Theo Bell
Theopolis Bell, Jr. (December 21, 1953 – June 21, 2006) was an American football wide receiver who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
| No. 83 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 21, 1953 Bakersfield, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | June 21, 2006 (aged 52) Tampa, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Bakersfield | ||||||||
| College: | Arizona | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1976 / Round: 4 / Pick: 120 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||
Bell, who was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, played college football at the University of Arizona and was selected in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He was with the Steelers from 1976 to 1980, earning Super Bowl rings in 1979 and 1980. He missed the 1977 season because of an injury. He is the Steelers' second-leading career punt returner, behind Rod Woodson.
Bell spent his first three years as a reserve, rising to a starting role in 1980 due to injuries to both Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. His 25.8 yards-per-catch average led the AFC that year.[1] He then held out of training camp the next year, hoping to get a salary increase based on his performance. He was instead waived, and was claimed by the Buccaneers, where he replaced Mike Shumann on the roster.[2] He started 13 of 70 games he appeared in for the Bucs and had 95 catches for 1,470 yards and four touchdowns.[3]
During Bell's second season with the Steelers, his first wife, Kathy, appeared on Card Sharks and won several games for a total of $23,000 in prize money.
He died in Tampa, Florida at age 52 after suffering from scleroderma and kidney disease. Scleroderma is a chronic disease that causes skin thickening and tightening and can cause damage to internal organs.[3]
References
- Zier, Patrick. "Tampa Bay waives Shumann, obtains Bell". The Lakeland Ledger. September 3, 1981
- Walston, Charles. "Bell Tickled To Sing Bucs' Tune". St. Petersburg Evening Independent. September 3, 1981
- "Former NFL receiver Theo Bell dies". Patriots.com. June 22, 2006. Retrieved July 24, 2020.