Award is based on football performance, scholarship, and leadership.

By Ronni Newton

(L-R): Gil Boisoneau from the National Football Foundation Northern Chapter, Ryan Bell, and Conard Head Football Coach Matt Cersosimo. Courtesy photo

Ryan Bell, a senior at West Hartford’s Conard High School, learned Tuesday that he has been selected as recipient of the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award.

Bell was starting quarterback as a junior and was one of the Conard football team captains last fall. He did not have much opportunity to play in 2014 due to a season-ending knee injury requiring surgery sustained early in the first game, and said he was definitely surprised to receive the honor. He recalled Conard tight end Cole Stabnick earning the honor last year, but said it was “not even on the radar.”

Bell said that his parents found out several days in advance and kept it a secret, so he was completely surprised when he was met by Gil Boisoneau from the National Football Foundation and Conard Head Coach Matt Cersosimo in Principal Julio Duarte’s office.

“I’m very excited and very humbled to receive the award,” said Bell. “I credit a lot of it to my coaches, Rob and Matt Cersosimo.”

“After I realized I won, I didn’t feel like I had completely earned it … it was really the guys on the field who made me look good,” Bell said. Although he was unable to play as a senior, Bell attended and helped out at all practices and on the sidelines during games. He is thankful to a “good group of receivers and linemen” who he was able to work with when he was starting quarterback his junior year.

Bell is one of only 16 football student-athletes to receive the award from the Northern Chapter this year. The criteria include football performance, academic achievement, and school leadership.

Bell has earned all-conference and all-conference academic honors in football. He is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Spanish and Latin Honor Societies, is an AP Scholar, and has earned high honors every semester at Conard according to a press release from the athletic department.

Bell looks forward to playing football next fall in the Liberty League at Division III University of Rochester next fall. He said he’s considering science and engineering, maybe bio-medical engineering, as a major. “Hopefully pre-med,” he said.

At least one Conard student has earned the national Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award every year since 1997. Recent recipients include Cole Stabnick (2014), Owen Dawson (2013), Matt Redman (2012), and both Jonathan Esposito and Reid Gustafson (2011). Hall senior Matt Houpert earned the honor in 2014.

Bell will be honored at a banquet May. Honorees also have their names listed at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, IN.

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford!