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Wayne State University Athletics

TBTC Joique Bell 2009
Joique Bell receiving congratulations from Harlon Hill runner-up Zach Amedro.

Football Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

TURN BACK THE CLOCK - Joique Bell Wins 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy

As we continue our Turn Back the Clock feature, we will look back at some of the most significant events in Tartar/Warrior history.

In this segment of "Turn Back the Clock," we highlight the ultra-successful collegiate career of Joique Bell, culminating in being voted the 2009 Harlon Hill Award recipient.
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Wayne State release from December 11, 2009.

FLORENCE, Ala. - Wayne State University senior running back Joique Bell (Benton Harbor, Mich.) was voted as the recipient of the 2009 Harlon Hill trophy, an award given to the NCAA Division II Football Player of the Year, this evening to cap off his historic career at WSU.

Bell received 31 first-place votes and 138 points to finish ahead of West Liberty quarterback Zach Amedro and Arkansas Tech quarterback Nick Graziano.  The announcement was made official at the 24th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet in Florence, Ala.

At the conclusion of the Division II regular season, Bell led all four NCAA Divisions in rushing yards per game, scoring per game and all-purpose yards per game.

He is the second Harlon Hill winner from the GLIAC joining Grand Valley's Curt Anes, the 2002 recipient.
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Bell was inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.

Joique Bell was a four-year football letterwinner (2006-09) who won the 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy as the best player in Division II.

A four-time First Team All-GLIAC selection, Bell had 6,728 career rushing yards (sixth in D-II and eighth in NCAA history), while his 152.91 rushing yards per game was 11th in D-II and 25th in NCAA history.

Bell's 576 points ranked fifth in NCAA history (all three divisions combined), while his 13.1 points per game average was fourth in D-II history.  He accumulated 8,055 all-purpose yards which was fourth in D-II and ninth in NCAA history.

Bell, a two-time GLIAC Offensive Back of the Year award winner, was responsible for 100 touchdowns (88 rushing, 8 receiving and 4 passing) in 44 games.  He finished with 918 receiving yards and set WSU records for rushing attempts, total offense (7,008) and total plays (1,198).

A two-year team captain, Bell became the fourth player in D-II history with two 2,000-yard rushing seasons.  His 1,181 career rushing attempts ranked sixth in NCAA history (all divisions) and second in Division II history.

He is the only two-time AFCA All-American in school history earning that recognition in both 2006 and 2009.  Bell concluded his Warrior career with 34 100-yard rushing efforts of which nine were at least 200 yards and two were 300-yard games.

In the 2006 win over Mercyhurst, he rushed for 318 yards and four touchdowns, and amassed a school record 386 all-purpose yards.  During the 2009 campaign, Bell rushed for 314 yards (sixth best total in GLIAC history) against Northwood and three touchdowns and in the process became the GLIAC career leader in all-purpose yards.

A three-time Harlon Hill semifinalist (top 24 nationally), Bell not only finished the 2009 regular season leading the GLIAC in rushing (2,084 yards), scoring (192 points) and all-purpose yards per game (217.5) but the entire NCAA (including I-A/FBS, I-AA/FCS, II and III) in all three categories.

He was selected to the D2Football.Com All-Decade (2000-09) Second Team, after being a three-time D2Football.com All-American (Second Team in 2006, Honorable Mention in 2007 and First Team in 2009).

Bell owns five of WSU's top eight single-game rushing totals and is the only person in school history to score six touchdowns in a game, twice (Oct. 3, 2009, in a 47-40 win over Ashland where he scored the game-winning touchdown on a 45-yard reception with 30 seconds remaining; and Oct. 17, 2009, in a 45-7 victory over Ferris State in which Bell carried the ball 34 times for 263 yards and was never tackled behind the line of scrimmage).

In a 2009 contest at Indianapolis, Bell rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns, but will be remembered most for a saving tackle on a defensive two-point conversion racing nearly 100 yards to tackle the Greyhound defensive back at the two-yard line.

(As of February 2016) -- Bell has played the last four seasons for the Detroit Lions and is one of four Lions in club history (joining Barry Sanders, Billy Sims and James Jones) with at least 2,200 rushing yards, 20 rushing touchdowns and 1600 receiving yards.

Bell earned his degree in criminal justice and is currently pursuing a master's degree in sports administration.

 
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Players Mentioned

Joique Bell

#5 Joique Bell

RB
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Joique Bell

#5 Joique Bell

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
RB