Paul Bell - Legendary Oklahoma football coach - and father figure

 Today, Paul Bell, my high school football coach in Hugo, Oklahoma (1981-83) passed away.

Words cannot describe how much Coach Bell meant to me and the thousands of other young people he impacted during his time as an educator and coach.

In the 1970's he was the coach of Eufaula, OK high school where he shaped the careers of legends like J.C. Watts and the Selmon brothers.

The number of All-State and All-American players he coached is staggering.   He had players who ended up in the NFL Hall of Fame and who were considered candidates for President of the United States.

But he also had a far greater impact on the players he coached by being a true father figure.

Eastern and Southeastern Oklahoma is a hard part of the world to grow up in.   When I was a kid, the fathers of that era were not the type to hug a lot or say "I love you" with great, or any, frequency.

Paul Bell was different.

It was not uncommon for him to finish an important football, or life lesson, and look you right in the eye and say, "I love you."  

You knew pretty quickly that he meant it by the way he fought for us, taught us and molded us into men.

The molding could be tough as hell though.

Coach Bell grew up in Depression-era Oklahoma, worked in the oil fields, served in the military and was a champion boxer and undersized guard for his national championship college football team.  He was a hard-nosed, no-nonsense man that I seriously doubt many of today's NFL, college or highschool kids could have tolerated.

He was not shy about loudly correcting stupid things we did and did not tolerate laziness.  

From his two-a-day practices in Oklahoma's summer to his fourth quarter drills that made you wish you were 1,000 miles from his practice field, when he put us through conditioning drills you knew it was meant to last a lifetime.

And a lifetime it has lasted.

There have been many times when I have been in the proverbial 4th quarter of work, parenting, coaching or being a husband.   I cannot count the number of times that I have felt Coach Bell's influence when I needed to finish strong or outwork someone else.   His tough love shaped my character and helped me understand the difference between excellence and mediocrity.

Late in his life I would take my sons to his home and he treated them like they were his own.  He laughed with them, showed them football drills and asked them questions about their interests and their lives without ever bragging about himself.

He also never discussed something with me or any other player that is also a testament to his character. Coach Bell was let go by Hugo after three seasons.   Years later we found out that one of the the biggest reasons for his dismissal was his decision to have the first African-American quarterback in school history take the reins for our team.  This was a hugely unpopular decision with the people in Hugo who had power and influence over the school board even though it was the right one for our team.  That quarterback ended up taking Hugo to back-to-back state playoff appearances his junior and senior year.

This, and countless other stories about him are sure to circulate in the days ahead.

Paul Bell's legacy is one of character, discipline and dedication to young people while showing them it is fine for a tough guy to show love and kindess at the same time.

Thank you, Coach Bell.

I love you too....