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Honors & Awards
Honorable-Mention All-Big Eight (AP, UPI, Coaches, 1989)
Honorable-Mention All-Big Eight (Coaches, 1988)
12th-Round NFL Draft Pick (Pittsburgh Steelers, 1990)
One NFL Season (Pittsburgh Steelers, 1990)
1989 (Senior)
A two-time honorable-mention All-Big Eight wingback for the Big Red, Richard Bell produced a solid senior season for the Huskers. He earned seven regular-season starts and another start in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl against Florida State. He led Nebraska in receiving yards (357), while ranking second on the team with 18 receptions. Bell averaged 19.8 yards per reception, while hauling in four touchdowns. His longest reception came on a 45-yard connection from Gerry Gdowski against Kansas. He also had a 38-yard run against the Jayhawks. Overall, Bell produced eight big plays of 30 yards or more on the year, including a 45-yard kickoff return at Missouri.
A versatile athlete, Bell also had 24 carries for 261 yards. He averaged 10.9 yards per carry, including a long rush of 48 yards against Oregon State. Bell added 125 punt return yards and 130 kickoff return yards to finish third among the Huskers in all-purpose yards (874) over 11 regular-season games, trailing only I-back Ken Clark and quarterback Gerry Gdowski. Bell also recorded two unassisted tackles on the season. In the 1990 Fiesta Bowl against Florida State, Bell grabbed three receptions for 46 yards and added one carry for two yards on the ground.
In his three years as a Husker letterwinner, Bell played in 34 regular-season games with 16 starts, hauling in 33 receptions for 676 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 20.5 yards per catch in his career. He was also a big-play threat in the Big Red ground game, totaling 497 rushing yards on just 51 carries for an average of 9.7 yards per carry with one more score. He totaled 1,695 all-purpose yards on 130 career attempts for an average of 13.0 yards per touch.
Bell was selected in the 12th round (319th overall pick) of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played 16 games for the Steelers as a rookie, pulling down 12 receptions for 137 yards
1988 (Junior)
As a junior, Bell earned honorable-mention All-Big Eight recognition from the conference coaches. He started nine regular-season games at wingback for the Big Eight champion Huskers, while adding a start in the 1989 Orange Bowl against Miami. Bell pulled in nine receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown, while splitting time with NFL-bound Dana Brinson at wingback. Bell added 14 carries for 116 yards. He also returned 11 punts for 100 yards and six kickoffs for 112 more. Overall, he totaled 505 yards on 40 all-purpose attempts. In the Orange Bowl, Bell had 126 all-purpose yards, including 74 yards on five kickoff returns, while adding two receptions for 39 yards and one carry for 13 more.
1987 (Sophomore)
Bell earned his first varsity letter as a Husker by playing 11 regular-season games at wingback. He had six receptions for 142 yards, including a career-long 78-yard touchdown catch from Steve Taylor in NU’s 30-21 win over South Carolina. The reception against the Gamecocks was the longest for a Husker in 1987, and represented the highest receiving total by any NU receiver in a game that season as well. Bell added 120 yards on the ground, including a 46-yard touchdown run against Kansas State. He returned his first career kickoff for 11 yards, and added four punt returns for 43 yards to total 316 all-purpose yards on just 24 attempts.
In the 1988 Fiesta Bowl, Bell made his first career start at wingback. He returned two punts for 37 yards, but did not have a carry or a reception.
1986 (Redshirt)
Bell redshirted in his second season after injuring a knee during spring football that required arthroscopic surgery.
1985 (Freshman)
Bell started at wingback for Nebraska’s 5-0 freshman team in the fall of 1985. He led the team with five receptions for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
John Muir High School
An All-California Interscholastic Federation quarterback for Coach Jim Brownfield at John Muir High School as a senior in 1984, Bell passed for 1,580 yards and 19 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,341 yards and 14 more scores. In track, he ran a 47-second 440-yard dash as a junior.
Personal
The son of Haymond and Barbara Bell, Richard was born in Los Angeles. He was a communications major at Nebraska.