Kerwin Douglas Bell (born June 15, 1965, in Live Oak, Florida) is the head coach of the Jacksonville Dolphins college football team. He is also a former quarterback in the Canadian Football League and the World League of American Football. He played his college football under Galen Hall with the Florida Gators from 1984-1987.

[edit] Professional career

Kerwin Bell had a well-traveled football career. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins of the NFL in 1988 (7th round, 180th pick overall) but did not play for the team. He did play for the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Football. He threw for 2214 yards in 1991 but was a backup in 1992 when the team went to the World Bowl.

He began a 7 year Canadian Football League career in 1993, with the Sacramento Gold Miners, part of the failed CFL expansion into the United States. As a back-up quarterback in 1993, Bell threw for 296 yards, but this increased to 1812 yards in 1994. Bell played for the Edmonton Eskimos in 1995.

In 1996, Bell landed a roster spot with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League and in week 15, entered the game being played against the Philadelphia Eagles. Bell attempted 5 passes and completed all of them, throwing for 75 yards total on the day. One of his 5 passes was completed for a touchdown in the only NFL game played in his career. He has the highest career passer rating of any quarterback in NFL history, higher than current and future Hall-of-Fame members Joe Namath, Steve Young, Joe Montana, Warren Moon, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and Brett Favre.

After the 1996 season with the Indianapolis Colts, and a two-year break from the CFL, Bell returned in 1998 with the Toronto Argonauts, and had his best professional year, throwing for 4991 yards and completing 67.3 percent of his passes (a team record.) He would throw for 501 yards against Edmonton on September 26 1998. Bell was named a CFL Eastern Conference All-Star that year. He spent 1999 and 2000 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but would return to the Argonauts for part of the 2000 and the 2001 CFL seasons. Bell would throw for 8811 career yards in 46 regular season games in Toronto. During his second stint with the Argos, he is remembered for a play in which he hit himself in the groin after spiking the ball during a touchdown celebration. ^[1]

[edit] Coaching career

After winning a 2006 2B state championship as head coach of Ocala, Florida's Trinity Catholic High School (quarterbacked by eventual fellow Gators QB John Brantley), Bell was hired in 2007 as head coach of the Jacksonville University football program. In 2008, he was named Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award after his Dolphins went 9-4 and won that league's championship.^[2]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Pro-Football-Reference page
• Jacksonville University Athletics profile