Eddie Bell (born September 13, 1946) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL).

High school

Bell graduated from George Washington Carver High School in Waco, Texas in 1965. He played in the Texas high school all-star game in Houston in 1965 as a running back. On July 16, 2016, he was inducted the Prairie View Interscholastic League Coaches Association (PVILCA) Hall of Fame.

College

Bell attended Idaho State University, where he played for the Bengals from 1967 to 1969. In 1969, he was first-team all-American and holds the national record for pass receiving, for 96 receptions for 1,522 yards and 21 touchdowns in a single season. In 1969, he was selected to the All-American bowl in Tampa Florida coached by

Bo Schembechler Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. ( ; April 1, 1929 – November 17, 2006) was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of ...

, Duffy Daugherty and

Buddy Ryan James David "Buddy" Ryan (February 17, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). During his 35-season coaching career, Ryan served as the head coach of the ...

. In 1969, he was also the Big Sky Conference 220 yard dash sprint champion. After that he was inducted into Ring of Honor and the Hall of Fame of

Idaho State , mottoeng = "The truth will set you free" , established = , former_names = Academy of Idaho(1901–1915)Idaho Technical Institute(1915–1927)University of Idaho—Southern Branch(1927–1947)Idaho State ...

. On November 22, 1969 was Ed Bell's Day in the city of

Pocatello, Idaho Pocatello () is the county seat of and largest city in Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the ...

for athletic accomplishments. In 2016, he was nominated for the NCAA college football Hall of Fame.

NFL

Bell was drafted by the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

in the ninth round of the

1970 NFL Draft The 1970 National Football League Draft was the 35th National Football League Draft and the first of the league's modern era, following the merger of the National Football League with the American Football League. It was held on January 27–28, 1 ...

. At the time he was thought to be the second-lightest player in club history, at 160 pounds. The first opportunity to start was in place of the injured George Sauer, against the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from its founding in 1953 to 1984. The team now plays in Indianapolis, as the Indianapolis Colts. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breed ...

in the 5th game of his rookie season. He tied a club record of 12 catches in one game, along with 151 yards and one touchdown thrown by

Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college foot ...

. He co-holds that record with Hall of Famer

Don Maynard Donald Rogers Maynard (January 25, 1935 – January 10, 2022) was an American professional American football, football wide receiver known for playing for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). He also played with the New York ...

and Art Powell (wide receiver). Bell also played for the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

. He played a total of 6 years for the Jets, and one for the Chargers, amassing a total of 118 receptions for 1,774 yards and 12 touchdown. Following his NFL career, he became a Los Angeles police officer and an actor, appearing on television shows including Wonder Woman, Maude and Hill Street Blues. He also worked as a cameraman on the Buffalo Bill Show.

References

1946 births Living people American football wide receivers Idaho State Bengals football players New York Jets players San Diego Chargers players Players of American football from Waco, Texas {{widereceiver-1940s-stub