Football

Bert Bell: NFL Commissioner

Whether quarterback of the Quakers, or owner of the Eagles, or commissioner of the NFL, Bert Bell always led his team to new heights.
 
As Penn’s quarterback, he guided the Quakers to their only Rose Bowl appearance, when they faced Oregon in 1917. He then went on to buy the Frankford Yellowjackets of the NFL along with his brothers, re-naming the team the Philadelphia Eagles, who played at Penn’s Franklin Field from 1958-70.
 
After watching his Eagles suffer several losing seasons, Bell came up with a novel concept to help level the playing field – a process by which the team that finished last would have the first opportunity to select the best college football player. Thus, the NFL Draft was born.
 
Bell, however, was not finished molding the National Football League. He was voted Commissioner in 1946 and went on to oversee the merger between the NFL and the All-America Football Conference, bringing the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts into the fold. As commissioner, Bell also accomplished the following:
  • Created sudden death overtime
  • Placed night games on television
  • Established long-term broadcasting policies and oversaw broadcasting agreements with CBS and NBC
  • Added officials’ timeouts for television
  • Improved player salaries and recognized the NFL Players Association
  • Authorized the addition of the Pro Bowl
  • Established a rule banning any NFL associated personnel from betting on a game
All of his accomplishments as commissioner helped make the NFL what it is today, and Bell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame posthumously in 1963. Every year the Maxwell Club, which Bell founded, honors the NFL player of the year with the Bert Bell Award.
Throughout the 2019 season, the Ivy League will celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football (CFB150) with 150 consecutive days of original content illustrating the League’s storied tradition, modern success and continued impact on the game. Follow @IvyLeague or visit ivylg.co/Ivy150 for daily content updates through regional rivalry weekend on Saturday, Nov. 23.