Travis Bell (born October 27, 1998) is an American professional football nose tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Kennesaw State and was selected by the Bears in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft.
| No. 95 – Minnesota Vikings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Nose tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | October 27, 1998 Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 310 lb (141 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Jefferson Davis (Montgomery, Alabama) | ||||
| College: | Kennesaw State (2018–2022) | ||||
| NFL draft: | 2023 / round: 7 / pick: 218 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| |||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||
| |||||
Early life
editBell was born on October 27, 1998, and grew up in Montgomery, Alabama.[1][2] He attended Jefferson Davis High School and was a four-year letter winner.[3] He posted 20.0 sacks and 229 tackles across his four seasons at Jefferson Davis, including 80 tackles and 9.0 sacks in only eight games as a senior.[2] Bell helped Jefferson Davis reach the playoffs in his final two years.[4] Off the field, Bell posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in his last semester.[3] A two-star recruit, he committed to play college football for the Kennesaw State Owls.[5][6]
College career
editBell saw immediate playing time at Kennesaw State and was a starter in his first season, compiling 24 tackles as a true freshman and helping them reach the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.[3] The following season, he appeared in 13 games, eight of which he started, and helped them rank as the third-best team nationally in total defense while posting 30 tackles, 5.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles-for-loss.[3] The 2020 season was postponed to spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in it he appeared in four games with 11 stops, two tackles-for-loss and a half-sack.[3]
Bell made 4.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles-for-loss in 2021, earning second-team All-Big South Conference honors.[7][8] He returned for a final season in 2022, and recorded in 11 games 34 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, and 1.5 sacks.[9] He finished his stint at Kennesaw State with 11 sacks and 24.5 tackles-for-loss in 54 games played.[10]
Professional career
editPre-draft
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
310 lb (141 kg) |
32+5⁄8 in (0.83 m) |
10 in (0.25 m) |
5.03 s | 1.71 s | 2.87 s | 4.58 s | 7.99 s | 32.5 in (0.83 m) |
9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) |
30 reps | |
| All values from Kennesaw State's Pro Day[11] | ||||||||||||
Bell was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, and posted at his pro day 30 bench press reps.[10][12]
Chicago Bears
editBell was selected in the seventh round (218th overall) of the 2023 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, becoming the first player in his school's history to be selected.[13] He was waived on August 29, 2023 and re-signed to the practice squad.[14][15]
Atlanta Falcons
editOn November 1, 2023, Bell was signed by the Atlanta Falcons off the Bears practice squad.[16] He was released on December 19.[17]
Cincinnati Bengals
editOn December 19, 2023, Bell was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.[18] He was waived during final roster cuts on August 27, 2024.[19]
Chicago Bears (second stint)
editOn September 26, Bell signed with the Bears practice squad.[20] He was released on October 15.[21]
Minnesota Vikings
editOn November 6, 2024, Bell was signed to the Minnesota Vikings practice squad.[22]
References
edit- ^ "Travis Bell". RotoWire. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ a b Hajduk, Gabby (April 29, 2023). "Bears draft Kennesaw State DL Travis Bell in seventh round". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Travis Bell". Kennesaw State Owls. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ Inabinnett, Mark (April 29, 2023). "Former Alabama prep standout becomes Kennesaw State's first draft pick". AL.com. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ Slappy, Devone (February 1, 2017). "Kennesaw State has best recruiting class since 2015". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ Potash, Mark; Finley, Patrick; Lieser, Jason (April 29, 2023). "Bears 2023 NFL Draft class: Breaking down every pick". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Herder, Sam (August 22, 2022). "FCS Top 10 Commentary: No. 8 Kennesaw State Football Preview". HERO Sports. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ "Bell becomes first KSU player to be drafted". Marietta Daily Journal. April 29, 2023. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ Barbieri, Alyssa (April 29, 2023). "Bears select DT Travis Bell with 218th overall pick in 2023 NFL draft". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ a b Taylor, Ryan (April 29, 2023). "Bears select first Kennesaw State player in NFL history". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Travis Bell College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Hammond, Sean (April 30, 2023). "What to know about every player the Chicago Bears drafted on Day 3". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ Sugrue, Brendan (April 29, 2023). "New Bears DT Travis Bell is first player ever drafted from Kennesaw State". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ Mayer, Larry (August 29, 2023). "Roster Moves: Bears reach NFL's 53-man roster limit". ChicagoBears.com.
- ^ Mayer, Larry (August 30, 2023). "Roster Moves: Bears sign 11 players to practice squad". ChicagoBears.com.
- ^ Bair, Scott (November 1, 2023). "Falcons sign DL Travis Bell off Chicago Bears practice squad". AtlantaFalcons.com.
- ^ Waack, Terrin (December 19, 2023). "Falcons release rookie defensive lineman from 53-man roster". AtlantaFalcons.com. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ "Bengals Roster Moves; Defensive Tackle Acquired". Bengals.com. December 20, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
- ^ "Bengals Reduce Final Roster To 53 Players". Bengals.com. August 27, 2024.
- ^ Sugrue, Brendan. "Bears sign DT Travis Bell to practice squad". Bears Wire. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ Barbieri, Alyssa. "Bears make moves on the practice squad during bye week". Bears Wire. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ^ Peters, Craig (November 6, 2024). "Vikings Sign Kicker John Parker Romo, Add Long Snapper Jake McQuaide to Practice Squad". Vikings.com.