If you are subscribed to our Sons of Montezuma YouTube channel, you know our Aztecs Film Room with our resident Coach, Coach C. A former Aztecs staffer back in the Tom Craft era, Coach C has experience at the FBS level, the junior college level, and at the high school level where he guided Super Bowl champion and former Green Bay Packer WR James Jones.
In the film room we analyze plays, players and games during the season. Today we begin our look at a few potential NFL Prospects from SDSU. We start off with RB Greg Bell. Greg was an NFLPA Bowl invitee as well as an NFL Combine invite in Indianapolis. So let’s take a closer look at the quality and efficiency that RB Greg Bell brings.
RB Greg Bell
5’11” 200 lbs Chula Vista, CA
Greg Bell’s return to his hometown of San Diego, California to conclude his eligibility was an immensely important decision for the young man and for the SDSU football program.
In previous years the team had earned National attention with a high profile, record setting rushing attack. Running back whisperer and assistant head coach Jeff Horton had been such a key component in the development and play calling with Donnell Pumphrey Jr, Rashaad Penny and Juwan Washington. The allure of being the next star rusher in the red & black was one Bell could envision for himself years ago as a prep athlete in Bonita Vista high.
Bell’s journey has been well documented by Sons of Montezuma. Listen to his full audio interview on the Sons of Montezuma Podcast.
By the time Greg would see the field in live action for the Aztecs, the brand of offensive football was undergoing a bit of an overhaul. Gone was the usual power rushing scheme with a lead fullback that Pumphrey & Penny carved up opposing defenses with.
Instead a more zone rushing attack was the transition SDSU had now committed themselves to running. This move was certainly in Bell’s favor as he had been familiar with the style since back in his JUCO days at Arizona Western. As more NFL offenses operate under a similar schematic, such a transition would require just the kind of running back skill set that makes Greg Bell a definite asset.
Despite playing in a COVID shortened 2020 season, the impact made by Bell was immediately felt by an offense that needed it badly. The stats listed below reflect just that. In just seven games played in that shortened schedule and on much fewer attempts, Greg Bell’s 637 yards rushing in 2000 at SDSU eclipsed the stats of any RB the Aztecs had in all of 2019 (537 being the highest individual mark).
| Year | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | FUM | LST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 245 | 1,091 | 4.5 | 9 | 55 | 4 | 5 | 1.3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 113 | 637 | 5.6 | 6 | 62 | 11 | 114 | 10.4 | 1 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
Coach C: I thought he popped off as soon as I looked at him on film for the first time. As an offensive coordinator, I remember always telling my running back coaches, tell me who the guys are, that have great vision and great feet. And that’s one thing I did notice with Greg Bell. Just good feet, good balance, and with the size that you’re looking for.
But you just notice how he’s not afraid to run inside the tackles. He runs the zone scheme so effectively and understands to be a one cut kid, he doesn’t take more than one cut to go ahead and get vertical. So you really love to see that in a running back, that’s for sure. Especially in today’s football, it’s so important that you get vertical right now with so much of the spread stuff going on.
I really love his journey too. Greg Bell really stood out as one of the offensive leaders and that is really things that NFL Scouts wants to see. It’s gonna give a chance for Greg Bell during his interviews, of just sharing how he handled those kinds of things. Because in the NFL, there’s going to be adversity. You got to be ready for anything.
SOM: Where could be a good fit for Greg?
Coach C: The San Francisco 49ers would be a great fit because how much they really count on efficient running backs. Philadelphia will be very interesting because they have such a dual threat quarterback.
SOM: What the NFL Draft world is saying about Greg Bell
