February 25

On this episode of the Football's History Headlines we discuss the NFL contributions and the awesome involvement the Bell family has had with the gridiron, as we speak to Commissioner Bert Bell's son, Upton Bell in this special edition of the Football History Headlines! Upton Bell is very active on Twitter as he can be followed @UptonBell . His books and even more info about this remarkable man and his legendary football family can be found Here for More Upton Bell!

Pictured is the First Family of Football - The Bell's 

(Bert Jr, Upton, Mary, Frances Upton Bell, Bert Bell Sr.)

The times in one's life of talking with living legends are not frequent by any means, but when you have the opportunity to speak with someone who has seen and had vast experiences in a something you yourself are passionate about and share even a small part of them with you, its a must to just sit back and enjoy the ride! I had this great honor recently when the opportunity arose to get the chance to have a discussion with a member of the first family of the NFL, Upton Bell.

Upton himself has an interesting NFL story but when you combine his experiences and contributions to the League and then realize the accomplishments of his family members and what they have woven into the very fabric of today's gridiron, it's astounding! His Mother, Frances Upton a star of stage and screen during the roaring twenties and thirties helped to finance the purchase of an NFL franchise, and even housed the team members in her home. His Grandfather, John C. Bell played on the early gridiron and then served on the precursor to the NCAA alongside Walter Camp to help develop the rules that differentiated the football from thoat of soccer and rugby. The main attraction in this edition of the Football History Headlines though is about Upton's Father, former commisioner Bert Bell. February 25 in the anniversary of Bert Bell's birth, and what a better way to celebrate this Pro Football Hall of Fame Contributor than to hear his story directly from his son, Mr. Upton Bell. I will post some basics of Bert Bell Senior's biography below, but please enjoy the presentation above in the podcast as Upton shares his father's story and the contributions of his family to the game we love! Upton has generously shared his family's football legacy in the Upton Bell Collection at the UMass Amherst.

February 25, 1895 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Bert Bell the former founder and owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, co-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and legendary Commissioner of the National Football League was born. Bell had his fingerprints all over the NFL’s history for some 27 years as he established policies such as recognizing the NFLPA, the NFL Draft, Overtime for tie games and establishing the precedent for NFL television contracts along with so much more per the Pro Football Hall of Fame! We have the true privilege of honoring Mr. Bell and his awesome contributions by having his son, a gridiron legend himself, Upton Bell as a guest on our podcast to discuss Bert Bell Sr. Please give a listen for the football history lesson of a lifetime! Bert Bell Sr. was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Upton Bell 8th grade Waldron Academy (first row left). Standing behind is All-American and NBA Hall of Famer Paul Arizin, Al

The photographs in the banner above as well as all the others are all shared with us from Upton Bell's own personal collection. It is with great honor that Upton has given us the privelage to share them with everyone, please enjoy them as you listen to Upton tell the story of his father, Bert Bell Sr. There are even more found in the Upton Bell Collection at the UMass Amherst!