Florida football: 5 most underrated players in Florida Gators history
By John Buhler
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. QB. player. (1983-87). Kerwin Bell. 2. 840
Kerwin Bell put up big numbers under center for the Florida Gators.
With a nickname like “The Throwin’ Mayoan”, how can one possibly be underrated? Though an incredible player back in his day, quarterback Kerwin Bell isn’t appreciated as much as he should be when it comes to Florida football. The former walk-on from the middle of nowhere Florida became one of the SEC’s most prolific passers of his era.
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Forced into action as a redshirt freshman, Bell went on to win SEC Player of the Year in 1984, as he threw for 1,164 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Florida would win the SEC Championship but would have to vacate that title due to infractions made by then-head coach Charley Pell.
Bell earned First-Team All-SEC honors in 1985 when he threw for 2,687 yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. This would be the first of two consecutive All-American honorable mentions for him. He left Florida in 1987 with 7,585 career passing yards for 56 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. Bell played professionally in the CFL and NFL through the 2001 CFL season.
After retiring, Bell went into coaching. He had been the head coach of Jacksonville University and Valdosta State University before being the South Florida Bulls offensive coordinator last year. He is now an offensive analyst on Dan Mullen’s Florida staff beginning this season. Bell has been inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame and the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame.