Former Illini Kameno Bell Displays Heroism Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Former Illinois Fighting Illini running back Kameno Hill (‘89-‘91) is now taking on the virus that has put the country on lock-down.

Bell’s versatility during his college years proves to have paid off as he is currently an Emergency Medicine Physician at New Jersey's Hackensack University Medical Center.  

Chicago Tribune’s Shannon Ryan tells Bell’s story of balancing Division 1 college football and studying Pre-Med at the University of Illinois.

As a preferred walk-on for the Fighting Illini, Bell’s ultimate goal was to become a doctor, Ryan explains.  Though football wasn’t Bell’s primary focus, he was able to make a positive impact on the team.  It required patience, but that eventually paid off as he finally became a starter his Senior season.

During his Senior year, Bell rushed for 664 yards on 140 attempts, averaging nearly 5 yards per carry.  Bell also reached the endzone 8 times on the season.

“He was one of those guys who you just know is going to continue maximizing his opportunities. I don’t know if everyone is able to do that. He’s a person who did that and continues to do that,” Bell’s former teammate Howard Griffith tells the Chicago Tribune.

Bell does, indeed, continue to maximize his opportunities to this day.  

Ryan explains the former Illini’s grueling eight to twelve hour shifts, which consist of caring for COVID-infected patients and constantly changing in and out of protective gear.  This gear includes a fitted-helmet.  Bell describes the process of the constant changing of equipment as “exhausting”.

Bell shares how his experiences on the football field helped prepare him for this crisis.  “I don’t mind working hard. If I don’t succeed initially, I don’t quit. My persistence is probably my best quality, and that was learned and honed in competition in sports,” Bell tells the Chicago Tribune.

Bell’s versatility, hard work, and determination have sculpted him into one of America’s heroes during these unprecedented times.