University Southern California Trojans
Bell Kicks Off Strong Final Season For USC Football
October 02, 2000 | Football
Oct. 2, 2000
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -
It's easy to take kickoffs for granted. Sure, they signal the start of a football game and they occur after every score, but they are soon forgotten--a mere formality until the real game resumes.
But for USC placekicker David Bell, kickoffs are a matter of pride. The strong-legged senior from Anaheim, Calif., has nailed 13 of his 20 kickoffs this season for touchbacks. Three more have failed to be returned past the 20-yard line by Trojan opponents. Bell has suddenly become a special teams weapon.
"It's (kicking a touchback) something I certainly shoot for," said the 6-0, 190-pound Bell."If I kick it in the end zone every time and they start on the 20 every time, there's no chance of a big return against us. It keeps the pressure off the kick-off team."
As the backup field goal kicker to David Newbury, Bell hasn't had much of a chance this season to show his wares that way, but he did hit a 38-yarder last year against Louisiana Tech and added two extra points. Bell knows he must be ready if called upon.
"I still practice field goals a lot just in case something was to happen to Newbury," Bell said. "I'd be prepared to step into that position, but most of my preparation goes towards kick-offs now.
"My main focus right now is doing the kickoffs and putting the opposing offenses as deep in their territories as possible. If we could get them to start on the 20 every time, I would feel like I'm doing my job pretty effectively."
As a senior at Western High in Anaheim, Bell hit 34-of-39 extra points, eight-of-15 field goals and put 42-of-54 kickoffs into the end zone as touchbacks. The last signee from USC's 1996 recruiting class, Bell handled the Trojans' kickoff duties in the last 10 games of his freshman season and proved effective, but the transition to becoming a college placekicker was a tough one.
"Probably the biggest adjustment coming from high school was going from a tee to the ground on field goals," said Bell. "A lot of kickers kick off a two inch block during high school which makes it a lot easier to kick balls, so when they come into college it's a big adjustment."
With the field goal duties firmly in the hands (or feet) of Adam Abrams when Bell arrived at USC, kickoffs became Bell's focus. Now in his third year of kickoff duty, he has the process narrowed down to a science.
"I pretty much try to kick through the ball," Bell explains."As I'm approaching the ball, I try to find a spot beyond the ball to kick through. A lot of times if you hit too far under the ball you get a real fast rotation and the ball won't travel as far. I have a little spot on the ball that I aim at and I try to kick through that spot. A lot of it is mental, because if you're going to the ball thinking that you're going to kill it, then on your last step you'll really jump at the ball and it really throws everything off."
Bell used his kickoff expertise to great effect against Penn State at the Kickoff Classic, as five of his six kicks sailed into the end zone for touchbacks. Penn State's offense seemd to get demoralized each time it realized that an 80-yard drive was the prerequisite to scoring a touchdown.
For Bell, it was a gratifying experience to be such an integral part of a team win.
"It's definitely different being a kicker," notes Bell. "You have to look at things differently. You see all the guys out there on the field working hard and you want to do something. You want to work hard, too. But you can't go out there and kick 200 balls a day because by the time it came down to it, you're leg would fall off."
Bell certainly doesn't have the stereotypical kicker's mentality. He enjoys getting the chance to make tackles on kickoffs, though he admits that the allure has faded somewhat this season.
"Last year, I had six tackles," said Bell, who also played running back and linebacker in high school. "I liked running down there, but I guess I might be getting a little lazy in my old age. I figure it would be a lot easier if I just kick it in the endzone and not have to run down as much."
A public policy and management major, Bell is due to graduate in January. After taking some time off, he might go to work for the appropriately-named Pacific Bell, where he interned this past summer.
"I worked for the engineering department," said Bell. "My main responsibility was filling orders and helping customers with their service."
In the meantime, USC can count on David Bell to continue his long distance kickoff service--free of charge.
