Kerwin Bell Kerwin Douglas Bell ( born June 15 , 1965 ) is an American college and professional football coach and former player who was a quarterback in the National Football League ( NFL ) , World League of American Football ( WLAF ) and the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) for fourteen seasons in the 1980s , 1990s and early 2000s . Bell played college football for the University of Florida , and thereafter , he played professionally for four NFL teams , one WLAF team and four CFL teams . He is the current head coach of the Jacksonville Dolphins college football team that represents Jacksonville University located in Jacksonville , Florida . Early life . Bell was born in Live Oak , Florida in 1965 . He attended Lafayette County High School in Mayo , where he was the quarterback of his high school football team and earned the nickname of " the throwin ' Mayoan . " College career . After graduating from high school , Bell attended the University of Florida in Gainesville , Florida , where he played quarterback for the Florida Gators football team under coach Galen Hall from 1983 to 1987 . Bell did not initially receive an athletic scholarship , but was a walk - on player who was initially the eighth quarterback on the Gators ' depth chart . He saw no playing time as a freshman in 1983 , and was redshirt ed by the coaching staff . Bell received his chance to become the Gators ' starting quarterback when all of the scholarship quarterbacks ahead of him transferred or were injured prior to the start of the 1984 season , and finally became the primary signal caller when starter Dale Dorminey suffered a serious knee injury in practice just four days before the season opener against the defending national champion Miami Hurricanes . Behind the Gators ' outstanding offensive line , memorably dubbed " The Great Wall of Florida , " and which included Phil Bromley , Lomas Brown , Billy Hinson , Crawford Ker and Jeff Zimmerman , and supported by fullback John L . Williams , halfback Neal Anderson and wide receiver Ricky Nattiel , Bell made the most of his opportunity and led the Gators to a 9 – 1 – 1 seasons in 1984 , an SEC championship , and a top - 5 national ranking . However , due to NCAA infractions committed under coach Charley Pell , the Gators ' were ineligible for bowl consideration and their SEC championship was vacated months later . In 1985 , now with a full scholarship , Bell led the Gators to a second consecutive 9 - 1 - 1 record . The Gators also finished with best - in - the - conference records of 5 – 0 – 1 and 5 – 1 in 1984 and 1985 and held their first ever # 1 ranking in the AP poll during the season . Due to mainly to the effects of ongoing NCAA probations , the Gators ' record slipped to 6 - 5 in 1986 and 1987 , Bell ' s junior and senior seasons . A highlight of those campaigns was Florida ' s upset of the # 5 and undefeated Auburn Tigers in November 1986 . Bell had injured his knee the previous week and did not start the game . But with the Gators trailing 17 - 0 in the 4th quarter , he entered the contest wearing a large knee brace and led his team to a dramatic 18 - 17 comeback win , capped with a last - minute TD pass to Ricky Nattiel followed by Bell himself " hobbling " into the endzone for a successful 2 - point conversion . Bell was the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) Player of the Year in 1984 , an honorable mention All - American in 1985 and 1986 , a first - team All - SEC selection in 1985 , and the recipient of the Gators ' Fergie Ferguson Award and a team captain in 1987 . He finished his four - year college career with 549 completions on 949 passing attempts , for 7 , 585 yards and fifty - six touchdowns . Bell graduated from Florida with a bachelor ' s degree in psychology in 1987 , and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a " Gator Great " in 1997 . Among the top 100 Gators of the first 100 years of Florida football , the sportswriters of " The Gainesville Sun " ranked him the No . 26 greatest Gator of all time in 2006 . Professional career . Kerwin Bell had a well - traveled football career . He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round ( 180th pick overall ) of the 1988 NFL Draft , but did not play for the Dolphins . He spent part of 1989 as the Buccaneers ' third - team quarterback . He did play for the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Football . He threw for 2 , 214 yards in 1991 , but was a backup in 1992 when the Thunder went to the World Bowl . He began a seven - year Canadian Football League career in , with the Sacramento Gold Miners , part of the failed CFL expansion into the United States . As a back - up quarterback in 1993 , Bell threw for 296 yards , but his passing production increased to 1 , 812 yards in . Bell played for the Edmonton Eskimos in . In , Bell landed a roster spot with the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL , and in week 15 he entered the game against the Philadelphia Eagles . Bell attempted five passes and completed all of them , throwing for 75 yards and a touchdown on the day . He never again threw a pass in a regular season NFL game , leaving him with the highest career passer rating of any quarterback in NFL history . After spending the season with the Indianapolis Colts as a backup , Bell returned in with the Toronto Argonauts , and had his best professional year , throwing for 4 , 991 yards and completing 67 . 3 percent of his passes . He threw for 501 yards against Edmonton on September 26 , 1998 . Bell played in and with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers , but would return to the Argonauts for part of the and the seasons . Bell passed for 8 , 811 career yards in forty - six regular season games in Toronto . During his nine - season CFL career , Bell played in 126 regular season games , completed 1 , 560 passes in 2 , 558 attempts , and threw 101 touchdowns . Coaching career . Bell ' s coaching career started in 1990 , a year in which he was sidelined from his playing career while recovering from a knee injury . Bell spent the 1990 football season as a graduate assistant coach under Steve Spurrier in Spurrier ' s first season as head coach at the University of Florida . He resumed his playing career in 1991 and returned to coaching after retiring as an active player . Bell became the offensive coordinator for the Toronto Argonauts in . Afterward , he accepted a job as the head football coach of Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala , Florida . After Trinity Catholic won the 2006 Florida 2B state high school football championship , Bell was hired as head coach of the Jacksonville University football program in 2007 . In 2008 , he was recognized as the Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award after his Dolphins went 9 – 4 and won the league ' s championship .