Marcus Bell (linebacker)

Playing size

• ,
• 40 yard dash: 4.6 sec, 20 yard dash: 2.75 sec, 10 yard dash: 1.67 sec.
• 225 lb bench reps: 21
• Vertical Jump:
• Broad Jump:
• 20 yard shuttle: 4.33 sec
• 3-cone drill: 7.17 sec.

Coaches' comments

• "He was the best inside linebacker I have ever coached." University of Arizona Coach Dick Tomey
• UofA Defensive Coordinator Rich Ellerson stated: "there's not a harder worker than Marcus".
• Bell's High School coach Mike Morgan recently said "There was not a harder working player, studying film and putting time in to be a great player."

  Awards and notes

• 1998 All-Pac-10 Defensive team
• Anchored the 1998 team that went 12-1 and was ranked 4th in the nation.
• Bell led the Pac-10 his senior year in tackles per game with 10.3.
• Bell posted a Pac-10 leading 124 total tackles his senior year in 1999.
• His 139 tackles in 1998 led the nation and he was UA's leader his final two seasons.
• He finished with 405 career tackles, No. 5 on UA's all-time chart.
• Bell was a member of the UofA Dick Tomey's fearsome 1998 defense that recorded a school record 46 sacks in 1998.
• Bell was 3-1 vs. ASU
• One of 11 semi-finalists for the Butkus Award. The award is presented annually to the best linebacker in college football. This list of 11 semi-finalists was determined by balloting done by the 28-member Butkus Award Selection Committee, who made their selections from the initial Butkus Award Watch List of 66 college linebackers.
• In high school Bell never lost a game. His team, the St. Johns Redskins, went 44-0 and were undefeated for 3 years, winning 3 state championships.
• Bell won a state wrestling title his senior year.

  Great games

• Bell anchored the U of A defense and held the mighty Nebraska running attack to under 100 yards rushing in the 1998 Holiday Bowl, UofA won 23-20.
• Bell recorded nation high 21 tackles in one game at Washington as a junior.
• Bell and the UA defense held USC to minus-20 yards rushing in its 31-24 win over the Trojans in 1999, Bell had a team-high nine tackles and an interception in the game.
• Against ASU in 1999, Wildcat linebacker Marcus Bell recovered a fumble giving possession to Arizona, they scored, and won the game.