Out in the bustling, second-floor concourse of the Aurora Mall, the legacy of Tatum Bell is very much alive.
A few times a week, people stop by the Mobile Solutions kiosk not necessarily to buy a cellphone or unlimited family plan ($49.99 per additional line/month), but to see for themselves where the Broncos’ starting tailback worked just six weeks ago. Once assured they had the right place, the curious were quickly lured into customers.
As manager of the kiosk from mid-September to mid-November, Bell taught his people well.
“The funny thing is, you watch the Broncos game and people tell his story about selling cellphones and they make it sound like a bad thing,” said Danny Perry, market director for Mobile Solution. “What people don’t realize is this is a very lucrative company.”
Yes, but few jobs pay better than the NFL. As quickly as Bell adapted to the world of sales, he rediscovered nothing strengthens the job security of a Broncos tailback more than staying healthy.
The team has lost seven running backs to season-ending injuries. What Smash and Dash is to Carolina, the Smashed Seven is to Denver.
Anthony Alridge went down after one spectacular preseason game. The season started with Selvin Young, Michael Pittman and Andre Hall sharing the Broncos’ tailback position. All are down. Rookies Ryan Torain and Peyton Hillis enjoyed fleeting moments of fame. Both are finished for the season.
P.J. Pope had a nice first series last week in a 30-23 loss to Buffalo. He ripped his hamstring on the first play of the second series. Bell has become the eighth wonder of the Broncos’ backfield.
Besides Bell, who two months ago successfully applied for his cellphone position through , the Broncos have Cory Boyd, who two weeks ago was deemed “not ready” by coach Mike Shanahan to play tailback in their monumental Sunday night game at San Diego. The Broncos also added fullback/tailback Alex Haynes, who was cut five weeks ago.
Against the Bell and Boyd tandem, the Chargers will counter with LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles. The winner will host the Indianapolis Colts the following week in a first-round AFC playoff game. The loser will be finished.
“Prime time? Ooo-wee,” Bell said. “Can’t wait. This will be my first prime time game since I’ve been back.”
It’s a long run from the soft lighting of the Aurora Mall where hour after hour, Bell worked directly outside The Disney Store. Only this time, the fantasy of playing in the NFL turned to the reality of a regular work week.
Strange thing is, the NFL prepared Bell for the real world more than people might think. More than in the corporate world, the NFL does not tolerate tardiness. At Dove Valley, there is no attendance line for kids to call in sick.
“An 18-year-old kid, who we typically have working for us, it’s not a big deal showing up late,” Perry said. “The discipline he brought from the NFL is what we were looking for and that’s what made him a better candidate than other people. What he brought to the company is he taught a lot of these younger kids is life isn’t always what you think it’s going to be and no matter what you do, you have to be humble about it and do what you need to do to survive.”
There are no back rooms in a kiosk for employees to hide, not that Bell would have it.
“Bronco players would come by and I didn’t duck my head,” Bell said. “When I first went looking for a job, I was just looking for some spending money. But once I got the knack of it, I enjoyed it.”
There will come a day when the NFL no longer needs Bell — and it happens to them all — but he can always get his job back at Mobile Solutions. Perry said in the month before Bell was hired, his kiosk showed a net profit of $30,000 a month. In the final month under Bell’s command, the store netted $50,000.
“I mean, he didn’t want to sell cellphones,” Perry said. “It was embarrassing for Tatum. But what he told me in the interview was, ‘I have kids. I have a family. I’ve got to be a good person. I’ve got to get a job.’ His character was outstanding. He had a lot of impact.”
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.
