Hamilton is a holy Grail for the running back, and the milestone Greg Bell first closes as a professional football player.
This season, the six-foot 200-funt bell ran 837 yards (the average 5.7 yard), its first as a clall starter. If Bell can an average of 55 yards, rushing at the last three contests of the Hamilton regular season, he will hack the plateau for the first time since 2021 in 1000-yard.
“This is very important,” Bell said on Thursday. “I have to pay tribute to my offensive line, without them I would not be close to getting it.
“This is very important for all of us in this room.”
James Batler (1116 yards in 2023) was the last 1000-yard Rusher Hamilton. Before him, Deandra Cobb did this in 2009 and 10 (11203 and 1173, respectively).
“Greg hit early, so for him and us a little slowly that he was attacked,” said Scott Milanovich, head coach of Hamilton/offensive coordinator. “But I think that the last five or six weeks, you can see how he caught his groove, and he plays well, both on the run and in the game.”
Bell hacked 1000 yards three times compared to his career in college-1187 yards and 1217 yards in 2016-17, respectively, in Arizona West, and then registered 1091 yards in 2021 in San Diego. But this turned out to be much more difficult.
Being a 22 -year -old NFL, a contract with Detroit lions, who was admitted in the NFL draft, but spent all this season in an injured reserve with the disease of the pod -shaped tendon before he was released in July 2023. Soon after, he joined the Pittsburgh Stylers and was ultimately added to the training list before he was released on October 3, 2023.
Bell signed a contract with Hamilton in March 2024. After the start of last season as part of training, Bell saw an action in eight games, rushing at 625 yards (an average of 6.6 yards) with six landings, adding 29 catches for 230 yards and landing.
Hamilton released Batler on January 9, and he quickly joined the lions of British Colombia. Batler is currently leading a clock in a hurry with 1061 yards.
The defender of Tikat Bo Levy Mitchell said that Bell's improvement was impressive throughout the season.
“At the beginning of the year there were some slides when you were disappointed, because you are finally the main back, and you do not compete for this,” Mitchell said. “I think he wanted to prove himself at the early stage, but I feel that our attack really developed as it developed.
“17 weeks have passed, where it is almost 1000 yards. It took me 13 years old, so it is very impressive for him. ”
Bell is currently the sixth in CFL rushing, but ran 474 yards (average 6.8 yards) and two TD in the last four games of Hamilton. The 27-year-old California admits that he enjoys a return to the 1000-Yard Club.
“Definitely,” he said. “This will mean all hard work in the offseason, and paid off during the season.
“I think I have a decent year, but I know that I can do more, honestly. But this is not the most important thing, the goal is to win, we are trying to win. ”
Hamilton (9-6) is the first in the eastern division, two points ahead of the second place of Montreal (8-7). Tikata visit the Argonauts in Toronto (5-9) on Saturday afternoon, while Alueters are inactive.
With the victory, Hamilton will eliminate the archives of Toronto – the current champion of Gray -Cup – from a dispute in the play -off. But it is more important that Bell and Tikats resume its victorious ways after the gloomy loss of the road by 40-3 last week 40-3 bombers of Vinnipeg Blue Bombers.
“We became soft at every stage and received dominance, so we can learn many lessons,” Bell said. “We must leave this week and play much stronger and get victory.”
Hamilton costs the seventh in CFL rushing (94.3 yards per game), but in each of the four competitions it hacked a 100-fair mark. And for Milanovich, a ground attack acquires additional importance at the end of the season and during the play -off.
“When you are trying to run in the play -off season, I always feel that in one game something is turned off,” he said. “Whether it is elements, perhaps your game does not work, maybe this is a game with the wind where you can run football to win.
“That's why I think this is important that it all begins and be able to have some balance.”
This report of the Canadian press was first published on October 2, 2025.
