In one of Volonte Bell’s first seasons as an assistant coach for the Chattanooga State men’s basketball program, the Tigers were struggling. Bell, fellow assistant Steve Cook and head coach Jay Price found themselves searching for answers when Bell came up with a suggestion.
He was going to ask his younger brother Vonn, then in his second season in the NFL as a defensive back for the New Orleans Saints, to come talk to the team. Vonn happened to be in town, doing some philanthropy work, but Cook didn’t think the former Ridgeland High School standout would be able to make it to Chattanooga State.
A day later, Vonn showed up and spoke to the team. The Tigers then went on a winning streak.
“That kind of told me (Volonte) had some big brother rank, and it also let me know that Vonn was willing to put himself on the back burner to be there for his brother,” Cook recalled recently. “He could have easily said, ‘I have to do this, I have to do that,’ but he really stopped what he was in town for to help his brother out and do something that his brother needed.
“That let me know there was respect there, there was love there, and I think more than anything, he appreciated the things that Volonte did for him, so he just wanted to give back in some way to his brother to show that he cared about him just as much.”