Where are you now, Mark R. Bell

Tinker Bell of the Rams

By John Hirn
Ram Alumni Athletes Association

If you were around CSU football in the mid-1970s, then you were not alone in being confused about which Bell was on the field for the Rams. In 1975, Coach Sark Arslanian introduced three freshman football players with the last name of Bell, two brothers and the other not related. Two of those three Bells had the identical name of Mark Bell, causing so much confusion that their middle initials had to be used.

Aside from the obvious difference in their physical appearance, Mark E. Bell, brother of Mike Bell, played tight end and wore number 88 while Mark R. Bell wore number 11 and played wide receiver. Imagine the confusion when two men named Mark Bell took the offensive side of the ball for the Rams during this period of CSU football. It marked the first time in school history when both players not only had their first and last names on their jerseys, but also their middle initials too.

Mark R. Bell remembered what the confusion was like, "Murphy's Law was in full effect, `If it could go wrong, it would go wrong.' Asking for the wrong player, lining up in the wrong positions, carrying out the wrong assignments, handing out the wrong gear. Even Ma Bell at the games would claim me as her son (something wrong with that picture although bless her heart). Although he was 6'5 and 240lbs, while I was 5'9 and 170lbs, for a time there our names meant a whole lot more, the problem was we just had to figure out what? Then it really got confusing when offense scrimmaged against defense and you brought Mike Bell into the equation.  Now we're MB (3) cubed."

Something had to be done to eliminate the confusion and the time-honored tradition of nicknames came about almost by accident. Mark R. Bell remembered, "One day at practice I just spoke up and said, `hey, just call me Tinker.' Tinker Bell, it's what they called me back home. I believe one of the defense coaches (Charley Armey) said, yeah, and we could call Mike Ding and Mark E. Dong. The rest is now history."

Mark R. "Tinker" Bell came from Lynwood, California and decided to attend CSU because he was excited that offensive coordinator Doug Gerhart played a pro-style offense. In 1974 while Tinker was being recruited, the Rams' Mark Driscoll and Willie Miller ranked as one of the best quarterback/receiving duos in the country and Tinker wanted to play in that offense with Driscoll returning. However, Gerhart left CSU after the 1974 season and new offensive coordinator John Beake switched to a running offense in Tinker's freshman year, but that did not prevent Tinker from becoming the premier receiver for the Rams by the 1977 and 1978 seasons.

Tinker Bell finished his CSU career with 17 career receiving touchdowns, second to the legendary Willie Miller. Tinker also held the school record for most receiving touchdowns in a season in 1977 at nine; a record that Jeff Champine broke in 1981.

Tinker Bell looked back on his first game as a Ram in 1975, "I remember our opening game against the top rated Texan Longhorns led by Mr. Earl Campbell down in Austin my freshman year. Eighty thousand screaming fans in a sea of burnt orange and white. I felt fortunate to make the travel team, let alone to actually play. I do remember the first play of my college career. I was the deep left-side back on the kick-off return team. As we were receiving the opening kick-off, I was anticipating a possession call from the right back either a you, you or a me, me! Well, the ball was kicked, it was not a deep kick. It was slightly headed in my direction, but no call was made from my right half. Still tracking and still no call. All I could think about now is somebody better commit to the ball ... still no call (or if a call was made it was so loud I couldn't hear it), so I sprinted forward to make the catch and as my hands barely touched the seams, it went through my hands and onto the turf (fumble-live ball). As I got hit now lying on the ground, I saw the ball moving from player to player but unsecured. So I tried to go after it but I was being restrained by one of the Texans. Finally, that big Texan un-lassoed me, and guess what came back to its original owner? That's right, the prodigal ball. I secured it now permanently, the whistle blew. As I hustled off the field expecting to get my butt chewed and benched for the rest of the game, the first person who greeted me was Coach Charley Armey. He ran over, picked me up and said, `Son, welcome to College Football!' then slapped me on the butt and sent me on my way."

Tinker Bell concluded his career at CSU following the 1978 season and along with Mike and Mark E. Bell moved on to the NFL. Despite continued nagging injuries while playing on turf, Tinker played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980 and 1981.

Following his NFL career, Tinker moved back to Fort Collins where he worked for the Platte River Power Authority and finished his degree at CSU. He worked for PRPA for seven years before moving on to Hewett-Packard where he spent the next 16 years in both Fort Collins and Corvallis, Oregon. Tinker took an early retirement in 2007 and decided to donate his time to various causes.

When he was contacted for the "Where are you now" article in March of 2012, Tinker was in Pignon, Haiti working with an organization called Loving Haiti, founded by his daughter Abby and her husband Denny Bain. Tinker spent 50 days in an orphanage, school, vocational sewing center and church. He said of the experience, "It's been both a heart-breaking and a heart-of-joy building experience thus far." With only limited electricity to answer questions for the RAAA article, Tinker also added that once his work is completed in Haiti in April of 2012, he and his wife of 33 years, Jill, will return to Colorado where their five grandchildren live and he spent so many great years as a Ram along with building his family.

If Ram fans of a different generation did not know there was a Tinker Bell on the CSU football team in the 1970s, they can be rest assured that this one helped bring some exciting football to Fort Collins and remains a true Ram forever.

Other recent features:

March 2012 - Where are you now, Shelly and Mattias Borrman?
February 2012 - Where are you now, Lillian Greene-Chamberlain
January 2012 - Remembering Ram Legend Art Solow
November 2011 - Where are you now, Katie Cronin
October 2011 - Where are you now, Steve Bartalo
September 2011 - The Legend of Harry Hughes
August 2011 - RAAA Lounge Remodeling
July 2011 - Bill Simpson and Bud Parker
June 2011 - Ervin Hinds
May 2011 - Wayne Schneider
April 2011 - Jon Sinclair
March 2011 - Rich Gregory

Archives

Where are you now, Mark R. Bell

Tinker Bell of the Rams

By John Hirn
Ram Alumni Athletes Association

If you were around CSU football in the mid-1970s, then you were not alone in being confused about which Bell was on the field for the Rams. In 1975, Coach Sark Arslanian introduced three freshman football players with the last name of Bell, two brothers and the other not related. Two of those three Bells had the identical name of Mark Bell, causing so much confusion that their middle initials had to be used.

Aside from the obvious difference in their physical appearance, Mark E. Bell, brother of Mike Bell, played tight end and wore number 88 while Mark R. Bell wore number 11 and played wide receiver. Imagine the confusion when two men named Mark Bell took the offensive side of the ball for the Rams during this period of CSU football. It marked the first time in school history when both players not only had their first and last names on their jerseys, but also their middle initials too.

Mark R. Bell remembered what the confusion was like, "Murphy's Law was in full effect, `If it could go wrong, it would go wrong.' Asking for the wrong player, lining up in the wrong positions, carrying out the wrong assignments, handing out the wrong gear. Even Ma Bell at the games would claim me as her son (something wrong with that picture although bless her heart). Although he was 6'5 and 240lbs, while I was 5'9 and 170lbs, for a time there our names meant a whole lot more, the problem was we just had to figure out what? Then it really got confusing when offense scrimmaged against defense and you brought Mike Bell into the equation.  Now we're MB (3) cubed."

Something had to be done to eliminate the confusion and the time-honored tradition of nicknames came about almost by accident. Mark R. Bell remembered, "One day at practice I just spoke up and said, `hey, just call me Tinker.' Tinker Bell, it's what they called me back home. I believe one of the defense coaches (Charley Armey) said, yeah, and we could call Mike Ding and Mark E. Dong. The rest is now history."

Mark R. "Tinker" Bell came from Lynwood, California and decided to attend CSU because he was excited that offensive coordinator Doug Gerhart played a pro-style offense. In 1974 while Tinker was being recruited, the Rams' Mark Driscoll and Willie Miller ranked as one of the best quarterback/receiving duos in the country and Tinker wanted to play in that offense with Driscoll returning. However, Gerhart left CSU after the 1974 season and new offensive coordinator John Beake switched to a running offense in Tinker's freshman year, but that did not prevent Tinker from becoming the premier receiver for the Rams by the 1977 and 1978 seasons.

Tinker Bell finished his CSU career with 17 career receiving touchdowns, second to the legendary Willie Miller. Tinker also held the school record for most receiving touchdowns in a season in 1977 at nine; a record that Jeff Champine broke in 1981.

Tinker Bell looked back on his first game as a Ram in 1975, "I remember our opening game against the top rated Texan Longhorns led by Mr. Earl Campbell down in Austin my freshman year. Eighty thousand screaming fans in a sea of burnt orange and white. I felt fortunate to make the travel team, let alone to actually play. I do remember the first play of my college career. I was the deep left-side back on the kick-off return team. As we were receiving the opening kick-off, I was anticipating a possession call from the right back either a you, you or a me, me! Well, the ball was kicked, it was not a deep kick. It was slightly headed in my direction, but no call was made from my right half. Still tracking and still no call. All I could think about now is somebody better commit to the ball ... still no call (or if a call was made it was so loud I couldn't hear it), so I sprinted forward to make the catch and as my hands barely touched the seams, it went through my hands and onto the turf (fumble-live ball). As I got hit now lying on the ground, I saw the ball moving from player to player but unsecured. So I tried to go after it but I was being restrained by one of the Texans. Finally, that big Texan un-lassoed me, and guess what came back to its original owner? That's right, the prodigal ball. I secured it now permanently, the whistle blew. As I hustled off the field expecting to get my butt chewed and benched for the rest of the game, the first person who greeted me was Coach Charley Armey. He ran over, picked me up and said, `Son, welcome to College Football!' then slapped me on the butt and sent me on my way."

Tinker Bell concluded his career at CSU following the 1978 season and along with Mike and Mark E. Bell moved on to the NFL. Despite continued nagging injuries while playing on turf, Tinker played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980 and 1981.

Following his NFL career, Tinker moved back to Fort Collins where he worked for the Platte River Power Authority and finished his degree at CSU. He worked for PRPA for seven years before moving on to Hewett-Packard where he spent the next 16 years in both Fort Collins and Corvallis, Oregon. Tinker took an early retirement in 2007 and decided to donate his time to various causes.

When he was contacted for the "Where are you now" article in March of 2012, Tinker was in Pignon, Haiti working with an organization called Loving Haiti, founded by his daughter Abby and her husband Denny Bain. Tinker spent 50 days in an orphanage, school, vocational sewing center and church. He said of the experience, "It's been both a heart-breaking and a heart-of-joy building experience thus far." With only limited electricity to answer questions for the RAAA article, Tinker also added that once his work is completed in Haiti in April of 2012, he and his wife of 33 years, Jill, will return to Colorado where their five grandchildren live and he spent so many great years as a Ram along with building his family.

If Ram fans of a different generation did not know there was a Tinker Bell on the CSU football team in the 1970s, they can be rest assured that this one helped bring some exciting football to Fort Collins and remains a true Ram forever.

Other recent features:

March 2012 - Where are you now, Shelly and Mattias Borrman?
February 2012 - Where are you now, Lillian Greene-Chamberlain
January 2012 - Remembering Ram Legend Art Solow
November 2011 - Where are you now, Katie Cronin
October 2011 - Where are you now, Steve Bartalo
September 2011 - The Legend of Harry Hughes
August 2011 - RAAA Lounge Remodeling
July 2011 - Bill Simpson and Bud Parker
June 2011 - Ervin Hinds
May 2011 - Wayne Schneider
April 2011 - Jon Sinclair
March 2011 - Rich Gregory

Archives

Where are you now, Mark R. Bell

Tinker Bell of the Rams

By John Hirn
Ram Alumni Athletes Association

If you were around CSU football in the mid-1970s, then you were not alone in being confused about which Bell was on the field for the Rams. In 1975, Coach Sark Arslanian introduced three freshman football players with the last name of Bell, two brothers and the other not related. Two of those three Bells had the identical name of Mark Bell, causing so much confusion that their middle initials had to be used.

Aside from the obvious difference in their physical appearance, Mark E. Bell, brother of Mike Bell, played tight end and wore number 88 while Mark R. Bell wore number 11 and played wide receiver. Imagine the confusion when two men named Mark Bell took the offensive side of the ball for the Rams during this period of CSU football. It marked the first time in school history when both players not only had their first and last names on their jerseys, but also their middle initials too.

Mark R. Bell remembered what the confusion was like, "Murphy's Law was in full effect, `If it could go wrong, it would go wrong.' Asking for the wrong player, lining up in the wrong positions, carrying out the wrong assignments, handing out the wrong gear. Even Ma Bell at the games would claim me as her son (something wrong with that picture although bless her heart). Although he was 6'5 and 240lbs, while I was 5'9 and 170lbs, for a time there our names meant a whole lot more, the problem was we just had to figure out what? Then it really got confusing when offense scrimmaged against defense and you brought Mike Bell into the equation.  Now we're MB (3) cubed."

Something had to be done to eliminate the confusion and the time-honored tradition of nicknames came about almost by accident. Mark R. Bell remembered, "One day at practice I just spoke up and said, `hey, just call me Tinker.' Tinker Bell, it's what they called me back home. I believe one of the defense coaches (Charley Armey) said, yeah, and we could call Mike Ding and Mark E. Dong. The rest is now history."

Mark R. "Tinker" Bell came from Lynwood, California and decided to attend CSU because he was excited that offensive coordinator Doug Gerhart played a pro-style offense. In 1974 while Tinker was being recruited, the Rams' Mark Driscoll and Willie Miller ranked as one of the best quarterback/receiving duos in the country and Tinker wanted to play in that offense with Driscoll returning. However, Gerhart left CSU after the 1974 season and new offensive coordinator John Beake switched to a running offense in Tinker's freshman year, but that did not prevent Tinker from becoming the premier receiver for the Rams by the 1977 and 1978 seasons.

Tinker Bell finished his CSU career with 17 career receiving touchdowns, second to the legendary Willie Miller. Tinker also held the school record for most receiving touchdowns in a season in 1977 at nine; a record that Jeff Champine broke in 1981.

Tinker Bell looked back on his first game as a Ram in 1975, "I remember our opening game against the top rated Texan Longhorns led by Mr. Earl Campbell down in Austin my freshman year. Eighty thousand screaming fans in a sea of burnt orange and white. I felt fortunate to make the travel team, let alone to actually play. I do remember the first play of my college career. I was the deep left-side back on the kick-off return team. As we were receiving the opening kick-off, I was anticipating a possession call from the right back either a you, you or a me, me! Well, the ball was kicked, it was not a deep kick. It was slightly headed in my direction, but no call was made from my right half. Still tracking and still no call. All I could think about now is somebody better commit to the ball ... still no call (or if a call was made it was so loud I couldn't hear it), so I sprinted forward to make the catch and as my hands barely touched the seams, it went through my hands and onto the turf (fumble-live ball). As I got hit now lying on the ground, I saw the ball moving from player to player but unsecured. So I tried to go after it but I was being restrained by one of the Texans. Finally, that big Texan un-lassoed me, and guess what came back to its original owner? That's right, the prodigal ball. I secured it now permanently, the whistle blew. As I hustled off the field expecting to get my butt chewed and benched for the rest of the game, the first person who greeted me was Coach Charley Armey. He ran over, picked me up and said, `Son, welcome to College Football!' then slapped me on the butt and sent me on my way."

Tinker Bell concluded his career at CSU following the 1978 season and along with Mike and Mark E. Bell moved on to the NFL. Despite continued nagging injuries while playing on turf, Tinker played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980 and 1981.

Following his NFL career, Tinker moved back to Fort Collins where he worked for the Platte River Power Authority and finished his degree at CSU. He worked for PRPA for seven years before moving on to Hewett-Packard where he spent the next 16 years in both Fort Collins and Corvallis, Oregon. Tinker took an early retirement in 2007 and decided to donate his time to various causes.

When he was contacted for the "Where are you now" article in March of 2012, Tinker was in Pignon, Haiti working with an organization called Loving Haiti, founded by his daughter Abby and her husband Denny Bain. Tinker spent 50 days in an orphanage, school, vocational sewing center and church. He said of the experience, "It's been both a heart-breaking and a heart-of-joy building experience thus far." With only limited electricity to answer questions for the RAAA article, Tinker also added that once his work is completed in Haiti in April of 2012, he and his wife of 33 years, Jill, will return to Colorado where their five grandchildren live and he spent so many great years as a Ram along with building his family.

If Ram fans of a different generation did not know there was a Tinker Bell on the CSU football team in the 1970s, they can be rest assured that this one helped bring some exciting football to Fort Collins and remains a true Ram forever.

Other recent features:

March 2012 - Where are you now, Shelly and Mattias Borrman?
February 2012 - Where are you now, Lillian Greene-Chamberlain
January 2012 - Remembering Ram Legend Art Solow
November 2011 - Where are you now, Katie Cronin
October 2011 - Where are you now, Steve Bartalo
September 2011 - The Legend of Harry Hughes
August 2011 - RAAA Lounge Remodeling
July 2011 - Bill Simpson and Bud Parker
June 2011 - Ervin Hinds
May 2011 - Wayne Schneider
April 2011 - Jon Sinclair
March 2011 - Rich Gregory

Archives

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