We don’t know lineups or combos, but something else we know is that Bell is the only guy who could get away with wearing sweats to a black-tie event. He’s still stylish and on Thursday wore a baseball hat from the chic Eric Emanuel clothing line.
We also know he’s loved here when you see senior defensive assistant Mark Duffner make a rare press conference room appearance “to show my support and the appreciation for what he’s done with us,” and the three strength coaches (Joey Boese, Todd Hunt, Garrett Swanson) scrambling to find his Ohio State coffee mug and get ready for those early morning bull sessions after those famous dawn workouts.
“Best part about being back?” Bell repeats. “The locker room. That’s No. 1. Just seeing those guys’ faces. Joey, Todd, G. Man, I’m home.”
Carolina was not home. Bell, who is 7-5 in playoff games, suffered on a 2-15 team. If that wasn’t bad enough, the final insult came with his release earlier this week.
The cutting of one of the most sought-after five-star recruits ever? The kid who made Ohio and Alabama swing states before the Buckeyes won the epic recruiting battle to get him? The guy who has won everywhere he’s been and whose NFL teams are still 15 games over .500 despite the Panthers debacle?
“It was weird. It definitely added fuel to the fire,” Bell said. “It was a lot of anxiety for sure. First time going through that. It’s over now. It’s in the past. I’m in the now.”
It stunned him. But at 29, he insists he’s the same solid player.
“It was stressful at first, but I let God handle that, and God handled that he made a way. He opened up doors for me. I’m glad to be back and ready to get to work,” Bell said. “I still feel young. I’m ready to run around and make plays and continue any way I can. I’m just happy for the opportunity.
“(Last year was) very hard. It was heavy on my heart. But I let that go. And I’m in the…
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