Jason Licht's dad helps Bucs with fifth-round pick Matt Baker, Times Staff Writer May 2, 2015 8:19pm
Kenny Bell, caught 21 touchdowns and left Nebraska as the program's all-time leader in catches (181) and receiving yards (2,689). No offensive player in the Huskers' storied history started more games than Bell (49). [Getty Images]TAMPA — General manager Jason Licht was in the Bucs war room during Saturday's fifth round of the NFL draft when he showed coach Lovie Smith a text from his father.Ron Licht, a University of Nebraska season-ticket holder since 1962, lobbied his son to draft Kenny Bell, the Huskers' all-time leading receiver. Licht, a former Nebraska walk-on, didn't need much convincing."That was easy," he said. "We turned the card in right then."As Licht and the Bucs know, Bell has a sterling football resume and pedigree.The 6-foot-1, 197-pound athlete caught 21 touchdowns and left Nebraska as the program's all-time leader in catches (181) and receiving yards (2,689). No offensive player in the Huskers' storied history started more games than Bell (49).When Licht called Bell on Saturday, he told the 23-year-old that he simply wanted to talk Huskers football, before eventually telling him he was joining the Bucs as the No. 162 overall pick."He was just pulling my chain a little bit," Bell said. "I'm really excited to get down there and meet him."Bell has some other ties to the Bucs. The Boulder, Colo., native counts Bucs tight end coach (and former University of Colorado coach) Jon Embree as a close family friend, and Bell was a college teammate of Tampa Bay linebacker Lavonte David.Bell's dad, Ken, spent four years as a return specialist with the Broncos, and his ties to that organization gave Bell his first glimpse of professional football years ago."It means everything to me to be able to follow my dad's footsteps," Bell said. "Obviously I'm very excited to be a Buccaneer. To get to follow his footsteps into the NFL is something I have dreamed about since I was very, very young."Bell's skills and production gave him that opportunity. He was the seventh-fastest receiver at the combine and later impressed the Bucs by running a 4.3-second 40-yard dash. He played on special teams at Nebraska, serving as a gunner on punts and leading the Big Ten with 26.5 yards per kickoff return in 2013.Licht said Bell fits as an outside receiver but has also played inside. Bell will try to complement 6-foot-5 targets Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, and Licht thinks he could eventually develop into a starter.Bell said he has looked up to Jackson for years and was a fan of Evans at Texas A&M, so he's excited to be working alongside them soon. "I can't really explain how excited I am to be a Buccaneer," Bell said. "It's a dream come true, to say the least."Contact Matt Baker at mbaker@tampabay.com. Follow @MBakerTBTimes.
