Today’s “Streaks Alumni Profile” features Kurt Bell from the GHS Class of 1981.
Kurt was a tremendous three-sport athlete at Galesburg- playing football, basketball, and track. He went onto to play football at Indiana State University.
In football, Kurt was a key player on a team that won the WB6, went 8-2, and lost to Belleville East in the play-offs. In basketball, he started on a team that was one game from the Sweet 16. The Streaks lost to IVC in the Sectional championship at Robertson Fieldhouse.
It is pretty impressive to be a key player on two championship level teams like Kurt was as a senior at GHS. As successful as he was as an athlete, the most impressive thing about Kurt has been his humility and his commitment to a “team-first” attitude. When one of the most talented players on a team are more worried about the team than about themselves- you really have a good thing going. And with Kurt Bell, Galesburg had a good thing going!!
Favorite classes/teachers at GHS
Mr. Maurizi -Biology
Mr. Self – Physics
Mr. Deimer – Rhetoric
Mrs. O’Neil – English
Mr. Moore – History
Coach Kane and Coach Allison – football
Coach Swanson – basketball
The entire coaching staff all three years of football and basketball
Sidebar - Unbelievably blessed to have all of those men coach me in a sport and how to be an adult. They collaborated very well together, worked us hard and it was always team first. I didn’t realize how rare that situation was until I grew older.
What are some of your favorite memories from GHS years on and off the court?
Sophomore football season when all three schools came together with Bill Allison
Playing three years of football with great guys that I never wanted to disappoint
Sitting in the football locker room with great teammates
Playing for the conference football championship on a Saturday in the Rocky Bowl senior year
Beating Moline on a blocked field goal at home in football junior year
Winning the conference as an undefeated team in football senior year
Beating Quincy in basketball in Theil gym junior year
Going deeper in the state playoffs than people thought we would senior year of basketball
Playing in the Holiday basketball tournament in Bloomington
Loved sitting in Mr. Diemer’s class, that was a college experience in HS
What are you most proud of from your GHS career?
Being a good teammate
Share some of your college experiences?
Majored in Business Management
Played 5 years of football at Indiana State
Started 47 games
Moved from TE to Outside LB
1983 and 1984 teams were ranked to 5 in 1AA
Played in the playoffs in ’83 and ‘84
Played “money games” against Maryland, Florida and Kansas
Academic All-American four years
First Team all-conference two years
Went back to get my Masters after working two years and was a GA
What have you done for a career?
Started out in manufacturing at Aristokraft cabinets in southern Indiana
Worked as a consultant with Anderson Consulting
Got back into manufacturing at HUI (metal fabrication) when we moved to Wisconsin
Worked my way up and became President and Owner
Side Hustle for 20 years: High school assistant football coach
Think I will get back into high school coaching
Do more landscaping around the house and biking
What are you up to these days in terms of career and family?
Married for 35 years with five grown children
Learning to become a grandpa with two granddaughters
Transitioning out of HUI now, am semi-retired doing a fair amount of mentoring both business and life
Doing a fair amount of travelling to children, friends and Europe
Advice to today’s Streaks athletes?
Outwork everyone you are playing with and competing against
Practice is much more important than games
Take the coaching, you will get more of it
Understand that it isn’t about the sport, it is about bigger more important things
Learning to work
Learning to listen
Learning to be a good teammate
Learning to be disciplined
Learning to own your weakness and improve them
Learning to be “Built for others”
Learning to compete, win and fail properly
Learning that it isn’t about you
Learning to acknowledge your “Have-to’s” and minimizing your “Want to’s”
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