Hi - I am originally from Rome, Georgia - Floyd county. Graduate of Main high school and Tennessee State Univ in Nashville. I lived in Akron Ohio from 1965 - 1984 and 1989-2004. Big Bill Bell as he is know in Akron played for Akron North High school and was Ohio State's first black all big ten and all american. If you examine Michael Hurd's book 100 years of black college football you will find a photo of Coach Bell kneeling while Florida A & M's head coach with his 3 assistants - one of whom isthe great A.S. Jake Gaither. One of his linemen at FAMU was Howard Gentry - Gentry of Columbus Ohio was recruited to FAMU by Bell, and followed him to North Carolina A &T as an assistance. Gentry coached Tenn State and was Athletic director at TSU. The Basketball Area at TSU is named after Gentry.
Many of the Bell's still reside in Akron.
My family's relatives are Branhams, Montgomerys, Butlers, Greens, Finleys, Harpers, Fielders.