Shelby, NC to Immortalize Football Hall of Famer Bobby Bell. Here's How.

By Joe Hughes, Gaston Gazette

Already a college and pro football hall of famer, Shelby, NC native Bobby Bell is set to receive another honor.

Plenty names come to mind when thinking of Shelby’s rich gridiron history.

Of those, few come with the credentials of Bobby Bell. Now, the City of Shelby, NC is looking to pay homage to its 80-year old local legend.

Looking to paint a mural in Bell’s honor, the municipality is seeking artists with experience in similar large-scale projects. The date for interested artists to submit an application to the City of Shelby is Aug. 21.

“In early to mid 2019, (Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony) had an idea about honoring local people who had lived extraordinary lives, and one of those was an idea to honor Bobby Bell,” said Shelby city manager Rick Howell. “There was a parade here for (Bell) after the Kansas City Chiefs after they won Super Bowl IV in 1970. But it’s been 50 years since then, so we created a committee and floated around some ideas.”

Among them was the creation of a mural in a visible part of the municipality, an idea which Bell and family members approved of. Local occupancy tax money will be used to help fund the project.

A former high school football standout at old Cleveland High School in Shelby prior to integration, Bell eventually earned a spot in both the college and professional football hall of fame.

As a linebacker at the University of Minnesota, he helped the Golden Gophers to a national championship in 1960. He also was a two-time first team All-American, in addition to winning the Outland Trophy and being recognized as the UPI Lineman of the Year in 1962.

Following his college career, Bell was drafted by the nearby Minnesota Vikings of the NFL in round two of the 1963 draft. However, the local legend instead opted to take his talents to the fledgling American Football League (AFL) and its Kansas City Chiefs.

Bell spent 10 years with the franchise, winning the 1966 and 1969 AFL titles with the Chiefs along with a 24-7 victory over the Vikings in Super Bowl IV. In his career, the Shelby native intercepted 26 passes, returning six for touchdowns.

Originally a defensive end when he entered the league, he eventually shifted to outside linebacker as part of Kansas City’s “Stack Defense.” From 1965-71, Bell was named to either an all-AFL or all-NFL performer, in addition to representing the Chiefs nine times in the AFL or NFL Pro Bowl.

Last year, the Shelby native was named to the NFL’s 100th anniversary all-time team.

According to the City of Shelby, a qualified committee will evaluate each artist, awarding the contract to the one it feels is “in the best interest of the City, as determined by the City, based on the qualifications that best meet the needs for the project.” Artists will be evaluated on artistic merit based on submitted representation of past work; appropriateness of the artist’s medium, style and previous professional experience as related to the goals and opportunities of the project; experience with projects of similar scale and scope; and the ability to complete the mural within the city’s desired timeline.

“Whatever we do, we want it to be of a high quality and something Bell and his family will approve of,” Howell said.

The artist(s) chosen for the project will have to supply their own supplies, machines and devices necessary to complete the job. As of now, the municipality has yet to designate a site for the mural, though the city has a few in mind, Howell said.