Joel Bell
Number65, 68, 73
Position 1Offensive tackle
Birth dateJuly 29, 1985 (age 41)
Birth placeCleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Height6 ft
Height in7
Weight lbs315
CollegeFurman
Undraftedyear2009
Playing team 1Buffalo Bills*
Playing years 2–
Playing team 2Saskatchewan Roughriders
Playing team 3Las Vegas Locomotives
Playing team 4Edmonton Eskimos
Career highlights
  • All-American FCS, Associated Press, Land Sports Network (2008)
  • Jacobs Blocking Trophy (2008)
  • College Sporting News FCS Fabulous 50 Team (2008)
  • 2× First-team All-SoCon (2007, 2008)
  • South Carolina All-State College Football Team (2007)
  • Second-team All-SoCon (2006)
  • SoCon Freshman of the Week vs. Hofstra (2005)

Joel Bell (born July 29, 1985) is an American former football offensive lineman. He signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2009.[1][2]

In 2004 Bell accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Furman University in Greenville, SC.[3] From 2006 to 2008 as left tackle, he captured All-Conference honors each year as well as All-American honors and the Jacobs Blocking Trophy his senior year.[4] Bell was also named to the 2007 South Carolina All-State Football Team and the 2008 College Sporting News FCS Fabulous 50 Team.[5][6] In 2009 Bell played in the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Classic and was invited to the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine.[7][8][9] After a short stint with the Buffalo Bills in 2009 where chronic injuries lead to Bell's release, he helped lead the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League to two back-to-back Grey Cup appearances.[10][11][12] In the 2011 UFL draft, Bell was chosen fifth overall by the Las Vegas Locomotives and helped the team to the championship game that year.[13][14] After suffering what would be a career ending injury, Bell spent the 2012 season on injury reserve with the Edmonton Eskimos.[15] Since finishing his football career, he has completed two master's degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and begun a doctorate from Christ Church, University of Oxford in Hebrew and Jewish Studies.[16]

References

  1. ^ "The Project: Joel Bell took the long road". Buffalo Bills. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  2. ^ Boyntoneric.boynton@shj.com, Eric. "Spartanburg product Bell gets 3-year deal with Bills". GoUpstate. Retrieved 2020-04-24.[dead link]
  3. ^ "Furman Football Signs 14 to National Letters-of-Intent"
  4. ^ "Furman's William Middleton and Joel Bell Land Sports Network First Team All-America Honors". Furman. 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  5. ^ "South Carolina All-State College Football Team: 6 repeat selections, all-conference players highlight annual exclusive gridiron squad"
  6. ^ "Furman, Georgia Southern Standouts Ink Deals With NFL Squads"
  7. ^ "2009 NFL Draft: Offensive Tackle Rankings". walterfootball.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  8. ^ "Joel Bell Photos Photos: 2009 NFL Scouting Combine Day 3". Zimbio. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  9. ^ "Furman's Bell Invited to NFL Scouting Combine"
  10. ^ "Bills release Costanzo, who's the odd man out in linebacker competition". NFL.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017.
  11. ^ "Als Storm Back to Win 97th Grey Cup". 29 November 2009.
  12. ^ "2010 Grey Cup Champions: Alouettes 21, Roughriders 18". 28 November 2010.
  13. ^ Brown, Rob. "Las Vegas Locomotives: Joel Bell Continues to Transition from CFL to UFL". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  14. ^ Tanier, Mike (22 October 2011). "A Struggling Football League Skips a Beat and Crowns a Champion". The New York Times
  15. ^ "Eskimos trim OL by three after medicals"
  16. ^ "Joel Bell"