Link to BLAC Detroit magazine article on Joique Bell.
In the Zone
Joique Bell's dream dash from Detroit Lion's security guard to TD-scoring running back
By Rod Coffee
(page 1 of 5)
"Continuous effort—not strength or intelligence—is the key to unlocking our potential."
? Winston Churchill
Three feet, one yard, literally a half step was all that separated Joique Bell from realizing a dream willed into reality.
Then it happened; Sept 9, 2012 against the St. Louis Rams.
The television play-by-play man said it all, calling the play as it unfolded.
"That's Joique Bell who just checked into the game with the touchdown."
From WSU to the NFL: A journalist's insight into Bell's early career
Suddenly in an instant, by crossing the goal line in an NFL game, a goal became an accomplishment, and Detroit Lions running back Bell lay in the North end zone of Ford Field under a pile of defenders preparing for a celebration he had planned just for that moment—his first play in the NFL despite being on practice teams for two years. His first touch down.
"It was a long time coming, and the first thing I thought about was jumping into the crowd," Bell says, sitting in front of his locker at the Lions Allen Park practice facility. "Yeah, it was planned, they tried to take the ball from me, and I kind of pushed them off and I ran straight to the back of the end zone and jumped in the crowd. And I enjoyed it.
"It will be a moment I'll always cherish."
BORN A CONQUEROR
Bell's unique name, Joique (pronounced "JOY'K ) in French is defined as: "Conqueror." The 26-year-old wears his moniker well.
Seemingly born to succeed, the Benton Harbor native has made a name for himself befitting his French monogram. The ups and downs, trials and triumphs of his professional football journey read like a gridiron odyssey. Like the Detroit Lions' long road to respectability, Bell's path to pay dirt is similarly rich with adversity and determination.
A superstar running back at Benton Harbor High School, Bell shocked many recruiters by deciding to attend Division II Wayne State University in the heart of Detroit. The Warriors hadn't had a winning season in 13 years, that is, until Bell took the ball and turned the program around, running for a record the first year he took the field.
Wayne State head football coach, Paul Winters, was an early witness to the talent and fortitude Bell displayed the moment he set foot on campus.
"The light came on when he walked in the door," Winters says without the slightest hesitation. "He was the hardest worker and most talented guy the day he got here. He rushed for 2,000 yards as a redshirt freshman and nobody does that."
Winters, now in his ninth season as Wayne State's head football coach isn't the least bit surprised about Bell's success. The head Warrior is in regular contact with his star alumni. He says Bell is pleased, but not content with his professional debut in Detroit.
"He's excited," Winters explains. "He felt like he would get an opportunity and felt the coaches liked him and appreciate his talent and effort and felt it would work out."
The irony of things working out with the Detroit Lions almost belies belief.
DREAMS COME TRUE
As an 18-year-old freshman, Bell worked as a security guard at the Lions Allen Park practice facility and one day asked a scout if he thought he could ever make the NFL.
"It's surreal," says Bell, looking around the Lions locker room as though he was still on the outside looking in. "It's something you see on TV or a movie, I was working here and I pulled a scout to the side and I looked at him in the eye and said man-to-man, "Do you think I could go to the league from Division II from Wayne State?' And he said, "Hey, if you have talent, they will find you."
And find him, they did.
This follows a record-setting career at Wayne State, where he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, and won the Harlon Hill Trophy, the award for the Division II Player of the Year following a 2084-yard, 29 touchdown season.
Bell went undrafted, but remained undaunted.
He signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills in 2010 and made the practice squad that season. Since then, his career was an array of ups and downs, making practice squads and being cut over and over again by the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints—giving him official NFL experience without ever actually playing in a regular season game. {CORRECTION BY WSU SID STAFF -- Bell was never a member of the Baltimore Ravens and he actually played in eight NFL regular-season games in 2010 between Indianapolis and Philadelphia but strictly on special teams}
That was until he lined-up behind Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, poised and ready to take a hand-off on a play called "20-belly," that he and his family will remember for the rest of their lives.
But the play they all had been waiting for happened so fast his mom, Althea "Candy" Gaddy, almost missed it.
"It's so funny because the NFL game moves so quickly, and I saw him go into the game and by the time your realize what had happened and its already past," the proud football mom said recapping Bell's scoring play. "And I saw number 35 get up.
"I just started screaming, 'Oh, my God, oh, my God, that's my son,' it was a dream come true for him.
"When you see your son do something he's always wanted to do, that's exciting."
PRAYERS AND PIGSKIN PASSION
Bell's family has always been there. His mom chartered buses from Benton Harbor to his Wayne State games, making nearly 400-mile weekend round trips to support her son. Bell and his family are extremely close.
"Everything he's ever had, he fought for," Gaddy says about her son's never-say-die attitude. "We are Christian believers. When God opens the door, just lunge straight through. We pray before every game."
Bell describes himself as a God-fearing family man. Besides his mother, he credits his godfather, Maurice Burton, as the biggest influences in his life. Burton was Bell's first football coach and called a play that ignited Bell's pigskin passion.
"My first carry ever was a touch down," Bell says, smiling at the memory. "My Godfather was the coach I remember the name of the play was called the Joique Bell special."
Team Bell is comprise of his mom, stepfather Willie Gaddy, older sister, Ambie, younger brother, Willie Jr., godparents Maurice and Jolita Burton and high school coach Willie Wilson.
Coach Wilson, now the athletic director at Benton Harbor High School remembers his first encounter with a precocious elementary school kid who predicted his own success.
When I first met him, I was the head coach at Benton Harbor and he was about 8-years-0ld," Wilson says, remembering the incredible impression Bell made on him from the very beginning. "And he said, 'Coach, I'm going to play for you when I'm a freshman,' so he was very specific and we developed a very special relationship."
Wilson says he always knew Bell would make it big.
"I told the other coaches, "that he's (Bell) going to play on Sundays one day," Wilson says. "Words can't describe how I feel about him, remembering him as an 8 year-old coming up to me. As coaches, we always say hard work pays off and to see him be successful, words just can't describe it."
Bell, the adopted Detroiter, is making a name for himself with his Lions teammates, as well. His easy-going personality has made him a hit with guys who hit for a living.
Lions linebackers Ashlee Palmer and Doug Hogue say everybody is taking notice of the hard-working running back.
"He got his first touchdown, and he's been around the league for a while. It's been tough for him, Palmer says. "It's good that he got his first one, and hopefully it will lead to more,"
"Just seeing his work ethic and the amount of time he puts on the field says it all," Hogue says. "He's a good dude, just a great person and I'm proud of him I hope he keeps it up."
Fellow running back, Kevin Smith, put it in perfect perspective. "He's taken advantage of the opportunity he's been given and doing a good job," Smith says. "We're a family we're teammates. I'm happy for him."
Bell sat in front of his locker talking about his life and career. "I'm a worker, a hard worker," he says, trying to describe himself in one word.
Bell's homegrown football success sits well with Motor City football fans who understand what it means to hang in and persevere against all odds. Bell says he just wants to focus on winning each week, letting his work ethic lead the way.
"Take it day-by-day," Bell says of his newly developed goals. "Long-term goal is the Super Bowl and if a Pro Bowl comes with that, I wouldn't mind it. But we're a long way from that."
With his future developing before his very eyes, Bell looks like a man who belongs.
And one day, after he scores his final touchdown and looks back at his accomplishments, despite the eventual statistics, his career will not be measured in yards but rather by the way he relentlessly pursued his dream one step at a time, ultimately conquering the longest yard.
NATIVE DETROITER ROD COFFEE IS A PRINT AND BROADCAST JOURNALIST WHO SPECIALIZES IN NEWS, SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
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From WSU to NFL
How Joique Bell's determination paid off
By Marquis Herring
Joique Bell is the epitome of hard work, persistence and determination—so focused on his future that he didn't drink alcohol until his draft night toast with family and friends.
As the sports writer for WSU's official student newspaper, the South End, my editor briefed me on my new assignment, covering a running back from Benton Harbor, Mich., who was Wayne State's version of NFL great Barry Sanders.
According to the Wayne State athletic department website, Bell amassed 6,728 career rushing yards (sixth in Division-II/8th in NCAA history), while his 152.9 rushing yards per game rank 25th in NCAA history for Division-II. His four-year Wayne State Warrior, football legacy would later be enshrined when he won the 2009 Harlon Hill trophy as the nation's top NCAA Division II player.
I would soon witness this “phenom” with my own eyes. I witnessed the work ethic and dedication to excellence that Bell brought to practice and game preparation. I saw what very few people saw—the grueling workouts, tight schedules and the pain.
Many times, he sat in tubs of ice, mending and focusing on his future. He did all of this while maintaining his rigorous course work and graduating with a criminal justice degree.
Standing in the press box watching him break tackles and run for touchdowns was a sight to behold. It was hard to be an objective reporter and not become a fan of this guy. He was extremely knowledgeable about the game and surprisingly honest about his shortcomings.
I never heard Bell talk publicly about a teammate; he put the blame for team losses on his own back. Bell was humble during interviews, especially when asked about a record he had just shattered.
I remember one post-game press conference when it took Bell longer than usual to come into the press room before he walked in with a little boy. Bell answered my questions and paused to tell the toddler to hush, while he finished his interview.
As he stood to leave I asked him who the little boy was. When Bell responded that the boy was his son, I realized there was much more to Bell than what we saw on game day.
I convinced my editor to allow me to write a full feature on Joique Bell. In the months leading up to our major interview for this feature on his senior year, I watched him, heading to early morning weightlifting training and then class.
I watched him on campus in his police cadet uniform, taking his role as security for the university seriously.
I learned when Bell was a freshman at Benton Harbor High School his teammates said he was slow. So, every day after school Bell would sprint in his backyard and run from mailbox to mailbox. By the next season, he was one of the fastest guys on the team. Some said Bell was arrogant but I saw him as confident.
I knew he was headed for pro-football. I couldn't wait to do my interview and learn more about this young man. Bell down-played my suggestion of him being NFL bound. He said if he made it to the league, it would be a dream come true, but more importantly, relished the accomplishment of graduating from college.
Bell comes from a family that is grounded in their faith in God. It has been that foundation that has kept him motivated and driven. His mother, Althea Gaddy, is a praying mother who has always believed in her son's ability and determination. I would often see Gaddy at home games smiling and cheering her son on.
Benton Harbor, a town three hours southwest of Detroit, is 89 percent African American, and the poorest city in the state. Bell grew up playing sports, and the tuba, while trying to stay out of trouble, something he saw peers fall into, leading to their misfortune.
Bell said his work ethic came from his passion to be a living role model for his community. He would read stories of how athletes would make it to the big leagues and lose it all making bad decisions. He made a promise a long time ago it wouldn't be his fate.
Every weekend another pro-scout was sitting next to me in the WSU press box watching Bell. But, with all the statistics and records broken and set, Bell still found himself left behind on NFL draft night.
He signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills. And later played for the Saints, Colts and Eagles before landing back home in Detroit, with the Lions. Bell's hard work got him the opportunity. His persistence earned him a shot at the league.
Bell's determination has earned him a spot on the Lions active roster. It is still possible for a young man from a small town in Michigan to dream big dreams and watch them come true.
