20 Days to Gator Football: Kerwin Bell

[Escambia94]

Kerwin "the Throwin' Mayoan" Bell was originally a walk-on quarterback for Charley Pell's Florida Gators in 1983. He started off his freshman year eighth on the depth chart and was redshirted without a scholarship, but was promoted to second-team QB with a scholarship after the other scholarship QBs left in 1984. Just four days before the opener against defending national champion Miami, he became the starter after Dale Dorminey was injured in practice. After losing to Miami and tying LSU, the Gators did not lose another game. This was a rough transition period for the Gators due to the release of Charley Pell due to NCAA infractions. Galen Hall carried Kerwin Bell as his starter until 1987. In 1984, Kerwin was rewarded with an SEC Player of the Year award, as well as being named first-team All-SEC and Honorable Mention All American. The Gators went 9-1-1, and won the SEC before the championship was stripped six months after the end of the season. Kerwin guided the team to an identical 9-1-1 record in 1985, and was named Honorable Mention All American again. By 1986 and 1987, NCAA sanctions had caught up with the Gators depth chart and the team went 6-5 and 6-6. In his senior season, he was team captain and Fergie Ferguson Award winner. He finished his career with 549 completions, 949 attempts, 7585 yards, 56 touchdowns. He was drafted by Miami in the 7th round of the 1988 NFL draft, but spent time on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Orlando Thunder (WLAF), Sacramento Gold Miners (CFL), Edmonton Eskimos (CFL), Indianapolis Colts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) and Toronto Argonauts (CFL). He was named to the University Athletic Association Hall of Fame as a Gator Great in 1997.

Bonus trivia: Kerwin has the highest career passer rating of any QB in NFL history, 158.3 (5/5, 75 yards, 1 TD).

EDIT: Added Winnipeg Blue Bombers (highlighted in red). Thanks, FrozenGator!

 

[FrozenGator]

You forgot his stint with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He came here from Toronto (2000, I believe?), eventually stunk the joint up, was replaced by his backup (who went on to crush the TDs in a season record in 2001), and then headed back to Toronto. Also, feel free to check out him sacking himself in the groin by spiking the ball after a TD. Humourous.

 

[Escambia94]

Good catch. I completely missed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I do recall him spiking the ball at his own groin, but I wanted to focus on the positive aspects of the 100 greatest Gators. That is hilarious.

Kerwin was a great QB to watch through the years, because he was everywhere. When I lived in the Baltimore-DC area, the main TV channels focused on the Redskins and Giants (this was before the Ravens came to town, but after the Colts left) and I never got to see former Gators--they tended to play for Miami, Tampa Bay or Chicago for some reason. During the spring and summer, it was easy to catch World League and Arena Football. I missed out on USFL by living overseas where those games never made it to TV.

 

[Leakfan12]

He should have been the first Gator QB to win a championship (well he did but was stripped because FSU were blowing the NCAA officials and honestly I don't care if I'm allow to said that or not f--k the NCAA, the big pussies in sports or tied with the IOC) not Matthews and hate to said this but Wuerffel. Sorry it's still a sore subject though I was a born during the 1984 season.

 

[Escambia94]

Actually it was Bob Woodruff, the former Gator coach and then-Tennessee head coach and incoming SEC commissioner that was primarily responsible for Florida's NCAA sanctions. The story goes that Woodruff was a little bitter about how he was fired as the Gator head coach back in 1959. He went on to be the Tennessee athletic director from 1963 to 1985. Woodruff hired his former Gator QB, Doug Dickey, to be the Tennessee coach in 1963. In 1985 as Woodruff was retiring from his post as the SEC commissioner, he brought in Doug Dickey as his replacement as the Tennessee athletic director. Now, connect the dots. A bitter, former Florida head coach still annoyed about the way he was fired from Florida 20 years earlier fights hard as athletic director where he gets a vote on ratting out Florida and getting other SEC ADs to vote to hurt Florida. Then he retires and brings in another former Gator who was a little upset about how he was fired from Florida only six years before. Note that Tennessee won the SEC that year.

 

[Leakfan12]

Man, I thought Gator fans were more screwed by Urban Meyer. I did check Bob Woodruff record in 1959 and it was 6-4-1. Not bad and I can understand if he was bitter but doesn't mean they should been stripped of their title (the 1984 title was vacated) plus I don't think a person or persons who has a grudge against that school should be the deciding vote or even make that decision. Dickey deserved his firing. Plus of the other nine teams (Arkansas and S Car weren't in the SEC at the time) would the SEC do to them what they did to the Gators, F--K NO. Granted Pell did have a history but the ACC let Clemson keep their title in 1978. Granted I think BYU would stay have been the National champs that years even if the Gators didn't have the sanctions though I believe if BYU and Florida faced off in a Bowl Game that year, the Gators would win. Also I believe the following year in 1985 they would have beaten PSU and that molestar and/or Oklahoma and that SOB (not a Barry Swizter fan).