Mike Bell was a three-sport athlete at Tolleson High School in Phoenix, as a member of the basketball, football, and track team. By the end of his career, Bell was considered one of the best running backs in the history of Arizona high school football. As a junior he rushed for 2,038 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. As a senior he rushed for 2,484 yards (8.7 avg), making him only the second back in state history to rush for 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons. He was a high school all-American and was named state player of the year his final season at Tolleson. His 4,692 career rushing yards ranks second in state history. He accepted a scholarship to the University of Arizona where he redshirted in 2001, spending the season on the scout team. After an injury sidelined starter Clarence Farmer in 2002, Bell stepped in to lead the team in rushing with 341 yards. As a sophomore, Bell rushed for 920 yards and scored 6 touchdowns on his way to second team all pac-ten honors. As a junior Bell rushed for 950 yards and 5 touchdowns, was named honorable mention all pac-10, and was voted team MVP at the conclusion of the season. In the summer of 2005, Bell was hospitalized with bacterial pneumonia and saw his weight drop below 200 pounds. He returned to lead the Wildcats in rushing for the fourth consecutive season with 952 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also had a career high 197 receiving yards on the year.

For the past four years Mike Bell has been a very good player on a very poor football team. He has managed to rush for nearly 1,000 yards and average close to 5 yards per carry despite poor blocking and a less than spectacular supporting cast. He has a good combination of size and speed for a running back. He is a tough runner who does most of his damage between the tackles. He has good vision and is a patient runner who waits for holes to develop. He has good strength which gives him the ability to break tackles as well as run through arm tackles. He has shown the ability to get to the outside and turn the corner but he lacks great breakaway speed and he isn’t very elusive in the open field. He runs a bit upright and would take less big hits if he ran lower to the ground. He is a decent receiver but could use some work on his route running. He also needs to work on catching the ball with his hands rather than with his body. Blocking is another area where Bell could improve. He is a willing blocker but he needs to learn to attack the defenders rather than waiting for them to come to him. He has had some ball security problems including a 38 carry stretch in which he fumbled 4 times in 2004. He has some good intangibles including leadership ability. He was the team captain of his football and track team in high school and was a two-time team captain in college as well. Mike Bell is a player who is solid in every area but doesn’t stand out in any one area. He has a chance to be a late first day pick in April.