Skip to main content

Ohio high school football team removes Le'Veon Bell from its field's name

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby:Lawrence Fernandez•03/14/25•

lawandfern

Le'Veon Bell
© Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

An Ohio high school football team removed Le’Veon Bell’s name from its field. While Groveport Madison will still play games at Cruiser Stadium, the field doesn’t bear the former NFL running back’s name anymore.

The decision stems from a Franklin County jury order wherein Le’Veon and his brother La’Vonte Bell must pay more than $36 million for allegedly abusing a family member when she was a child. According to 10TV website, the three-time Pro Bowl running back must pay $25 million for sexually abusing their cousin.

Meanwhile, court records revealed that Le’Veon Bell continued to perpetrate the abuse until 2017. Worst yet, his brother is ordered to pay $11 million for continuing the abuse until the family member became an adult. However, the Bell brothers did not face criminal charges.

The district covering Groveport Madison reviewed the naming rights agreement they had with Bell. In the fine print, it stated that any moral offense he committed allowed the district to cancel the agreement.

In 2017, the running back who played in ten NFL seasons reportedly agreed to donate $750,000 to his high school alma mater. That amount will cover the installation costs for synthetic turf, leading the school to name the field after him. However, Bell allegedly donated only $300,000 as of 2020, the last time he made a payment.

Before playing for the Michigan State Spartans, Le’Veon Bell was a standout for the Groveport Madison Cruisers. He amassed 3,216 rushing yards and 43 total touchdowns in three Ohio high school football seasons. In addition to football, Bell represented the school in basketball and athletics competitions as well.

After earning First-Team All-American honors in 2012, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the 2013 NFL Draft. His tenure with the Steelers ended in 2018, when he refused to sign the franchise tag and attend team activities. He did not play the entire season and became a free agent in 2019.

Le’Veon Bell also played for the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He retired as a three-time All-Pro running back with career statistics of 6,984 rushing yards, 3,380 receiving yards, and 55 total touchdowns.