Priceville High senior Nick Bell is flanked by his parents, Randy and Nicole Bell, as he signed a letter of intent to play football at Faulkner University on Feb. 6. His coaches, standing from left, are Chris Odom, Scott Miller II, Josh Sawyer, head coach Dirk Strunk, Shane Newton, Chad Kelsoe and Ben Estes. | Clif Knight

Priceville High School senior Nick Bell signed a letter of intent to play football for Faulkner University in Montgomery on Feb. 6.

The signing took place in the school library with his coaches, family members and teammates on hand to offer him their congratulations, encouragement and support.

They included his parents, Randy and Nicole Bell, sister Alexis Bell and grandmothers Ruby Travis and Rita Bell. He also has twin siblings, Ethan and Elizabeth, fifth graders at Priceville Elementary School.

“This is a happy time for me,” Bell said. “I’d hoped for a long time that I would be able to play football at the college level, and now I’m ready to go play. I liked everything I saw when I visited the campus – the coaches, the athletic facilities and the academic program.”

He said he will enroll next August but has not yet decided on a career field to pursue.

Bell is an honor student who has excelled in all facets of the game since he became a starter as a sophomore.

As a senior, he had 40 catches for 804 yards and 16 touchdowns as a wide receiver, 30 tackles and four interceptions as a safety, 25 kickoff returns for 500 yards and two touchdowns and two touchdowns, a 40-yard punting average and touchbacks on 85 percent of his kickoffs.

“He has done all we asked him to do and more,” said head coach Dirk Strunk. “He’s a special player and an outstanding your man—a leader and a great representative of our school and community. I’m certain he’s going to do well in college and I’m sure some of us will be going to Montgomery to see him play.”

“He’s teachable, coachable and has a lot of raw talent rolled into one package,” said receivers coach Scott Miller II. “Plus, he’s faster than what you see on a videotape.”

“It was almost automatic anytime he was asked to do something on special teams,” said special teams coach Ben Estes. “He made our job a lot easier.”