Mike Bell's climb up the corporate ladder happened much faster than anyone could have anticipated. 

Number one on the depth chart, number one in Broncos fans' hearts. 

So long Ron Dayne.  Goodbye Tatum Bell.

But who is this Mike Bell guy?  Where did he come from? 

I mean it's not typical for a player to come out of nowhere and steal the most coveted running back job in the entire NFL. 

So I went on a search to find out who this guy really is.  Like all self-respecting Americans in need of information, I googled him. 

Turns out that didn’t do much for me.  My “Mike Bell” search turned up a lot of Mike Bell’s as you might imagine. 

However, I did dig up some vital statistics.  It turns out Bell is a 23-year old, undrafted free agent, out of the University of Arizona who almost gave up football when he was passed over in this year’s draft.

His career at the U of A was impressive, but not spectacular.  In three seasons from 2003 to 2005, Bell rushed for 920, 950, and 952 yards respectively.  Not exactly marked improvement from year to year.

But besides his college stats and some other particulars (height, weight, and hometown) my online search left me left me with very little.

So I called down to Tucson to get the scoop on this guy.

After talking with a couple of reporters, I discovered that the people down there were just as surprised as we were about Bell’s meteoric rise to starter.

I asked why?

To a man they said he lacked toughness and was injury prone.  They characterized him as a “little soft,” and that he lacked focus and concentration at times.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

So I asked about his talent.

Not an issue they assured me.  Both said he had the talent to play in the league.

That’s all I needed to hear.  If we know one thing about Mike Shanahan it’s that he has a way of getting guys to play for him, and if they don’t they’re gone (see Lelie, Ashley).

So maybe not getting drafted was the wake up call Bell needed.  A little humble pie can be useful for these guys every once in a while.      

Regardless, the guy’s been flat getting it done out at camp, and that’s what matters.

It doesn’t matter what he’s done in the past.  It matters what he’s about to do.

We still don’t know a lot about Mike Bell, but one thing we do know – Friday night in Detroit the Mike Bell era begins.  It will be fun to see how long it lasts.