‘A beast’ - Michigan receiver Ronnie Bell is back, better than ever

INDIANAPOLIS — Some in the Michigan fan base — and perhaps around the Big Ten — haven’t given Ronnie Bell his due after leading U-M in receiving for two years and shining in the opener last year. Bell appeared to be well on his way to a breakout season before a knee injury ended his season in the opener with Western Michigan, but he’s spent every day since preparing for his comeback. 

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Bell’s teammates at Big Ten Media Day in Indianapolis openly laughed and scoffed Tuesday when told there was a faction who didn’t consider him among the team’s top offensive players. Underestimate him at your own peril, senior quarterback Cade McNamara said.

“I’m sure Ronnie appreciates the motivation,” he said with a wry grin. “I’m excited to share the field with that man again. He was a captain last year. The guy was an extremely big part of our team. 

“When he went down, a lot of guys were very upset. It’s not just what he meant for us as a wide receiver, but probably [one of], if not the most, popular guy in the locker room. Everyone loves Ronnie, and we want nothing but to see him succeed.”

Big play ability was emerging

Bell showed flashes of his big play ability last year when he caught a 76-yard touchdown pass, and had another one-handed grab downfield called back on a questionable penalty. He returned a punt 31 yards to put Michigan in scoring position before his knee went out on a non-contact injury. 

It hurt to watch him on crutches on the sidelines, McNamara said, even if Bell remained nothing but positive. 

“Everyone talks about game-day Ronnie Bell, that it’s just so much different. His intensity just goes up at least five notches on game day,” McNamara said. “It was pretty upsetting for him — I know it was — that he wasn’t able to wear the pads on game day. But he did everything he could last season to share wisdom with the guys who were in and even let me know when something was open or whatever. 

“I’m just so happy that he’s actually able to play with us again. He just wants to score every single drive, and he’s so confident in his ability to get open. I’m also well-aware of how football smart he is. He’s a very savvy player. If Ronnie sees something, then I can talk to him about it and we’ll look to expose that. He’s played so much football that I trust him, and he’s a big asset of our team.”

One of the biggest, in fact, despite the detractors. There was a reason Bell led the team in receiving even when guys like Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones were on the team. He’d get open and be where he was supposed to be, something he showed from the first few practices after he got on campus as a frosh, per observers. 

Now he’s back, head coach Jim Harbaugh said, and he appears to be better than ever. Bell is showing it in drills.

“Key performance indicators, speed and agility, he is PRing [personal record] to pre-injury performances. He’s PRing in speed miles per hour and plyo-stairs, three-cone [drill]. It’s awesome. He appears right now faster, stronger, in a lot of ways better than before the injury.”

As discouraging as it was to see Bell go down, Harbaugh added, it’s been all the more inspiring seeing how Bell bounced back. 

“As hard as that was, just to watch him literally grind through it, watch him coach the younger players, become a coach … and do his rehab,” Harbaugh said. “And then attack it when it really became time, when the doctors started turning him loose to strengthen and to jog, and then run, and then cut …”

Was “fabulous,” Harbaugh said. 

“He hates losing” — nobody is more competitive than Ronnie Bell

It’s that competitive nature that sets him apart, senior tight end Erick All said. He’s also one of the team’s top offensive players. 

“One hundred percent,” All said. “Ronnie is a beast.

“… He hates losing. We play spades all the time, and me and Joey [Velasquez]  beat him and Olu [Oluwatimi] nonstop,” All said with a grin. “Every time, he gets so mad. When he’s winning, he’s happy. But when he’s losing, he’s a different type of person. 

“Him getting in the game and if the game is tied at 7-7, he’s mad. He expects us to be winning at all times, and that’s what you want to lead this team. That’s Ronnie Bell, for sure.Every time I stepped foot into the training room, he was in there. Every time. Even now, he’s making sure that he’s good and it won’t be a repeat [of last year].”

Bell will be back for the Sept. 3 opener and in the starting lineup, with the expectation that he’ll be better than ever.