Brotherly Love

BearsTruth was able to catch up with former Baylor passing yardage and completion percentage holder Shawn Bell. Everyone should remember his 2004 season and back to back passes to Dominique Zeigler to break the losing streak to A&M.

Baylor will face off against his brother Brian on Saturday.

BearsTruth: Compare and contrast your game and Brian’s. I think a lot of people didn’t give you credit for your athleticism, is Brian the same type of QB that will scramble or is he more of a game manager letting his weapons work?

Shawn Bell: "Brian is much taller (6'2 1/2, 185 lb) and more athletic than I was. I think overall he is a much more talented QB. He has a much stronger arm than I had and has probably the quickest release I have seen. I had to rely on my knowledge and competitiveness to be a good QB. I was shorter, not very fast, and had an average arm. Everything comes more natural to "B." He is a great manager of the game, but he has always been able to make things happen with his feet.

BearsTruth: I know he was thrown in a bit early his freshman year, but took over the team and lead them to the NC Game in Frisco his sophomore season. How much of a difference have you seen in him as a leader? Did he take after you in that regard?

Shawn Bell: "Brian took over as a starter 2 years ago in the 3rd game of the season when they were 0-2 at the time. They went 6-3 with him as the starter and then went 14-1 last year with him in there. B is a tremendous leader and always seems to do the right thing. I think the biggest difference between us is that he has a much more care free attitude. I think he is much more laid back than I was and I think his teammates respond to that. I think our leadership and football knowledge can be attributed to growing up with a coach as our father (Mark Bell head coach of China Spring). I also have been able to teach B how to deal with all sorts of circumstances with all the things I experienced at Baylor."

BearsTruth: Will you be making the trip up from Magnolia or do you have a game? Are you able to make his games at Sam? If you can make it are you coming in orange and white or green and gold?

Shawn Bell: "I have only missed 4-5 games in the last 3 years. The only reason I missed any is because my team would play on the same night or because a flight would not allow me to get to kickoff. If that was the case I was always following either on TV or on my cell phone. I have only been able to make 2 Baylor games since he has been the QB at SHSU (Baylor v.s. SHSU -2010 & Last year v.s. Mizzou.) When I played at Baylor my family did not miss one home game or road game. Now that is is Brian's turn, I feel like I owe him the same. The highlight of my year is seeing him get under center every week. I will be a Baylor fan for my entire life, but I only get to experience Brian's time at Sam for 4 years. Although we are 8 years apart, Brian and I are best friends. We talk almost everyday and being so close to Huntsville we get to see each other alot. He was the best man in my wedding."

BearsTruth: So you're excited for the game?

Shawn led Magnolia West to the playoffs in their second varsity season

Shawn Bell: "There is no way in the world I would miss the trip to Floyd Casey this Saturday. It is going to be so exciting to see B take on the Bears. It is a dream come true to watch Brian play college football and to have seen him develop the way he has. It will be a real treat to see him get under center in the same stadium I did for 4 years. I have bled green and gold since I committed to Baylor in February of my Jr year. However, I will be rooting for #11 in orange this Saturday night. I think Floyd Casey will have plenty of fans rooting on the Bears so they can hopefully spare me being a supportive brother. I have always been a huge supporter for B and that will never change no matter who he is up against.

I am also looking forward to seeing B take on two former players I coached (Glasco Martin-Round Rock Stony Point & Mike Hicks- China Spring.)"

BearsTruth: Have you been able to keep up with the team and the staff?

Shawn Bell: "I am so proud to be a Bear. I felt like I gave everything I possibly could to the program the 5 years I was there. I know I wasn't a Blue Chip recruit or All-American, but I tried to do everything I could to turn the program around. I look back and understand that everything that happened, happened for a reason. I never understood how some of the things could happen the way they did (lose 2 games my jr year in OT/2OT, being benched and in my opinion costing us a Bowl game, and then tearing my ACL while we were 3 & 1 in the Big XII). I think that reason all those things happened was to get Coach Briles into Baylor and turn that program around like he has. When I go back to Baylor it is so much better than it was back when I was there. It seems different because of the unbelievable athletes on the field, the unbelievable facilities, and the tremendous job Coach Briles and his staff does for Baylor

BearsTruth: I know he had a few DI schools looking at him, but decided on Sam Houston for the education major, if I remember correctly.

Shawn Bell: "Brian only weighed 155 pounds when he graduated from China Spring. I think if he would have been thicker, he would have had some bigger offers. His first offer came from Southeastern Louisiana. That then led to offers from numerous FCS and Div. 1 schools. Coach Solich at Ohio absolutely loved Brian and if it wouldn't have been so far he may have ended up there. Brian was offered a week or 2 before signing day from SHSU. It was his only Texas offer and Coach Fritz had just taken over the program. When B met Coach Fritz and visited Sam Houston, it was obvious that this is where God wanted him. It was such a blessing because I moved to Magnolia, Tx a month after signing day and am only 45 minutes away from SHSU. Brian chose Sam because he absolutely loves Coach Fritz and the athletic department. Sam Houston State University has some really incredible people leading it. He also wanted to be close to home because we are an extremely close family. It was important to our family that he play somewhere that we can be at the games.

We had hoped he would get to redshirt to gain weight and develop, but he was put in game 2 of the 2010 season and has started ever sense. It has really been neat to be apart of seeing Sam Houston's program develop under Coach Fritz. I can remember going to a Spring Game when Brian was in HS and comparing them to where they are now, it is night and day."

BearsTruth: I also wanted to make sure our readers know where you are now and your career path.

2007-Varsity football Coach @ Round Rock Stony Point-Coached Glasco Martin
2008-OC @ China Spring - Coached Brian Bell & Mike Hicks. Was a dream come true to coach with my dad and coach my brother.
2009-Head Coach @ Clifton
2010-Current-Head Coach at Magnolia West HS just North of Houston