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COLUMBUS: Bell's legacy lives on at center
COLUMBUS — One year ago, Todd Bell’s sudden death left family and friends shocked and saddened.
Those close to Bell not only lost a loved one, but a role model, too. Yet even after his death, Bell’s legacy continues to have an impact.
More than 500 people packed the Hyatt Regency Ballroom for a luncheon Thursday at the inaugural Todd A. Bell Lecture Series “Ethics in American Sports,” delivered by Ohio State University athletic director Gene Smith.
“You never forget how people made you feel,” Smith said. “Todd Bell made people feel great.”
The lecture series came one day after The Ohio State University dedicated the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male — a unit within Ohio State’s Office of Minority Affairs, where Bell worked until his death.
Proceeds from the lecture series went toward creating a permanent endowment to underwrite the Bell Center, which was created to help black students with mentoring opportunities, personal development and academic assistance.
“Todd had a beautiful life,” said Bell’s mother, Monaray. “He was a wonderful person.”
Bell generally is considered to be one of the greatest athletes to come from Middletown.
He starred at Middletown High School in football and track. Though he would go on to play college and professional football, his most notable high school accomplishment came in track when he broke Jesse Owens’ 43-year-old Ohio long-jump record at the Mansfield Mehock Relays in 1976.
After garnering high school All-American honors in football, Bell attended Ohio State in 1977 and was a two-time all-Big Ten defensive back.
The Chicago Bears drafted him in 1981, and he made the Pro Bowl in 1984. But because of a contract dispute, Bell sat out the 1985 season, in which the Bears won the Super Bowl. He retired in 1990.
In 1997, Bell returned to work at his alma mater. But last year, he suffered a fatal heart attack March 16 while driving in Reynoldsburg. He was 47.
“It’s still unreal to have a modern-day role model pass away the way he did,” said Cris Carter — the master of ceremony — who also played football at Middletown, OSU and in the NFL.
Bell’s wife Daphne took time at the luncheon to talk about her recent fight to combat heart disease. She has teamed with the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital to help people detect heart problems before they become fatal. Many at the luncheon wore flickering heart pins in honor of Bell.
“I’m here for one reason — to sound the alarm,” Daphne Bell said.
Several members of the Middletown City Council and Middletown High School attended the luncheon.
“He showed us a lot of things, so we wanted to give back,” said Middletown junior Tyler Amos, whom Bell had worked with in the long jump when Amos was in eighth grade.
“People respected Todd,” said Sonny Gordon — a Middletown High and OSU football alum — who grew up admiring the elder Bell. “He was the light.”
Todd Bell
As a Buckeye
Four-year letter-winner (1977 to '80) who twice made All-Big Ten as a rover, a hybrid linebacker/defensive back. His big moment was the TD return of Jim Laughlin's blocked punt against Michigan in 1979.
As a pro
Bell played in 103 career games with the Bears (1981 to '84) and Eagles (1988 and '89) and made the Pro Bowl in '84. His career ended after he suffered a broken leg in 1989.
The skinny
Bell sat out the 1985 season in a contract dispute with the Bears, who rolled to the Super Bowl that season. He died in March 2005 at age 46 after suffering a heart attack.
For the first time in five years, Daphne Bell has a Christmas tree.
It has taken her that long to resolve the contradiction between a season full of glad tidings and her sadness over the loss of her mother, her father and her husband, football player Todd Bell.
Until she had worked through her grief, the trappings of Christmas - twinkling lights, festive parties, even sappy TV commercials - were too much for her.
"I wished the holidays away," said Bell, whose experiences inspired her to write a book on grieving.
"I wanted them to go away."
...
15. TODD BELL, MIDDLETOWN, 1977: In football, he was a Parade All-American and all-state honoree by both the AP and UPI. He was a three-time state long jump champion. He jumped 25 feet, 5 inches, breaking the state record held by Jesse Owens for 43 years. The jump, recorded in 1976, stood as the state record for 20 years and still stands as an area record. Bell was a four-year starter at defensive back at Ohio State and later became a Pro Bowler with the Bears.