There's an unspoken quest for revenge when facing your old team.
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Players are masters at covering it up to the media. On the field, it's a different story.
You know the tendencies of the players and coaches, you know the calls, and you know your ex-teammate Dan is secretly writing a mystery novel.
The field is the perfect place to address any bad blood. It's also the perfect place to break character and try new celebrations.
Just ask quarterback Kerwin Bell.
Kerwin Bell's Crotch Spike
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Fans down in Gainesville are familiar with ole Kerwin. For those who aren't, Bell played his college ball at the University of Florida under Steve Spurrier. He played for the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Indianapolis Colts in the NFL. He had the most professional success in the Canadian Football League, where our story takes us.
The signal caller was at the tail end of his CFL career with the Toronto Argonauts. He circled the matchup with his former team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, on his calendar for the 2000 season.
Bell and the Argos offense are inside the 10-yard line. He takes the shotgun snap, fakes a handoff to the running back, and sees an opening to his left. He scurries past the goal line for a touchdown.
Kerwin is ecstatic. The old timer still has some gas left in the tank, and he's going to let his former teammate know. Bell runs up to his Blue Bombers cornerback Juran Bolden and looks him square in the eye. It's time for a spike, baby.
In this blink-and-you-miss-it moment, Kerwin decides the best place to spike the ball is between his legs. He slams the ball. It bounces directly into his dingleberries.
Bolden doesn't take too kindly to this. He shoves Bell, who falls back into another Blue Bomber and takes him out. On top of all this, Bell was flagged for taunting.
It couldn't have been executed any better.
https://twitter.com/JayOnSC/status/1392997157867859969?s=20
The beautiful celebration went viral. Bell—who's coached at Jacksonville University, Valdosta State, South Florida, and is the current head coach of Western Carolina—has used the famous play as a college football recruiting tool.
"When I'm recruiting guys, sometimes I'll bring that up," [Bell told For the Win in 2017.] "I'll say, 'Hey check me out.' They don't know who you are, they don't know you played ball and sometimes it makes a connection for those guys. You can show them the lighter side of you and show some of your faults as a person and as a player. They'll text me and let me know they enjoyed it. I use it to break the ice."
I wonder if he tells them that he needed to wear a cup for the rest of the season.
