FERRIS STATE'S BELL RINGS UP A NATIONAL DEFENSIVE AWARD

D2Football.com Recognizes Standout Bulldog Defensive Lineman

Whitney Bell earns a national award for his contributions in the Bulldogs' win at Mercyhurst last Saturday.

The honors keep coming in this week for Ferris State University senior defensive tackle Whitney Bell (Sault Ste. Marie/Sault Area), who was selected the national Pizza Hut Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 28) by D2Football.com.

Senior running back Larry Williams of Texas A&M-Kingsville was chosen as the online publication's Offensive Player of the Week and Central Oklahoma senior placekicker AJ Haglund was named the Special Teams Player of the Week.

The accolades come after Bell was chosen this week's Wilson/Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Defensive Player of the Week following his season-high 10 tackles in the Bulldogs' 31-28 conference victory over Mercyhurst last Saturday (Sept. 25) at MC's Tullio Field in Erie, Pa.

Bell is the first FSU player to earn a national weekly award in the regular season since a year ago (Sept. 6) when tailback Derek Fudge was picked as the D2Football.com's co-Offensive Player of the Week and was a tri-Offensive Player of the Week recipient by Don Hansen's Football Gazette after rushing for a career-high 276 yards and two touchdowns in a Bulldog season-opening victory at Hillsdale. Fudge was also selected the GLIAC's Offensive Player of the Week.

Bell was credited with seven solo tackles in the contest as Ferris gained its fourth win in a row this campaign. He also notched five tackles for a loss of 33 yards in helping the Ferris State defense hold Mercyhurst to eight net rushing yards and 36 total first-half yards. A highlight of Bell's defensive prowess in the conference encounter was a game-high four quarterback sacks for minus 29 yards.

Last season, the 6-2, 284-pound lineman turned in his most productive season ever with a career-high 99 tackles (64 solos) in 10 games to finish in a third-place tie among the team's tackles leaders. He went on to receive second-team All-America honors by Don Hansen's Football Gazette. Bell also claimed second-team All-Northeast Region accolades by Hansen's Football Gazette, Daktronics and D2Football.com. The 2003 All-GLIAC First-Team performer and FSU's Most Valuable Defensive Lineman paced all conference linemen in tackles with 9.9 tackles per outing. He placed sixth nationally in solo tackles (6.4 avg.), 25th in tackles for loss (1.7 avg.), 31st in forced fumbles (0.3 avg.), 33rd in pass sacks (0.7 avg.) and 43rd in total tackles (9.9 avg.).

Bell has garnered 185 tackles (113 solos) with 35 stops for a loss of 150 yards in 36 career outings. He also has racked up 12.5 pass sacks for minus 74 yards to go along with three fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles, eight pass breakups and one interception for 13 yards during his three-plus year Bulldog career.

Ferris State, which is off to its best start since 1999, hosts the Findlay Oilers this Saturday (Oct. 2) night in a GLIAC tilt at FSU's Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids, Mich. A 7 p.m. (EDT) kickoff is scheduled for Ferris' fifth annual Hall of Fame game.