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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — He was truly just coming into his own — as a leader and as a playmaker — when suddenly Ronnie Bell found himself on the ground in Michigan’s season opener, unsure of what just happened. He had already scored a touchdown on a long catch-and-run, and he seemed ready to repeat his success just plays later on a punt return.
Then, catastrophe.
Something wasn’t right, Bell learned as he started getting up after being tackled from behind. He wasn’t sure in the moment, because at first he thought it was just a minor tweak. However, it wasn’t so, of course, as that ended up being his final play in the 2021 season.
Bell shared what that was like to limited media at a private event at the Shinola store in downtown Ann Arbor, describing the moment he sustained his ACL injury.
“I just remember knowing I was about to score!” Bell said. “And somebody ended up getting me from behind and it was real awkward. From everything I understand, I hyperextended my knee backwards but when my knee shot out, that’s what hurt everything in my leg. Stuff happens. I couldn’t really control that as I was getting tackled. When it happened, I honestly just thought I hyperextended my knee, because I’ve done that a couple times — throughout life, or whatever. I really didn’t think much of it. I was on the ground and it didn’t hurt, but when I got up to walk away, that was when I couldn’t put no weight on my leg and I was just like, ‘Wait a second.'”
Naturally, Bell doesn’t have a particular grasp on the events as they happened — from his injury on the field to his prognosis — but soon learned he wasn’t going to get good news.
“I don’t even know — it all happened so abruptly,” Bell said. “I heard the doctor, whoever was out there, whoever was touching on my leg talked about my ACL. I think I heard Coach or somebody say it. My eyes were closed for so long, when I opened my eyes, I saw my dad and you can just kind of read the room. And this was all — not real.”
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Bell had his surgical repairs done eight weeks ago now and is walking around without crutches. He’s doing rehabilitation every single day while also staying actively involved in the state of the offense and the team.
While he will be able to start working out soon, he won’t be a full go come spring ball just yet, as he says he’ll be no-contact. But it’s one step at a time and one day at a time before it becomes one play at a time.
For now, he’s doing everything he’s asked to do in rehab and is looking forward to his next step, which will be jogging in about a month’s time.
“It’s going well. Last few weeks I’ve started doing normal things again,” Bell said. “Just feels good to not be on those crutches or braces or nothing like that no more.
“I get to start jogging Week 12. So, in a few more weeks I’ll be able to do more things. I really don’t know much, I just take it day-by-day and do what they tell me. Do whatever they have mapped out for me. I’d never got hurt, so I don’t know how any of it goes. So I’m just listening and learning and going — making the most of it.”
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