He was a six-time AFL All-Star and five-time First-team All-AFL selection. He was named to the AFL All-Time Team and the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team. Bell was a three time NFL Pro Bowl selection and a first-team All-Pro selection in 1970. He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and his #78 has been retired by the Kansas City Chiefs. After he retired from football he opened up Bobby Bell’s Bar-b-que in Kansas City.