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10 Questions with Le'Veon Bell

Do you love a game where you can just keep pounding the ball on the ground, old school type of football?
As a runner it's something you always want to be able to do. The offensive line looks forward to it. The running backs look forward to it. The coaches look forward to it. When you are able to go out there and display your dominance and it's a great feeling for the team.

Can you carry what could be a heavy load?
I have been training for this, I prepared for it. It's something I did in college. I even did it last year. It's something I have been preparing for and I am ready for.**

How much can you handle?**

Enough for us to win the game. How many carries I need to have for us to win the game, or how many touches I need to have, I am always prepared. I am a competitor and I want to make sure we win.

Do you have to be careful, be smart about taking hits?
I feel like that is something that becomes instinctive. It's something you have to naturally know, but you can become better at too. In my second year I have become better at not taking hits. In the Titans game there was a run where I broke up the sideline and instead of taking an extra hit I went out of bounds just to take the extra hit off my body. I am able to get out of the way of tackles, not trying to get hit square, and not take a booming hit. I can get pulled down, or thrown down every now and then. That is fine. But getting hit directly, my shoulders or my legs, those are the kinds of hits I want to avoid.

What do you see when you are waiting for the ball to be snapped?
It depends on the play call. If it's a pass I am looking at the people in pass protection. If I have a route I am looking at the man I have to beat or the zone I have to beat. If it's a run I am looking at the down linemen and the linebackers, I am looking at the rotating safety. There are a lot of things that go on. It all depends on the play call. **

The top photos of running back Le'Veon Bell.

What's that feeling like when a hole opens up on the offensive line and you see daylight? What goes through your mind?**

Just run. Don't get tackled. Just run, especially when you get a big hole and there are only one or two guys to beat. That is your opportunity to think maybe I can score on this one. Every time I get in the open field I try to score. That is what goes through my head.Talk about your offensive line. How much are they are part of your success?

Those guys are absolutely amazing and only continue to get better. We have a young group and those guys have been working together all year this year. There hasn't been too much shuffling on the offensive line. They have been working well together. We are getting the chemistry going, we are on the same page. That is the biggest part when it comes to the run game.
Others have described you as a franchise running back. What is it like to hear that and do you think of yourself that way?

It's a great feeling. I just have to continue to do what I have been doing. I am glad everybody is giving me recognition and things like that. I just feel like I need to continue to grow and get better out there.
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What is it like to hear some of the comparisons people are making, such as Jerome Bettis calling you a combination of Walter Payton and Roger Craig?**

That is great to hear that comparison. I can't say I am like any of those guys. It's a great honor to hear another running back say that who has watched those guys play. Those are names you grew up hearing so it's a humbling thing.
Do you like it when you have the opportunity to mix it, running and being part of the passing game?

Catching the ball out of the back field, running routes, I love it. I remember growing up I always wanted to play receiver. But my size and body type I was more of a running back. I always loved it when I was catching the ball. I just want to be the most complete player, running the ball, catching the ball and blocking.

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