56 years later, former Gopher football star (Bobby Bell) earns U of M degree

Donate To GopherHole
GopherLady

GopherLady

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
9,281
Reaction score
821
Points
113
Per U of MN:

Degree earned. 56 years later.
Gopher great, NFL Hall of Fame member Bobby Bell graduates May 14


MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (5/11/2015) —On Thursday, May 14, Bobby Bell will finish what he started 56 years ago by earning a degree from the University of Minnesota.

Bell starred on the 1960 national champion and 1962 Rose Bowl champion Gopher football teams, was a two-time All-American, Outland Trophy winner and NFL Super Bowl winner. In 1983, the defensive lineman/linebacker was inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame. However, Bell, at age 74, will now earn something even more important to him: his University of Minnesota degree.

When Bell left the U to join the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963 he was just 13 credits short of his degree in recreation, park, and leisure studies. With help from staff and faculty at the U, Bell will finally be achieving his dream and will honor his father, who had minimal schooling but was convinced his son could acquire a college degree.
 

Wonderful! My vote for greatest Gopher player--that's including Bronko.
 

GopherLady said:
Per U of MN:

Degree earned. 56 years later.
Gopher great, NFL Hall of Fame member Bobby Bell graduates May 14


MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (5/11/2015) —On Thursday, May 14, Bobby Bell will finish what he started 56 years ago by earning a degree from the University of Minnesota.

Bell starred on the 1960 national champion and 1962 Rose Bowl champion Gopher football teams, was a two-time All-American, Outland Trophy winner and NFL Super Bowl winner. In 1983, the defensive lineman/linebacker was inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame. However, Bell, at age 74, will now earn something even more important to him: his University of Minnesota degree.

When Bell left the U to join the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963 he was just 13 credits short of his degree in recreation, park, and leisure studies. With help from staff and faculty at the U, Bell will finally be achieving his dream and will honor his father, who had minimal schooling but was convinced his son could acquire a college degree.
Click to expand...

Great guy, great player and great story.
 




STrib: Right on time: Bobby Bell a Gophers grad, 56 years later

“I’ve got all kinds of stuff on the wall,” Bell said from his Kansas City home. “But that [degree] is one thing I did not have, and I promised my dad I would get it.”

Bell’s parents died more than a decade ago, but he still was determined to fulfill his promise. Last year, after tracking down his pencil-written transcript, he went back and took three classes to complete his degree in recreation, park and leisure studies.

He’ll be in a cap and gown Thursday, walking across the stage at Mariucci Arena, along with the other undergraduates from the College of Education and Human Development.

“Bobby approached getting that degree like he did football,” Gophers coach Jerry Kill said. “In my opinion, this may be the most rewarding thing he’s done in his life.”

Bell agreed: “It’s the top of the pyramid, man.”

•••

Bell’s three children and four grandchildren will be at the graduation ceremony, along with former teammates, such as Judge Dickson, Julian Hook and John Campbell.

http://www.startribune.com/bobby-bell-a-gophers-grad-56-years-later/303689501/

Go Gophers!!
 

ESPN: Minnesota legend Bobby Bell fulfills promise to earn degree

"My dad always said, "You're going to finish up there and get your diploma?" said Bell, who left Minnesota several credits shy of graduating to pursue his professional career. "I kept saying, 'Yeah, I'm going to do it.' But I just kept putting it off.

"Last year, I said, 'I've got to do it. I'm not going to put if off another minute.'"

Thursday afternoon at Minnesota's Mariucci Arena, Bobby Bell will fulfill his promise to his old man, as an old man.

Fifty-six years after he boarded an airplane for the first time and arrived on Minnesota's campus, and 52 years after he left campus for the Chiefs and a job at General Motors, Bell will graduate from Minnesota with a degree in recreation, park and leisure studies. The 74-year-old completed his coursework in December but will walk with his classmates Thursday.

"I wish I had done it a long time ago," Bell said. "A lot of time I might have been scared. It's time for me to go ahead and do this thing."

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post...nd-bobby-bell-fulfills-promise-to-earn-degree

Go Gophers!!
 





It was great to see Bobby Bell around the program in recent years. It is possible that Brewster is the coach who actually took the step to bring him to practice and to the stadium to talk to the players, so I can give credit to TB for one thing.

I walked on to the field after an open practice at TCF a few years ago and I looked up to see Bobby Bell right in front of me. Although he was probably around 70 years old at the time, he had the look of a 40 year old man in some ways. I have appreciated hearing him interviewed at games on TV at times as well. I think some people do not realize that Bobby Bell was one of the best players in the NFL for years, and other groups of KC/ Nfl eople do not know he was a college football star at Minnesota.
 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Special moment as fellow <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CEHD2015?src=hash">#CEHD2015</a> graduates give Bobby Bell a standing ovation.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UMNproud?src=hash">#UMNproud</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RightOnTime?src=hash">#RightOnTime</a> <a href="http://t.co/EXvuXwzqfk">pic.twitter.com/EXvuXwzqfk</a></p>— Karen Kaler (@KFKaler) <a href="https://twitter.com/KFKaler/status/598997708720865280">May 14, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

university-of-minnesota-1955-56-memorial-stadium.jpg


9560a.jpg


http://www.antiquemystique.com/pages/9560_jpg.htm
 

Great photos, 19. Thanks for sharing.

I watched so many of those guys at Memorial stadium.

We are old.

Congrats Bobby Bell!!!

GO GOPHERS!!!
 



oak_street1981 said:
It was great to see Bobby Bell around the program in recent years. It is possible that Brewster is the coach who actually took the step to bring him to practice and to the stadium to talk to the players, so I can give credit to TB for one thing.
Click to expand...

Brewster was an absolute failure as a head coach but he accomplished three things:
1) Energized a fan base that was nearly flat lined.
2) Established a relationship with Minnesota high school football coaches.
3) Took pride in the past accomplishments of the university and former student-athletes.
 

MNfootballfan said:
Brewster was an absolute failure as a head coach but he accomplished three things:
1) Energized a fan base that was nearly flat lined.
2) Established a relationship with Minnesota high school football coaches.
3) Took pride in the past accomplishments of the university and former student-athletes.
Click to expand...

= promoter/salesman.

....................................................................Not Head Coach.
 

MNfootballfan said:
Brewster was an absolute failure as a head coach but he accomplished three things:
1) Energized a fan base that was nearly flat lined.
2) Established a relationship with Minnesota high school football coaches.
3) Took pride in the past accomplishments of the university and former student-athletes.
Click to expand...
Great guy in the wrong job.....
 


A toast to one of Minnesota greatest players if not the best! Congratulations on your degree. You'll remember this for the rest of your life in an awesome way!
 

Very proud of Mr. Bell for this long-deferred accomplishment. Ski U Mah!
 

MNfootballfan said:
Brewster was an absolute failure as a head coach but he accomplished three things:
1) Energized a fan base that was nearly flat lined.
2) Established a relationship with Minnesota high school football coaches.
3) Took pride in the past accomplishments of the university and former student-athletes.
Click to expand...

Your list of Brewster's accomplishments as well as two bowl games in four years, a Top 25 recruiting class, and significantly improved APR scores over those under Mason had equals a coach who was far more than an absolute failure as a head coach. Guys like you need to examine your motives because of your illogical and irrational hatred of Coach Brewster. As for me, his four years as head coach is one of the highlights of my 50 year love affair with the Gopher football program. Brewster's time in Minnesota were nowhere near as bad as many of the other trials and tribulations Gopher fans my age have had to endure. You really should count your blessings that you haven't had to go through what we did.
 

UpnorthGo4 said:
Your list of Brewster's accomplishments as well as two bowl games in four years, a Top 25 recruiting class, and significantly improved APR scores over those under Mason had equals a coach who was far more than an absolute failure as a head coach. Guys like you need to examine your motives because of your illogical and irrational hatred of Coach Brewster. As for me, his four years as head coach is one of the highlights of my 50 year love affair with the Gopher football program. Brewster's time in Minnesota were nowhere near as bad as many of the other trials and tribulations Gopher fans my age have had to endure. You really should count your blessings that you haven't had to go through what we did.
Click to expand...

Interesting that you say I have a hatred of Brewster, I am often times sticking up for him. Although, I'd like to see the actual APR scores. It can't be significantly better than Masons, it may have improved, but I remember there being a loss of scholarships around 2007 or 2008. Also, when Kill took over he mentioned a couple of times of how poor the APR was. His top-25 recruiting class highlighted by 4-stars David Pittman, Vincent Hill, Sam Maresh and Hayo Carpenter? Looks great on paper, but doesn't do much on the field.
 

MNfootballfan said:
Interesting that you say I have a hatred of Brewster, I am often times sticking up for him. Although, I'd like to see the actual APR scores. It can't be significantly better than Masons, it may have improved, but I remember there being a loss of scholarships around 2007 or 2008. Also, when Kill took over he mentioned a couple of times of how poor the APR was. His top-25 recruiting class highlighted by 4-stars David Pittman, Vincent Hill, Sam Maresh and Hayo Carpenter? Looks great on paper, but doesn't do much on the field.
Click to expand...

So you are saying that Brewster wasn't generally recognized as a top recruiter before and after he came to Minnesota? And you must also be saying that the top programs in the country never miss on a recruit. As bad as you may think the APR scores were under Brewster, they were significantly worse under Mason. I have reported their scores at least three times in GH. I have no interest in taking the time to do it again. You can look them up yourself. Brewster was not a complete failure as a head coach. People who believe all the BS about him never look at facts.
 

FYI - Bobby Bell will be on Bill O'Reilly tonight at 7pm on Fox News. He talks about graduating from the U, and his life growing up.
 


You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom