Colorado University Athletics
Bell Collects Two Interceptions Vs. Nicholls
September 26, 2015 | Football
BOULDER — Jered Bell's journey to this point has been long, hard and painful. Since he came to Colorado from Ontario, Calif., he's torn both of his ACLs, seen two head coaches fired and endured 47 losses.
Saturday, though, the "old man" led a Buffs defense that posted its first shutout since 2009 in a 48-0 romp over the Nicholls Colonels. He picked off two passes and provided leadership and emotional maturity.
"It's the best feeling ever," Bell said of the shutout.
This was the first of two picks for @shewent2jered on the day. #GoBuffs https://t.co/UGP85oSVkr
— Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) September 27, 2015
"I'm really happy for Jered, really, really happy," his coach, Mike MacIntyre, added.
Bell's first interception came after cornerback Chidobe Awuzie pressured Nicholls' quarterback Tuskani Figaro on a blitz — Figaro overthrew his intended receiver and Bell made a diving catch along the sideline. His second pick came in much the same way — pressure came up the middle and Figaro missed his receiver down the seam. The ball fell right into Bell's arms.
Bell has been at CU longer than any of his teammates or coaches. He was a true freshman in 2010 when the Buffs fired Dan Hawkins and nearly made a bowl game under interim coach Brian Cabral; that 5-7 campaign is the closest that Colorado has come to the postseason since 2007.
Bell tore his ACL early in fall camp in 2011 and missed all of what would have been his sophomore season. The NCAA granted him a medical redshirt and he returned to the field in 2012, and he played in all 12 games of the Buffs' 1-11 year.
He had the best season of his career in 2013 under MacIntyre, his fourth coach in as many years. Bell was fourth on the team with 67 tackles and scored two defensive touchdowns, and headed into the 2014 fall camp on top of Colorado's safety depth chart.
Disaster struck again when Bell tore his other ACL three years and two weeks after his first knee injury. The Buffs' defense struggled in his absence, allowing 39 points per game and intercepting only three passes all season.
Bell dove into rehab immediately and was rewarded for his work when the NCAA gave him another medical redshirt and with it a rare sixth year of eligibility. He worked back into the lineup at his own pace and played limited snaps in Colorado's first three games.
"We just kind of took it slow with him," MacIntyre said. "I let him tell me when he was ready. When you have both your ACLs torn, as a coach you don't push him, you just let him go."
Instead, Bell pushed himself, without concern of another injury.
"This year I am not worried about my knee at all," he said. "It's stronger than the first time around when I tore my last one, so I am really confident this year."
MacIntyre said that Bell will play more snaps at safety as the year goes on. That he's here at all, six long years after he first arrived, is remarkable. But he didn't come back just to be here. Bell hasn't reached the end of his road yet.
