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Kay Bell

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Kay Bell
No. 26, 89, 39, 34, 50
Position:Guard
Tackle
Personal information
Born:(1914-10-14)October 14, 1914
Chehalis, Washington, U.S.
Died:October 27, 1994(1994-10-27) (aged 80)
Redmond, Washington, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:Seattle (WA) Abraham Lincoln
College:Washington State
NFL draft:1937: 10th round, 97th pick
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Games played:21
Games started:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kay Dee Bell (October 14, 1914 – October 27, 1994) was an American football player who played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears and New York Giants. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the tenth round of the 1937 NFL draft. He played college football at Washington State University and attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Seattle, Washington.[1] Bell was also a member of the Los Angeles Bulldogs, Cleveland Rams and Columbus Bulls. He was a professional wrestler and actor as well.

College career

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Bell lettered for the Washington State Cougars from 1934 to 1936.[2] He earned All-American honors.[3]

Professional football career

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Bell was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 97th pick in the 1937 NFL draft.[4] He was released by the Lions on March 16, 1937.[5] During the 1937 NFL season, Bell played in ten games for the Chicago Bears, starting one, and none for the Lions..[1] He played for the Los Angeles Bulldogs from 1938 to 1940.[1] Bell signed with the Cleveland Rams on April 17, 1940, but was later released on September 19, 1940.[5][6] He played for the Columbus Bullies of the American Football League from 1940 to 1941.[7] He played in eleven games for the New York Giants in 1942.[1]

Professional wrestling career

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Bell had a long career as a professional wrestler under the ring name of "Samson", a reference to him appearing in the film Samson and Delilah, and his real name "Kay Bell".[3][8] He won the Texas Heavyweight Championship in July 1946.[9][10][11]

Acting career

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Bell was Victor Mature's double in the 1949 film Samson and Delilah.[3][8] He appeared in a stunt position in the 1956 film The Ten Commandments.[3] He also appeared in the 1949 film Everybody Does It.[9] Bell had parts in several TV shows as well.[12]

Personal life

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Bell worked as a deep sea diver during the football off-season.[3] He later retired from professional wrestling to work as a San Mateo County jailer for two years.[3][8] He then spent fifteen years as a teacher, the last nine in a special-education program for children in San Mateo.[8] Bell died of cancer on October 27, 1994, at his home in Redmond, Washington.[1][8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "KAY BELL". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  2. ^ "Kay Bell". old.lostlettermen.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary, 2d ed. McFarland. 2014. p. 22. ISBN 9780786476435.
  4. ^ "1937 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Kay Bell Transactions". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  6. ^ "Kay Bell, Popular Grappler, Will Play for Cleveland". San Jose Evening News. June 7, 1940. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  7. ^ "1941 Columbus Bulls". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Kay Bell, Football Player and Wrestler, 80". The New York Times. October 29, 1994. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Lentz, Harris M., III (2003). Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2d ed. McFarland. pp. 32–33. ISBN 9780786417544.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ *Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas Heavyweight Title [Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 268–269. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  11. ^ "NWA Texas Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  12. ^ "Kay Bell". imdb.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
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