University of Minnesota Athletics
Bobby Bell - M Club Hall of Fame
Bobby Bell
Football, 1960-62
HOF Class of 1991
Recruited by Minnesota as a quarterback, Bobby Bell instead became a two-time All-American tackle.
Winner of the Outland Award as the nation's top interior lineman, he was also named the Big Ten MVP and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting. Over two seasons, Bell led the Gophers to a 22-6-1 record, including a national championship and a Rose Bowl victory.
A versatile athlete, Bell was recruited to walk-on to the Gopher basketball team, where he became the program's first African-American player.
After graduating, Bell was drafted in the second round by the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, but decided to play instead for the Kansas City Chiefs of the rival AFL, where in 1970, he led his squad past the Vikings to win Super Bowl IV.
As a pro, the Shelby, NC native made another transition, this time to linebacker. He played for 13 seasons, earning All-Pro honors in eight consecutive seasons. In 1983 he became the Chiefs' first inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Named to the AFL's all-time team in 1969, he was later elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.