Bell Realizing His Season Could Be Over

Jason Bell, a starting cornerback the first two games, is finally conceding he probably won’t play again this season because of a sore heel that has turned his senior season into months of waiting and frustration.

Bell will not say for sure that he will redshirt and return for a fifth year of eligibility in 2000, but he also acknowledges there is little chance of returning this season. The most recent update he received from doctors was that he would be out until mid-November, which means, if that timetable holds, he would make it back for the Nov. 20 regular-season finale against USC and possibly Nov. 13 against Washington.

But little has held true with Bell and timetables. He underwent surgery in the spring to remove bone spurs from his left heel and missed drills then, but was supposed to be back in time for fall practice. He did participate in August, but only on a limited basis, then played through the first two games of the season in pain.

That forced him out for good. Bell has been limping ever since, and is coming to accept his likely fate.

“Basically, if this doesn’t heal miraculously today or the next day or whatever, then I’ve got to accept that,” he said this week of the likelihood of redshirting.

“I don’t want to say that I’ve accepted that. But, yeah, kind of. If I was ready to play, I would this week. But I’ve accepted that if that’s the way it is and that I’m not going to play with it the way it is, then I will come back and play next year. I know I could do that. I just want to get back on the field and play again.”

Bell said he is at about 65%. The encouraging part, for Bell and a Bruin secondary searching for help, is that it is an improvement from three or four weeks ago. But it also means he still has a long way to go.

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The Bruins, who use alignments with three tight ends and play all four each game, may be down to just two Saturday at Oregon State. Fourth-string Mike Seidman is out because of a sprained shoulder and part-time starter Bryan Fletcher is questionable because of a strained groin. That leaves Gabe Crecion and Randy Hakes. . . . In an unusual move, but one that indicated his mood, Coach Bob Toledo did not name a player of the game on offense, defense or special teams for the 17-0 loss to Cal. “This has been our worst performance since I’ve been here,” he said.