Jimmy Bell, a 6-foot-10, 285-pound center who played for West Virginia’s basketball team in the last season, is trying out with the Mountaineer football team this spring. While it’s currently an experiment, Bell’s size and athletic abilities make it an intriguing possibility for him to play at the Power 5 level.
Although Bell hasn’t played football regularly since he was a junior in high school in 2016 or 2017, he has some previous experience with the sport. Bob Huggins, the head coach for WVU’s football team, stated that they are teaching Bell and seeing how he performs on the field without any expectations. Bell had considered playing football before, but he ultimately focused on basketball when he went to prep school in Arizona.
Jimmy Bell played football in high school at Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw, Michigan, before he started to focus solely on basketball. Even though he hasn’t played football regularly since then, he does have some knowledge of the game, according to Jeff Brown, the tight ends coach for the Mountaineer football team. In Bell’s first two weeks of practice this spring, he focused on fundamentals and some cardio work to prepare him for football.
Starting on April 11, 13, and 15, Bell began practicing in full pads, and he will continue to do so on April 18, 20, and 22. After that, the coaches will evaluate whether Bell’s size and skills could work on the football field and whether he wants to pursue this path. Bell has primarily been working at offensive tackle, but the coaches might explore using him as a tight end as well.
Jeff Brown, the tight ends coach for the Mountaineer football team, is trying to keep expectations reasonable for Jimmy Bell as he transitions from basketball to football. Brown noted that there are some similarities between the skills needed for basketball and playing offensive line or tight end. For example, pass protection is similar to guarding a player in pick-and-roll situations, as both require keeping a smaller player in front of you.
However, the biggest difference is that football allows the use of hands, which Bell needs to get used to. Brown mentioned that Coach Matt Moore has been reminding Bell that there are no fouls in football, and he needs to learn to use his hands effectively. Despite the learning curve, Brown praised Bell for being extremely coachable and hardworking, which is a trait that Coach Bob Huggins also noticed in him.
Jimmy Bell played his first season with the West Virginia University basketball team, after previously playing at St. Louis University and Moberly Area (Mo.) Community College. He averaged 4.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 18.6 minutes per game for the Mountaineers.
Bell’s football experiment with the team is not guaranteed to continue beyond the spring game, but the coaches are intrigued by his potential. Jeff Brown, the tight ends coach for the Mountaineers, emphasized that it is a tough transition for Bell, and they are trying to keep expectations reasonable. Nonetheless, Brown praised Bell’s positive attitude and work ethic, stating that he is attacking the challenge with determination.
It is challenging for college athletes to participate in both basketball and football. Jarrett Brown is the last Mountaineer to play both sports, serving as a quarterback at WVU from 2005-09 while also playing in 13 games for Bob Huggins’ 2007-08 basketball team and scoring 13 points. In the past, Wayne Yearwood and Brent Solheim also attempted to play football after concluding their basketball careers at WVU in the ’80s and ’90s, respectively, but neither saw any game action on the football field.
Over the past 50 years, Scott MacDonald has been the most successful football-basketball combination at West Virginia. MacDonald played basketball as a 6-foot-6 forward, scoring 419 points from 1973-75. After his basketball days, he transitioned to the football field and became a successful receiver, catching 20 passes for 378 yards in his lone football season. MacDonald played a significant role in leading the Mountaineers to a 13-10 win over N.C. State in the 1975 Peach Bowl, catching five passes for 110 yards, including a game-winning 50-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.
In modern times, the combination of playing basketball and football is rare. According to Brown, during his time as the offensive coordinator at Troy from 2008-2009, they had one player attempt to play both sports, although he declined to provide further details. Brown believes that Bell’s experiment looks more promising than the previous attempt.
