College Football News – Guilford’s De’Eric Bell Named To Preseason All-America Team

MINNEAPOLIS – Guilford College senior running back De’Eric Bell (Jackson, Ga./Jackson) was selected to the D3football.com 2018 Preseason All-America Team Monday. Bell, a two-time All-America kick returner, was the first-team return specialist.

DeEric Bell - Guildford 2018

The website selected three teams of preseason all-stars for the first time this year. A total of 75 students representing 52 institutions were honored.

Bell, who also earned 2018 preseason All-America laurels from Lindy’s Sports and College Football America Yearbook, was a D3football.com First Team All-America all-purpose back in 2017 and a third-team honoree in 2015. As a redshirt junior in 2017, Bell earned his third All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) commendation after compiling a Division III-best 221.1 all-purpose yards per game. He also led the nation in kick-return touchdowns (3) and combined kick-return yards (1.043). Bell ranked second in the land with a 30.8 kickoff-return average, second-best in school history, and fourth with a Guilford-record 831 kickoff return yards. He led Guilford rushers for the third time in four years with 884 yards, which moved him into third place on the Quakers’ career rushing chart with 2,879 yards.

Bell set the school record for all-time rushing scores (32) in 2017 and needs 25 points and five touchdowns to set Guilford’s career records. He also owns school standards for career kickoff-return yards (1,838) and career all-purpose yards (6.237).

Coach Chris Rusiewicz’s Quakers open preseason training camp August 8. The team could return as many as 78 letter winners and 11 starters from last year’s 5-5 unit (3-3 ODAC), including Bell. Guilford opens the season at home September 1 at 1:00 p.m. versus 2017 NCAA Division III playoff participant Huntingdon College.