Who Is This FL HS Legend? Kerwin Bell/Mayo

[OldSchoolLion]

Who is he and what position did he play?

Where did he play in hs and college?

Where does he now coach?

[badbird]

Kerwin Bell  Mayo/UF

currently looking for a job as staff was fired from USF

[Perspective]

Yep, that's the Throwing Mayoan. 

[badbird]

cost my dad his first state title.  Beat them 13-10 in the semi finals and then beat Frostproof 25-8 in the finals.  Walked on to UF

[OldSchoolLion]

Kerwin Bell lead his hs team from Mayo (Lafayette County) to a state title in 1981.  He was told he did not have the talent to play in D1, but he tried out for the University of Florida football team as a walk-on, a player without a scholarship, in 1983. He began his Gator career as the eighth string quarterback, a redshirt freshman.  

A year later Kerwin was the Gator starting quarterback, got his scholarship, and went on to become that year's Southeast Conference Player of the Year.  By the time he finished his career at the University of Florida he had become the conference's all-time leading passer with over 7,500 yards.  

When Kerwin began his career as a Gator, the Tampa Bay Buccaneer quarterback was Jack Thompson, who had been born in American Samoa. Ever since Jack's college days he was known as the Throwin' Samoan.  Since Kerwin was from Mayo Florida it was only fitting that he became the Throwin' Mayoan.  

Kerwin had a fine professional football career in Canada, and in the World League in America with the Orlando Thunder. After his playing days were over, he coached high school football for a time in Ocala, was the head football coach at Jacksonville University and Valdosta State.  His latest position was as offensive coordinator at USF.

[shredstar]

He did a great job at JU, but they decided to run him off because no one could agree on things.  Maybe that mismanagement has a lot to do with why they decided to drop football at the end of this past season.

[Proseteye]

He was the first Head Coach of Varsity Football at Trinity Catholic HS in 2002 the school's 2nd year in existence. .

2002 4-6 HC Kerwin Bell
2003 6-5 HC Kerwin Bell District Runner-Up
2004 8-3 HC Kerwin Bell District Champions
2005 14-0 HC Kerwin Bell District Champions,Regional Champions,State Champions
2006 13-1 HC Kerwin Bell District Champions,Regional Champions,State Runner-Up

He was mostly responsible for mentoring QB John Brantley, Jr and helping him to become one of the best high school QBs in Florida. Bell also was able to bring very reliable and experienced assistants on board. I think that I was in the stands for every game that he coached. He was a disciplinarian who ran his teams like a military platoon and I got to the games very early just to watch how his teams marched on to the field and went through their warmups. Everyone wished that he had remained at Trinity. But, he had the opportunity to coach a college team and he made that a success also.