William Bell has his name in the Reeltown history books. He was an all-state running back for the Rebels in 1984 and helped lead the team to a region title and its first appearance in a state championship game.
Just over three decades later, his son, LD Bell, started to get to work with the next generation of players to keep the Rebels’ tradition alive. Bell got his first ever coaching gig with the Reeltown youth football league but it did not take long for him to start making a more widespread impact on the community and even outside of the family line.
kAmq6==[ H9@ 24EF2==J 8C25F2E65 7C@> %2==2DD66[ :D ?@H 2? 2DD:DE2?E 4@249 2E E96 G2CD:EJ =6G6= 7@C E96 %:86CD’ 32D<6E32== E62> H9:=6 36:?8 E96 9625 4@249 @7 E96 ;F?:@C G2CD:EJ 3@JD 32D<6E32== E62> 2?5 2? 2DD:DE2?E @? E96 ;F?:@C G2CD:EJ 7@@E32== E62>] s6DA:E6 E96 ?6H 8:8D[ q6== D2:5 96 DE:== D66D E96 92CD9 D:56 @7 E96 C:G2=CJ]k^Am
kAm“~7 2== E96 82>6D x 4@24965 2?5 2== E96 DF446DD H6 925 2E %2==2DD66[ >J 525 5:5 ?@E 4@>6 E@ @?6 82>6[” {s q6== D2:5 H:E9 2 =2F89] “w6 5:5?’E >62? :E ?@ 92C> 3J :E 3FE 96’D ;FDE =6EE:?8 >6 <?@H 96’D 2 #66=E@H? #636= 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J] x 564:565 E@ DE:4< H:E9 %2==2DD66 E9@F89] x 86E D@>6 ?682E:G6 4@>>6?ED 23@FE ?@E 7@==@H:?8 :? >J 525’D 7@@EDE6AD 3FE x’> 86EE:?8 E96 36DE @7 3@E9 H@C=5D]”k^Am
kAm%2==2DD66 3@JD 32D<6E32== 4@249 z6:G6? |:ID@? 5:5 ?@E <?@H {s q6==’D 9:DE@CJ H96? E96J 7:CDE >6E 3FE |:ID@? H2D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ H2DE6 >F49 E:>6 27E6C >66E:?8 q6== E@ 3C:?8 9:> 23@2C5 E@ 96=A @FE H:E9 E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm“%96 7:CDE J62C x H2D 96C6[ x 5:5?’E C62==J <?@H 2?J3@5J 3FE E9:D 8FJ <6AE 2AA62C:?8[” |:ID@? D2:5] “(96? J@F D66 8@@5 A6@A=6 H@C< 2D 92C5 2D 96 5:5[ H6 H2?E65 E@ 86E 9:> :?G@=G65] $FCC@F?5 J@FCD6=7 H:E9 8@@5 A6@A=6[ E92E’D H92E J@F 2=H2JD 962C[ C:89En p?5 96’D 366? 2 9F86 2DD6E] x7 :E H2D?’E 7@C {s q6== 96=A:?8 @FC AC@8C2>[ H6 H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 925 E96 DF446DD H6’G6 925]”k^Am
kAmq6== 2=D@ 4@?E:?F65 E@ 96=A 2E9=6E6D 2C@F?5 E96 2C62 6G6? @FED:56 E96 4@?7:?6D @7 %2==2DD66 w:89]k^Am
kAmx? a_`e[ q6== 4C62E65 $E2C $665D[ 2? @C82?:K2E:@? E@ 96=A <:5D DE2J @? E@A @7 24256>:4D 2?5 @FE @7 EC@F3=6 H9:=6 86EE:?8 E@ 7@4FD @? E96:C 2E9=6E:4D] w6 ;FDE D2H 9:D 7:CDE 8C@FA @7 <:5D 8C25F2E6 7C@> 9:89 D49@@= 2?5 27E6C 7@FC J62CD[ 96 92D D66? 9:D AC@8C2> 8C@H E@ 96:89ED 96 ?6G6C 5C62>65 @7]k^Am
kAm“}@ H2J Wx E9@F89E E9:D H@F=5 92AA6?X[” q6== D2:5] “x 42?’E E2<6 4C65:E 7@C 2?J @7 E92E E9@F89] x >2J 36 E96 7246 @7 :E 3FE x 92G6 2 8C@FA E92E C62==J 96=AD >6] p?5 2== @7 E96 4C65:E 7@C :E :D E@ v@5] %96 ?6IE C62D@? :E 3=6H FA H2D 3642FD6 E96 <:5D H6?E 324< E@ D49@@= 2?5 E2=< 23@FE :E] }@H H96? x 8@ E@ E96 82>6[ x 86E DE@AA65 3J 2 <:5 D2J:?8 E96J H2?E E@ 36 2 A2CE @7 :E]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 $E2C $665D 92D 2E9=6E6D 7C@> 2== @G6C E96 C68:@?[ %2==2DD66 H2D C6AC6D6?E65 3J y2=J? s2?:6=D[ y2>:429 wF>A96CJ 2?5 %2G2C:@FD vC:77:?] q6==’D C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 E9@D6 A=2J6CD 96=A65 E96 E62> 2D 2 H9@=6 3FE E92E H2D ?@E E96 @?=J E9:?8 96 H2D 3C:?8:?8 E@ E96 E23=6]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 8@E 2 D6CG2?E’D 962CE 2?5 9@?6DE=J[ 96’D 96=A65 >@E:G2E6 >6[” |:ID@? D2:5] “w6’D @FE E96C6 @FEH@C<:?8 2== @7 FD 2?5 E92E’D ;FDE {s] xC@? D92CA6?D :C@?] x 5:5?’E <?@H :E H@F=5 36 =:<6 E92E 3FE 96 AFD96D >6 E@ 36 2 36EE6C 4@249] w6 86ED J@F E@ E9:?<:?8 :? E92E 5:C64E:@?] x7 D@>6@?6 42? 96=A >6 36 2 36EE6C 4@249[ x H2?E E96> @? >J E62>]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 q6== :D @? DE277 H:E9 %2==2DD66[ 96 4@?E:?F6D E@ >2<6 2? :>A24E @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 C:G6C]k^Am
kAm#66=E@H? 7@@E32== 4@249 |2EE y@9?D@? D2:5 96 92D <?@H? q6==’D 72E96C 7@C J62CD 2?5 42==65 9:> 2 =686?5 7@C E96 #636=D @? E96 7@@E32== 7:6=5] (9:=6 E96J >2J ?@E 36 @? E96 D2>6 DE277[ y@9?D@? D2:5 96 2?5 9:D AC@8C2> 92G6 2=C625J 76=E E96 :>A24E 7C@> E96 H@C< q6== 5@6D H:E9 E96 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm“x 5:5 2 =@E @7 =:DE6?:?8 E@ 9:D :562D 2?5 96 H2?E65 E@ 86E 9:D AC@8C2> E@ 96=A E96 <:5D :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ[” y@9?D@? D2:5] “w6’D ;FDE 2 >6?E@C 7@C E96D6 J@F?8 A6@A=6] w6 92D 8C@H? FA :? E96 D2>6 2C62 2D FD 2?5 96’D G@=F?E66C:?8 2== 9:D E:>6 E@ 8:G6 E96D6 <:5D 2 36EE6C @AA@CEF?:EJ 2?5 E92E’D :?G2=F23=6]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 2 8FJ H9@ :D C:89E 96C6 :? E96 >:55=6 @7 @FC 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 E92E’D 9:D C62= =:76] xE’D ?@E 2 D2=6D A:E49] %96J D66 9@H 96 =:G6D 2?5 E96J D66 9:D A@D:E:G:EJ] %92E’D ;FDE H9@ 96 :D]”k^Am
kAmy@9?D@? 2?5 q6== 92G6 E62>65 FA @G6C E96 A2DE EH@ J62CD E@ AFE @? J@FE9 7@@E32== 42>AD 2E #66=E@H? 2?5 :E 92D 2EEC24E65 <:5D 7C@> 3@E9 #66=E@H? 2?5 %2==2DD66 2?5 6G6? C624965 2D 72C 2D r@@D2 r@F?EJ[ s256G:==6[ t4=64E:4 2?5 36J@?5]k^Am
kAm“x’> ;FDE 2 <:5 E92E 8@E 2 G:D:@?[” q6== D2:5] “x D2H 7@FC <:5D A=2J:?8 :? E96 J2C5 2?5 x 7@C>65 2 C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 E96>] }@H[ x’> 4@249:?8 2E 9:89 D49@@= =6G6=D 2?5 E9C@H:?8 E@86E96C 42>AD 7@C <:5D 7C@> 2== @G6C] (96? x 92G6 >6? =:<6 E92E C6DA64E >6 2?5 >J @A:?:@?[ E92E >62?D 2 =@E] %9:D :D ;FDE 2 3C@E96C9@@5 2== 2C@F?5 E96 3@2C5] %9:D :D?’E ;FDE 2 %2==2DD66 E9:?8]”k^Am
kAmq6== D2:5 $E2C $665D ?@H 92D ?62C `d_ <:5D 7C@> 7:CDE E9C@F89 `aE9 8C256 :?G@=G65 2?5 24E:G6 :? E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm“w6’D C6249:?8 <:5D 7C@> 2== @G6C[” y@9?D@? D2:5] “w6 >256 :E 2 7@4FD E@ 86E E92E @FE E96C6 2?5 D6== E96 3C2?5 E@ 3F:=5 E96D6 <:5D :?E@ 36EE6C 4:E:K6?D] w6’D 7F== @7 A@D:E:G6 6?6C8J]”k^Am
kAmpD 7@C E96 C:G2=CJ[ E96 EH@ 7@@E32== E62>D 2C6 D6E E@ >66E pF8] a_ 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 :? `f J62CD] xE >2J 364@>6 >@C6 5:77:4F=E 7@C E9@D6 cg >:?FE6D @? E96 7:6=5 2?5 H9:=6 y@9?D@? D2:5 96 H:== 36 E9C:==65 E@ 9@=5 D@>6 3C288:?8 C:89ED[ 96 H@?’E 36 E@@ 92C5 @? q6==]k^Am
kAm“x ECJ ?@E E@ 9@=5 E92E 282:?DE 9:>[” y@9?D@? D2:5] “*@F 42? DE:== =@G6 E9C@F89 E96 4@=@CD] %92E’D E96 <:?5 @7 DEF77 E92E 4C62E6D 2 3@?5 36EH66? FD 2?5 2 3@?5 36EH66? @FC J@F?8 A6@A=6] %96C6’D 2 >2DD:G6 4@>A6E:E:G6 DA:C:E H96E96C H6’C6 A=2J:?8 @C ?@E 3FE :E’D E96 =@G6 E92E’D E96C6 27E6C E96 =2DE H9:DE=6 E92E >2<6D :E DA64:2=]”k^Am
