles, and helped lead his defensive unit to a No.1 ranking in the nation.

NCAA college years

Bell attended the University of Georgia and was a child and family development major and a letterman in football. In football, he finished his career with 153 tackles (10 for a loss), four interceptions, seven sacks, five forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers

Bell started in all sixteen games for the Steelers during his 2001 rookie campaign. Bell would prove to be an excellent fit for the Steelers defense, notably due to his blitzing abilities. The Steelers finished the regular season with a 13–3 record, earning them the top seed in the AFC. Bell was voted the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, having accumulated nine sacks on the season. The Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27–10 in the AFC Divisional round at Heinz Field. The following week they went on to face the second seeded New England Patriots. Bell recorded eight tackles, a sack, and two passes defended. Despite his stellar performance, and a late 4th quarter comeback, the Steelers wound up losing the game 24–17.

In 2002, Bell was injured in the first week of the season against New England. He missed the next four games before returning to play against the Indianapolis Colts. He finished the season with 50 tackles (33 less from his rookie year), and four sacks. The Steelers finished with a 10–5–1 record and went on to face the Cleveland Browns. In the 36–33 comeback win over the Browns, Bell recorded nine tackles but injured his knee in the final quarter and was listed as doubtful for the following week at Tennessee. He recorded just two tackles in the game versus the Titans before leaving due to injury in the loss. In 2003, Bell amassed 99 tackles and five sacks in a down season for the team. In 2004, knee troubles led to him not starting a single game on his way to making just nine tackles. In the 2005 off-season, the Steelers released him from the team. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and played three seasons with them, recording a total of 2.5 sacks.

Kansas City Chiefs

He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played 3 seasons. Bell was released following the 2007 season, after which he retired.

NFL career statistics

Legend
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Tackles					Interceptions					Fumbles
		GP	GS	Cmb	Solo	Ast	Sck	TFL	Int	Yds	TD	Lng	PD	FF	FR	Yds	TD
2001	PIT	16	16	82	69	13	9.0	23	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0
2002	PIT	12	12	50	37	13	4.0	10	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0
2003	PIT	16	16	100	81	19	5.0	17	1	61	0	61	3	1	1	0	0
2004	PIT	3	0	8	6	2	0.0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2005	KAN	16	14	41	32	9	1.5	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2006	KAN	16	14	49	43	6	1.0	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2007	KAN	11	0	8	6	2	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
		90	72	338	274	64	20.5	62	1	61	0	61	6	2	2	0	0

Playoffs

Year	Team	Games		Tackles					Interceptions					Fumbles
		GP	GS	Cmb	Solo	Ast	Sck	TFL	Int	Yds	TD	Lng	PD	FF	FR	Yds	TD
2001	PIT	2	2	14	12	2	1.0	3	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0
2002	PIT	2	1	11	8	3	0.0	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
2006	KAN	1	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
		5	3	25	20	5	1.0	5	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0

Personal life

Bell has four children, including a son currently playing high school football. Bell cited Joey Porter, Brett Keisel, Rodney Bailey, and a then-recently deceased Clark Haggans as his closest friends on the Steelers.