Michigan WR Ronnie Bell cleared for summer workouts, fall camp: 'I'm doing everything'
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football’s ‘summer cycle’ of workouts began Friday, June 3. The Maize and Blue welcomed summer enrollees to campus, and they’ve joined the rest of the team for training the next two months ahead of fall camp. A familiar face is also fully back — graduate wide receiver Ronnie Bell, who tore his ACL in last year’s season opener but is now at the tail end of his recovery and ready to roll before the 2022 season.
“I guess I’m kind of wrapping up the [rehab] process,” Bell said at the TUFF youth camp in Ann Arbor Sunday. “It’s almost been nine months, and just been real strong. I’m just taking every day step by step. It’s towards the end of the whole recovery process, and now we’re just making steps towards camp and the season.”
Bell was working out during Michigan’s spring practices, which wrapped up in early April, but was not a full participant in practice.
“I’m doing everything with everybody now,” Bell explained. “Once spring ball was done, I was good. Just doing everything with everybody.”
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Last week, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said he believes Bell might be even better than ever this fall, based on what he had seen. If it winds up being the case, it won’t be by accident. Bell has worked hard to not just get back on the field but be an improved player when he does.
“Yeah, I feel like I didn’t give myself a choice,” Bell said. “If I was going to dedicate nine months to just my body, I was going to make sure I came back better than what I was. That was my approach to it — I better be better than I was.”
The Michigan wideout led the Wolverines in receiving yards in 2019 and 2020. He has 1,380 receiving yards and five touchdowns for his collegiate career.
After nine months of not being able to suit up with his Michigan teammates, Bell is champing at the bit to get back on the gridiron with the Wolverines.
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“Just putting on shoulder pads and running around with the guys — that’s all I’m really excited about,” Bell said. “Just getting dressed again and playing.”
While Bell wasn’t dressed for Michigan last season, the team captain was an active participant in meetings and practice, and remained a vocal leader. And he believes his approach of staying involved will pay off this fall.
“That was just something that I realized would be a role or some place I could step in quite a bit,” Bell said. “I just tried to bring my best every week, every day in film and practice to do my best to fill the guys in with what the heck is going through my brain — different tips and things that I would do in different situations. And if it works for them or if it doesn’t work for them, just put it in your bag of tricks. That way, you can try to get better every day.
“I feel like it was working with the guys and I felt like the receivers grew week by week — with me or without me. All of the coaches did a great job, too. I feel like that was a role I wanted to step into.
“The biggest thing that helped was me not disappearing so that when I’m back and I’m running around, the guys aren’t unaccustomed to seeing my face or seeing me run around. I’ve been with them this entire time, so now it’s just me getting out there and being able to take reps with them. I feel like that’s been the biggest thing from that standpoint, just me not being gone for so long and then trying to step in and trying to fix the chemistry. It’s just automatic chemistry because I’ve always been there.”
