Upton Bell

Bell started his football career by working at the Baltimore Colts' training camp, moved to the ticket office, and in 1964 transitioned to the Colts' scouting department where he became personnel director in May 1966.[2] His responsibilities included scouting and negotiating contracts with and signing of all college football recruits. He worked with Weeb Ewbank and Don Shula. During Upton's tenure, the Colts were in two NFL Championship games (1964 and 1968) and two Super Bowl games, losing Super Bowl III in 1969 then winning Super Bowl V in 1971 under new head coach Don McCafferty. Seventeen of the 40-man roster on that winning team were players drafted during Upton's tenure as personnel director. Bell held the personnel director's job until he was hired to become the general manager of the then Boston Patriots.[4]

Bell joined the Patriots in February 1971, and at age 33, was the NFL's youngest general manager.[4] One of Bell's first moves was recommending to the Patriots' board of directors that they change the team name from the proposed Bay State Patriots to New England Patriots,[5] as the team relocated from Boston to Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Bell later hired Bucko Kilroy and put together the Patriots' first scouting department. For the scouting department Bell hired Tom Boisture, Dick Steinberg, Mike Hickey and Bob Terpening, all of whom went on to head scouting positions in the NFL. Bell also hired as assistant general manager Peter Hadhazy, who later became general manager of the Cleveland Browns.

Under Bell's leadership, the Patriots improved from their 1970 record of 2–12 to 6–8 in 1971.[6][7] Despite the improvement, Bell wanted to fire head coach John Mazur and hire a coach of his own choosing. The team's board of directors agreed that if the Patriots lost to the Baltimore Colts in the final week of the regular season, Mazur would be fired. The Patriots won, 21–17, helped by an 88-yard touchdown pass from Jim Plunkett to Randy Vataha in the fourth quarter.[8] The Patriots fell to 3–11 the following season,[9] and Bell was fired on December 5, 1972.[10]

Bell returned to professional football in 1974 with the purchase of the New York Stars in the World Football League (WFL). Bell, who also served as team president and general manager,[11] relocated the team to Charlotte, North Carolina, where the team was renamed the Charlotte Hornets.[12] This venture was short-lived due to the folding of the WFL in 1975. One of Bell's co-owners was Arnold Palmer. After the closure of the WFL, many of Bell's players along with all his coaches were signed into the NFL. They included Lindy Infante, who became the Packers' head coach; Tom Moore of the Indianapolis Colts; and Bob Gibson of the New York Giants. Bell also recommended Charlotte to the NFL as a franchise city.