cowboyjoe
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 28,423
- Reaction score
- 733
Bell ready to take next step toward pro football career
Spartanburg High product wants to showcase quickness, toughness at combine
Furman University Order a Reprint
Furman offensive lineman Joel Bell was praised for his speed after a recent game in Texas.
By Eric Boynton
eric.boynton@shj.com
Published: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 1:47 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 10:46 p.m.
It would be easy to imagine the upcoming NFL combine producing a nice case of jitters for Furman offensive lineman Joel Bell.
Did you know? Joel Bell has been training under the guidance of TEST Sports Football Academy founder Brian Martin. Martin helped tutor quarterback Joe Flacco last year before Flacco went from NCAA football subdivision school Delaware to being the 18th overall selection in the NFL draft.
Did you know? Bell's parents are missionaries, which led to him living in Egypt for three years and Croatia for eight before moving back to the U.S. in 2001.
But in reality, the Spartanburg High School product is actually calm, cool and collected about his next big step toward playing professional football.
Bell got some exposure with pro scouts during last month’s Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Challenge in El Paso and is now preparing for what he hopes will be a positive showing at the combine in front of various personnel from all 32 NFL teams.
The 6-foot-7, 318-pound tackle drew some rave reviews at the Texas event.
The Web site NFLDraftScout.com reported, “It was hard to ignore Bell’s physically imposing frame as defensive linemen found it difficult to get around his wide body and long arms.”
The Web site also projected Bell to be among the fastest tackles at the combine. Bell is taking it all in stride, drawing added confidence from just being invited to the high-profile event.
“The all-star game was step one, now the combine is step two,” Bell said. “A lot of people dream about just getting invited.
“It’s reassuring that all those (NFL) people will be there, and there’s a reason I got invited to the combine. There’s no reason to be nervous about it because obviously somebody thinks I have what it takes to play at the next level or I wouldn’t have been invited.”
Bell has been honing his skills at TEST Sports Football Academy in Martinsville, N.J., under the guidance of CEO and performance specialist Brian Martin. Martin worked with former Delaware star Joe Flacco prior to last year’s draft before the quarterback was selected with the 18th overall pick and led Baltimore to the AFC Championship game.
“The program is good and they’ve done a good job working with me,” Bell said. “I’m definitely glad I came up here. I feel I’m pretty much ready right now for what’s ahead.”
Bell was a three-time All-Southern Conference selection and was the recipient of this year’s Jacobs Blocking Award as the league’s top blocker. He made multiple All-American teams on his way to being the third Furman player in four years invited to the combine.
Fullback Jerome Felton was drafted in the fifth round last year by Detroit and quarterback Ingle Martin also went in the fifth round to Green Bay in 2006.
“I always thought it would be cool to go to the combine and for some players, that would make their year,” Bell said. “I’m glad all the preparation’s done, and I’ll tone it down just before leaving for Indianapolis. Once I get there, it’s going to be a lot of talking and a lot of running.
“From what I’ve heard, the first three days they get you up early and keep you up late,” Bell said. “There’s a lot of interviews (with team personnel) and you don’t get much sleep before they (physically) test you on the fourth day because they want to see how mentally tough you are and see if you can work through it.”
Spartanburg High product wants to showcase quickness, toughness at combine
Furman University Order a Reprint
Furman offensive lineman Joel Bell was praised for his speed after a recent game in Texas.
By Eric Boynton
eric.boynton@shj.com
Published: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 1:47 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 10:46 p.m.
It would be easy to imagine the upcoming NFL combine producing a nice case of jitters for Furman offensive lineman Joel Bell.
Did you know? Joel Bell has been training under the guidance of TEST Sports Football Academy founder Brian Martin. Martin helped tutor quarterback Joe Flacco last year before Flacco went from NCAA football subdivision school Delaware to being the 18th overall selection in the NFL draft.
Did you know? Bell's parents are missionaries, which led to him living in Egypt for three years and Croatia for eight before moving back to the U.S. in 2001.
But in reality, the Spartanburg High School product is actually calm, cool and collected about his next big step toward playing professional football.
Bell got some exposure with pro scouts during last month’s Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Challenge in El Paso and is now preparing for what he hopes will be a positive showing at the combine in front of various personnel from all 32 NFL teams.
The 6-foot-7, 318-pound tackle drew some rave reviews at the Texas event.
The Web site NFLDraftScout.com reported, “It was hard to ignore Bell’s physically imposing frame as defensive linemen found it difficult to get around his wide body and long arms.”
The Web site also projected Bell to be among the fastest tackles at the combine. Bell is taking it all in stride, drawing added confidence from just being invited to the high-profile event.
“The all-star game was step one, now the combine is step two,” Bell said. “A lot of people dream about just getting invited.
“It’s reassuring that all those (NFL) people will be there, and there’s a reason I got invited to the combine. There’s no reason to be nervous about it because obviously somebody thinks I have what it takes to play at the next level or I wouldn’t have been invited.”
Bell has been honing his skills at TEST Sports Football Academy in Martinsville, N.J., under the guidance of CEO and performance specialist Brian Martin. Martin worked with former Delaware star Joe Flacco prior to last year’s draft before the quarterback was selected with the 18th overall pick and led Baltimore to the AFC Championship game.
“The program is good and they’ve done a good job working with me,” Bell said. “I’m definitely glad I came up here. I feel I’m pretty much ready right now for what’s ahead.”
Bell was a three-time All-Southern Conference selection and was the recipient of this year’s Jacobs Blocking Award as the league’s top blocker. He made multiple All-American teams on his way to being the third Furman player in four years invited to the combine.
Fullback Jerome Felton was drafted in the fifth round last year by Detroit and quarterback Ingle Martin also went in the fifth round to Green Bay in 2006.
“I always thought it would be cool to go to the combine and for some players, that would make their year,” Bell said. “I’m glad all the preparation’s done, and I’ll tone it down just before leaving for Indianapolis. Once I get there, it’s going to be a lot of talking and a lot of running.
“From what I’ve heard, the first three days they get you up early and keep you up late,” Bell said. “There’s a lot of interviews (with team personnel) and you don’t get much sleep before they (physically) test you on the fourth day because they want to see how mentally tough you are and see if you can work through it.”