He is the most wanted man in high school football, the No. 1 college recruit in the state.
Almost 40 NCAA Division I schools have offered him a scholarship. On the strength of his considerable reputation and at the urging of a fellow recruit, the University of Washington made an offer without seeing a single clip of film.
All this, and yet Brett Bell doesn’t walk around Wheaton Warrenville South like some big man on campus.
The 6-foot-1-inch, 185-pound defensive back who is bringing his 4.49-second speed in the 40-yard dash to the offensive backfield this season, credits Tigers defensive coordinator Ron Muhitch and coach John Thorne for helping him maintain a level perspective.
Even as Bell pares his college choices–Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin are the front-runners–he knows that whatever the decision, it will be supported by his special family.
This baby Bell is the youngest of Stephen and Carolyn Bell’s seven children. Including Brett, the last four are adopted. One other adopted sibling, Devan, died after an epileptic seizure seven years ago at the age of 19.
Brett came into Stephen and Carolyn’s family at the age of 20 months after his birth mother gave him up for adoption.
“All I know is that my mom was white and my dad was black,” he said. “I’m not ready yet to learn anything more. The Bells have told me that when the time is right, they will reveal everything.”
When Bell was a sophomore playing on the Tigers’ 1998 Class 6A state champion, Thorne said he already was the best athlete in school. As a junior, Bell was chosen for the Tribune’s All-State Team. Street & Smith magazine along with national recruiting services SuperPrep and rivals.com have named him a preseason All-American. Rivals.com rates him the No. 2 defensive back in the country.
“Brett has great speed, instincts and very good one-on-one skills,” said SuperPrep publisher Allen Wallace. “Even though he’ll play a lot of running back this season, he’s being recruited as a DB. He has quick hands and feet, a nice change of direction and is a good hitter. With his grades and test score, he has already qualified for a scholarship.”
Casey Paus, Lincoln-Way’s nationally rated quarterback, befriended Bell last spring and spent a night at his house. They’ve talked about attending the same college and rooming together. During Paus’ visit to Washington, when he gave the Huskies an oral commitment, he couldn’t stop talking about his Wheaton buddy.
“The Washington coaching staff began checking on me,” Bell said. “I never got a letter from them, but all of a sudden, they offered me a scholarship without even looking at any film.
“It would be fun if I went to Washington and practiced against Casey. I’d just have to beat him.”
Besides Washington, Bell is still considering Miami, Michigan State, Illinois, Nebraska and Tennessee.
Rising recruits
Someone Bell has been covering the last two years, Naperville Central receiver Kevin Noel, attained a status among recruiters over the summer almost as high as Bell’s. Rivals.com ranks Noel as the No. 8 wideout in the nation; SuperPrep named him a preseason All-American.
“People watching Noel vs. Bell in high school might be seeing the same matchup five years from now in the NFL,” said Joliet analyst Chris Pool of the Great Lakes Recruiting Review. “Kevin has made such a big jump since last season. He is a solid 6-3, 190 and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds. I’ve been touting him all summer. One Big Ten assistant coach said Kevin could start for his program right now.”
Morgan Park’s 6-2, 235-pound linebacker Corey Mays also made a quantum leap. He was rated among the top 30 recruits at the end of last season and is now among the top five on some recruiters’ lists. Mays uses his speed and power in attacking the ball, and Notre Dame offered him a scholarship while he attended its summer camp.
Cream of the crop
Along with Bell and Noel, SuperPrep named Paus and Rolling Meadows’ 6-6, 300-pound offensive tackle Rob Needham to its preseason All-American team. Street & Smith’s 50-member All-American team included Bell, Paus and 6-4, 245-pound Addison Trail linebacker Lionel Williams. Rivals.com ranks Paus the No. 9 QB in the country. Pool said Naperville Central QB Owen Daniels could be among the top 10.
It’s academic
If Williams had hit the books as hard as he hit running backs, he would’ve been selected to the SuperPrep dream team. “We factor in classwork along with athletic ability and how much interest colleges have,” Wallace said of his Laguna Beach, Calif., publication. “If Lionel had better grades, he would’ve been an All-American, for sure.”
Real world
Coaches often talk about using football to teach life lessons. Wauconda and Orr are living examples of that ideal. Wauconda has invited the Public League team to be its guest Friday before squaring off later in the evening at their season opener. Orr’s players will arrive at the far northwest suburban high school at 10 a.m., and each of the Orr players will attend classes. Players from both teams will meet to discuss shattering racial stereotypes after Wauconda’s players view a tape of an Oprah Winfrey show that dealt with racism. Afterward, both teams will attend church and then share in a pregame meal. After the final whistle, Wauconda’s parents club is sponsoring a postgame spread. Orr coach Armin Covington said his players look forward to getting away from the city and playing under the lights in Wauconda. This will be the third year of this season-opening matchup.
No-show
When East St. Louis visits Simeon on Saturday, the Flyers will be missing their best player. Running back Damien Nash, who is considered one of the top college recruits in the state, was ruled ineligible Wednesday by the Illinois High School Association for failing to meet its transfer policy.
Fever night
CLTV returns this weekend with its half-hour highlights show, “Friday Night Fever,” at 10:30 p.m. with replays at 1 a.m. and 10 a.m. Saturday. CLTV will show highlights from 10 Friday games while continuously reporting scores. Players, coaches, parents and fans can call 630-368-4444 to report results.
Top 10
According to Pool, here are the 10 best college prospects in the Chicago area. Bell (No. 1) and Noel (No. 2) are followed in order by Paus, Daniels, Elk Grove quarterback/defensive back Chuck Moore, Williams, Needham, St. Joseph tight end Kyle Ealey (6-8, 255) and Bolingbrook defensive back Sedrick Davenport. Moore and Needham have committed to Illinois and Ealey to Michigan.
Emerging
Davenport and Lincoln-Way defensive back Jeff Gremley are rated as the top sleepers by Pool. Davenport’s stock has risen so fast over the summer that Arizona State, Louisiana State and Georgia Tech have tendered offers. Although the 6-2, 195-pound Gremley has yet to receive an offer, Pool describes him as an All-State-caliber player.
Another to watch is Joliet linebacker Patrick McShane. What’s attracting college scouts is his versatility and his 4.5-second speed in the 40. McShane is expected to play safety, linebacker, wide receiver and tight end for the Hilltoppers, and also return punts and kickoffs. In the off-season, he won the Fastest Man In Joliet competition. He also comes from a talented bloodline. His uncle, Kevin McShane, played defensive end on Notre Dame’s 1988 national champion.
