Born in Houston, Bell moved to Los Angeles at age eleven and starred in football at its John C. Fremont High School.

Originally a linebacker,[4] Bell first attracted notice during his sophomore season at USC in 1974 as a great blocker and between-the-tackles runner, sharing the position of fullback with David Farmer for the 10–1–1 national championship team (UPI) that defeated third-ranked Ohio State 18–17 in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

Despite suffering nagging injuries that limited his playing time, Bell set the USC single-game rushing record of 347 yards against Washington State at the new Kingdome;[5][6] he was the runner-up for the Heisman, behind Tony Dorsett of Pittsburgh, the national champions.

He led the Buccaneers to their first playoff win in franchise history that season by rushing for 142 yards on 38 carries and scoring two touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The team fell one game short of a trip to Super Bowl XIV, ending their season by losing to the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC championship.

He was survived by his wife, Natalia; his 10-year-old son, Ricky Jr., a 3-year-old daughter, Noell, his mother, Ruth, and brothers Archie, Lee, and Jerry Bell.