JimBob
12-19-2008, 08:48 AM
Depleted Broncos' call to Bell brings his journey full circle
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Published: 12/19/2008 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 12/19/2008 2:27 AM
IS IT TOO late to nominate Tatum Bell as a candidate for the NFL's comeback player of the year?
The Denver Broncos running back, formerly of Oklahoma State, deserves to be in the race. Name another NFL runner who, just a calendar page and 143 yards ago, was peddling cell phones at a mall kiosk.
A fifth-year pro, Bell spent the bulk of this season out of football and in a spot unfamiliar to many pro athletes. It's a paycheck-to-paycheck place called the real world and, for Bell, that was Mobile Solutions at a mall in Aurora, Colo.
"He has a wife and two kids," Bell's brother, T.J., an OSU defensive back, said.
"He couldn't just sit on his butt and be like, man, I've got to wait on a phone call (from an NFL team)."
So, Bell got a job where he was surrounded by phones and, fortunately, the correct one rang. This is Mike Shanahan. Want to play some ball?
The surgeon general might have something to say about the hazards of being a Bronco running back. Five have been transported to the injured reserve ward this season.
Desperate for help, the Broncos didn't even need to call long distance. Bell is from DeSoto, Texas, but he settled in Colorado. He spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Broncos and his wife, former OSU soccer player Jere Boykin, is a Denver native.
Bell wasn't just the closest guy for the job. He was the right guy. He quickly shook off rust and is averaging 4.6 yards per carry (5.3 the last two games). He averaged 4.4 yards a pop when he led the Broncos with a career-best 1,025 rushing yards in 2006.
It's possible that Bell could wind up leading the Broncos in rushing this year despite playing less than half a season.
Maybe his success will allow drones at mall kiosks everywhere to dream big.
Today, AT&T. Tomorrow, NFL. Go ahead and text smack talk to Brian Urlacher: Headed 4 U, QTPI.
Or maybe the lesson is this: "Just keep pressing forward and the Lord will make a way for you."
Those are the words of T.J. Bell, who couldn't watch TV in September without getting upset at comments people made about his big brother.
"People didn't understand the full story or whatever happened," T.J. said. "They were just speculating and giving people a bad name."
Tatum was waived by the Detroit Lions in preseason. A security camera showed him leaving the locker room with bags owned by teammate Rudi Johnson, who went public with the info.
Tatum explained it away as a misunderstanding and everyone made peace to such a degree that Tatum was OK with ex-teammate Roy Williams coming to a Halloween party dressed as Tatum Bell (use your imagination).
T.J. knows a story is a story and everybody is going to have opinions. His opinion is ESPN talking heads had too much fun at his brother's expense. He recalled someone saying Tatum's next job might be as a bellhop.
Weeks passed after the incident. Running backs got hurt. Teams that could have used Tatum chose not to bring him aboard.
T.J. said he tried to keep his brother's spirits up. They talked on the phone about things other than football (and, thankfully, Tatum never tried to leverage his bro into purchasing a new cellular plan).
"I would make a few jokes and talk about him — call him ugly or something," T.J. said. "I'm the better looking (brother). I would just say some kind of joke to keep him smiling. I would ask him how his family is doing."
Dig deeper than September and Tatum has overcome more than a locker room accusation. He was 14 when his mother died. She was 47.
In remembrance of mom, Tatum has a tattoo on his chest that reads "If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, we'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again."
Tatum moved in with his father after mom died. T.J. has gotten close to his brother since. They still talk two or three times a week.
T.J. is proud his brother's NFL career will have a happier ending, whenever that arrives. Nobody would want a career to end the way it might have in September.
"I'm just glad he got to play again," T.J. said. "I would have been sad for him if he wouldn't have been able to do what he loves to do. I'm glad he was able to get a second chance and show that he was not what people perceived him to be."
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Published: 12/19/2008 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 12/19/2008 2:27 AM
IS IT TOO late to nominate Tatum Bell as a candidate for the NFL's comeback player of the year?
The Denver Broncos running back, formerly of Oklahoma State, deserves to be in the race. Name another NFL runner who, just a calendar page and 143 yards ago, was peddling cell phones at a mall kiosk.
A fifth-year pro, Bell spent the bulk of this season out of football and in a spot unfamiliar to many pro athletes. It's a paycheck-to-paycheck place called the real world and, for Bell, that was Mobile Solutions at a mall in Aurora, Colo.
"He has a wife and two kids," Bell's brother, T.J., an OSU defensive back, said.
"He couldn't just sit on his butt and be like, man, I've got to wait on a phone call (from an NFL team)."
So, Bell got a job where he was surrounded by phones and, fortunately, the correct one rang. This is Mike Shanahan. Want to play some ball?
The surgeon general might have something to say about the hazards of being a Bronco running back. Five have been transported to the injured reserve ward this season.
Desperate for help, the Broncos didn't even need to call long distance. Bell is from DeSoto, Texas, but he settled in Colorado. He spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Broncos and his wife, former OSU soccer player Jere Boykin, is a Denver native.
Bell wasn't just the closest guy for the job. He was the right guy. He quickly shook off rust and is averaging 4.6 yards per carry (5.3 the last two games). He averaged 4.4 yards a pop when he led the Broncos with a career-best 1,025 rushing yards in 2006.
It's possible that Bell could wind up leading the Broncos in rushing this year despite playing less than half a season.
Maybe his success will allow drones at mall kiosks everywhere to dream big.
Today, AT&T. Tomorrow, NFL. Go ahead and text smack talk to Brian Urlacher: Headed 4 U, QTPI.
Or maybe the lesson is this: "Just keep pressing forward and the Lord will make a way for you."
Those are the words of T.J. Bell, who couldn't watch TV in September without getting upset at comments people made about his big brother.
"People didn't understand the full story or whatever happened," T.J. said. "They were just speculating and giving people a bad name."
Tatum was waived by the Detroit Lions in preseason. A security camera showed him leaving the locker room with bags owned by teammate Rudi Johnson, who went public with the info.
Tatum explained it away as a misunderstanding and everyone made peace to such a degree that Tatum was OK with ex-teammate Roy Williams coming to a Halloween party dressed as Tatum Bell (use your imagination).
T.J. knows a story is a story and everybody is going to have opinions. His opinion is ESPN talking heads had too much fun at his brother's expense. He recalled someone saying Tatum's next job might be as a bellhop.
Weeks passed after the incident. Running backs got hurt. Teams that could have used Tatum chose not to bring him aboard.
T.J. said he tried to keep his brother's spirits up. They talked on the phone about things other than football (and, thankfully, Tatum never tried to leverage his bro into purchasing a new cellular plan).
"I would make a few jokes and talk about him — call him ugly or something," T.J. said. "I'm the better looking (brother). I would just say some kind of joke to keep him smiling. I would ask him how his family is doing."
Dig deeper than September and Tatum has overcome more than a locker room accusation. He was 14 when his mother died. She was 47.
In remembrance of mom, Tatum has a tattoo on his chest that reads "If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, we'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again."
Tatum moved in with his father after mom died. T.J. has gotten close to his brother since. They still talk two or three times a week.
T.J. is proud his brother's NFL career will have a happier ending, whenever that arrives. Nobody would want a career to end the way it might have in September.
"I'm just glad he got to play again," T.J. said. "I would have been sad for him if he wouldn't have been able to do what he loves to do. I'm glad he was able to get a second chance and show that he was not what people perceived him to be."