| No. 28, 42 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1962-08-01)August 1, 1962 (age 63) Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | South (Columbus) | ||||||||
| College | Notre Dame | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1984: 1st round, 26th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Gregory Leon Bell (born August 1, 1962) is an American former professionalfootball player who was arunning back in theNational Football League (NFL) for theBuffalo Bills,Los Angeles Rams andLos Angeles Raiders, from 1984 to 1990.
Bell playedcollege football for theNotre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Bills in the first round of the1984 NFL draft. Before going to Notre Dame, he attendedSouth High School inColumbus, Ohio.[1]
Bell was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1984 NFL Draft with the 26th overall pick.[3] He was a one-timePro Bowler after hisrookie year in 1984 with the Bills after having a 1,100 rushing yards and a seven touchdown season. Bell had his best year after the1988 NFL season with the Rams, in which he had 1,212 rushing yards and led the league with sixteen touchdowns. He had a similar season the year after in which Bell had 1,137 rushing yards and fifteen touchdowns, again leading the league. To that point, no other running back had ever led the league in rushing touchdowns in consecutive seasons without entering thePro Football Hall of Fame, and Bell attempted to hold out for a better contract. The Rams instead traded him to the Raiders, who had a loaded backfield consisting ofMarcus Allen,Bo Jackson, andNapoleon McCallum; Bell barely saw the field and was out of the NFL after that season.[4]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1984 | BUF | 16 | 15 | 262 | 1,100 | 4.2 | 85 | 7 | 34 | 277 | 8.1 | 37 | 1 |
| 1985 | BUF | 16 | 15 | 223 | 883 | 4.0 | 77 | 8 | 58 | 576 | 9.9 | 49 | 1 |
| 1986 | BUF | 6 | 6 | 90 | 377 | 4.2 | 42 | 4 | 12 | 142 | 11.8 | 40 | 2 |
| 1987 | BUF | 2 | 2 | 14 | 60 | 4.3 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 37 | 9.3 | 12 | 0 |
| RAM | 2 | 1 | 8 | 26 | 3.3 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 59 | 11.8 | 32 | 1 | |
| 1988 | RAM | 16 | 13 | 288 | 1,212 | 4.2 | 44 | 16 | 24 | 124 | 5.2 | 20 | 2 |
| 1989 | RAM | 16 | 15 | 272 | 1,137 | 4.2 | 47 | 15 | 19 | 85 | 4.5 | 14 | 0 |
| 1990 | RAI | 6 | 0 | 47 | 164 | 3.5 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 |
| Career | 80 | 67 | 1,204 | 4,959 | 4.1 | 85 | 51 | 157 | 1,307 | 8.3 | 49 | 7 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1988 | RAM | 1 | 1 | 17 | 91 | 5.4 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | RAM | 3 | 3 | 54 | 231 | 4.3 | 54 | 1 | 5 | 57 | 11.4 | 23 | 0 |
| 1990 | RAI | 1 | 0 | 5 | 36 | 7.2 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 21 | 0 |
| Career | 5 | 4 | 76 | 358 | 4.7 | 54 | 1 | 7 | 83 | 11.9 | 23 | 0 | |