BERT BELL
MEMORIAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
MEMORIAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
Art Rooney, George Halas, Charles Bidwell, Tim Mara, and Marshall are the names that laid the foundation for what we now know as The National Football League. But Bert Bell is the name that laid the foundation for these men to come together to be the brain trust of the NFL. Bert Bell, native Philadelphian, 1916 quarterback for the Penn Quakers who made the only trip in the schools history to the Rose Bowl - and the first commissioner of the National Football League, established the foundation of the NFL right in Narberth, Pennsylvania. Bell is known by history and those that knew and loved him as the godfather of the National Football League. He established the groundwork for the merger between the All America Football Conference, and then later on for the final merger between the American Football Conference and the National Football League. He had the vision in the mid 1950's to create opportunities for football to get national exposure through television, which inevitably changed the course of the game, laying the ground work for the media phenoms we see on television today. He owned the Philadelphia Eagles and had part ownership with Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers up until his death on October 11, 1959 at Franklin Field. He had a massive heart attack while watching the Eagles play. The Bert Bell Memorial Football Conference was founded, chartered and incorporated in 1962 in commemoration of the late great Bert Bell. The league was established to further the ideals of the game of football at the school level. Its general purpose is to strive to equip boys and girls with the mechanical skills, physical conditioning and mental attitude necessary for the pursuance of the game at the high school and collegiate levels. Also, to teach through supervision and by example, the principles of sportsmanship and fair play without undo emphasis on winning or losing. This program shall be implemented in such a way as to make no sacrifice to scholastic achievement. Contrarily, it shall be the purpose to teach participants that eligibility for athletic activity is based on satisfactory performance in the classroom. The Bert Bell Memorial Football Conference is a certified 501c3 non-profit organization as recognized by the IRS.
We would like to add that we encourage all teams to provide flag teams for the 5 and 6 year olds. In addition, our Cheerleading programs and its competition had been growing rapidly. It is our mission to manage the flag and Cheerleading squads under the same vision and mission statement established by the Bert Bell Board of Directors.
Billy Mayo - Commissioner
Pat Tesche - Secretary
Jack McKenna - Director
Sandy Barrow - Director
Steve Goetz - Director
John Kiefel - General Counsel
