A family friend was murdered, and his basketball scholarship was revoked, but the worst was yet to come for William Bell Sr.<\/p>\n
That is part of Bell\u2019s story, a nursing student who enrolled at Miami Dade College this spring semester.<\/p>\n
He has gone from being an athlete to a student and now the owner of a semi-pro football team.<\/p>\n
Through the pains, trials and hardships he has endured in his life, Bell has managed to stay involved in athletics. Playing football for a semi-pro league team, the Broward County Raiders in 2006, in the Arena Football League briefly with the Miami Vice Squad the same year, and another semi-pro team, The Fort Lauderdale Lions in 2007.<\/p>\n
Bell\u2019s previous experience opened doors for him to purchase his own team, the South Florida Broncos. The team ended the season with a 17-0 record, earning the 2010 South East Football League Championship. Bell was named the 2010 owner of the year.<\/p>\n
But not everything was positive. Bell injured his knee, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament, requiring knee surgery.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am recovering now and I plan to go back to play next year,\u201d Bell said. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s more to come after all the adversity. I am here at MDC and happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bell was raised in what he described as the violent projects of \u201cThe MatchBox\u201d in Carol City, now known as Honey Hills.<\/p>\n
He recalled one incident when he was seven-years-old, when a friend of the family nicknamed \u201cJowles\u201d was murdered, shot to death inside his apartment in the shower after a fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was like a big brother to me, there was a lot of killings, drugs and shootings,\u201d Bell said. \u201cThe nights were crazy, chaotic, gunshots and screaming.\u201d<\/p>\n
To stay out of trouble, Bell played sports.<\/p>\n
\u201cI played everything, basketball; football and track, at a recreation park called Scott Lake Optimist Club,\u201d Bell said. \u201cMy mother kept me inside my house most of the times.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Miami Carol City Senior High School, Bell made a name for himself on the athletic field. He played basketball, football and track.<\/p>\n
According to Bell, Albany State University in Albany, Ga. offered him a full scholarship to play basketball and track, he accepted the offer, but during a holiday break in 2000 his life took a dramatic change.<\/p>\n
While he was home during Thanksgiving break, Bell said his mother unintentionally broke the news, that she had cancer.<\/p>\n
He was shocked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI overheard her during a prayer say \u2018Lord, heal me from this cancer,\u2019 I broke down and ran into my room crying,\u201d Bell said.<\/p>\n
With his mother ailing, Bell was unable finish at ASU; his scholarship was revoked. But the good news is that Bell\u2019s mother\u2019s health has gotten better.<\/p>\n
Today, Bell, 31, has a nine-year-old daughter, Jamyla Bell, a five-year-old son, William Bell Jr., and a three-year-old son Jaden Bell. He is married to Karen Jitta Bell.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019 s a very motivated, positive person,\u201d said Marcus Isaac, who is the sports coordinator for Student Life at North Campus, and considers Bell a friend. \u201cHe\u2019s such an inspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n
With his life back on track, Bell hopes to make a difference in the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am proud of him,\u201d said Bell\u2019s father, William Bell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A family friend was murdered, and his basketball scholarship was revoked, but the worst was yet to come for William Bell Sr. That is part of Bell\u2019s story, a nursing student who enrolled at Miami Dade College this spring semester. He has gone from being an athlete to a student and now the owner of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7115","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n