Jaheim Cameron Bell (born June 14, 2001) is an American professional football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Florida State Seminoles.
 Bell with South Carolina in 2022 | |
| No. 88 – New England Patriots | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 14, 2001 Lake City, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 241 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Valdosta (Valdosta, Georgia) |
| College: | South Carolina (2020–2022) Florida State (2023) |
| NFL draft: | 2024 / round: 7 / pick: 231 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editBell attended Valdosta High School in Valdosta, Georgia. He played both tight end and wide receiver in high school. He tore his ACL midway through his senior season which caused him to miss the rest of the year.[1] Bell originally committed to the University of Florida to play college football but changed to the University of South Carolina.[2][3][4]
College career
editBell played in five games as a freshman at South Carolina in 2020, recording one reception for 29 yards. As a sophomore in 2021, he played in 13 games with five starts and had 30 receptions for 497 yards and five touchdowns.[5][6][7]
His 2022 season was notable for his lack of carries and touches despite off-season hype coming off the previous year's Dukes Mayo Bowl. His uncle and mother both tweeted and caused a stir regarding the perceived lack of production and usage by the offensive coaching staff.[8] Bell entered the transfer portal on December 5, 2022, signing with the Florida State Seminoles the following Monday.[9][10]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
241 lb (109 kg) |
33 in (0.84 m) |
10 in (0.25 m) |
4.61 s | 1.58 s | 2.67 s | 35.0 in (0.89 m) |
10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) | ||||
| All values from NFL Combine[11][12] | ||||||||||||
Bell was selected with the 231st overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft by the New England Patriots.[13] The Patriots previously acquired the 231st overall pick from the Chicago Bears in a trade for N'Keal Harry. Bell signed his rookie contract with the Patriots on May 10, 2024.[14]
References
edit- ^ Breiner, Ben (February 16, 2020). "What explosive Gamecock signee expects from his role at South Carolina". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ Kornblut, Phil (July 5, 2019). "Bell plans to move slowly as he rethinks his college plans". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
- ^ Thomas, Shane (July 5, 2019). "'Business decision': 'Cats standout Bell re-opens recruitment". Valdosta Daily Times. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ Kornblut, Phil (November 22, 2019). "Coach updates Gamecock target Jaheim Bell". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ Diaz, Cory (March 17, 2022). "'Jaheim Bell is Deebo 2.0': South Carolina carving out unique role for talented athlete". Greenville News. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ Cloninger, David (October 19, 2021). "Gamecocks' Jaheim Bell obsessed with perfection in football, and fashion". The Post and Courier. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ Cloninger, David (July 8, 2022). "Stand by, callers: Gamecocks are set to use the tight ends more. And more". The Post and Courier. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ Summers, Mitchel (October 30, 2022). "Family of USC's Jaheim Bell voice frustrations over lack of targets". FOX Carolina. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ Crowell, Evan (December 5, 2022). "Jaheim Bell Enters Transfer Portal". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ VanHaaren, Tom (December 12, 2022). "FSU adds playmaker in South Carolina TE Bell". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- ^ "Jaheim Bell Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Jaheim Bell College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Buchmasser, Bernd (April 27, 2024). "Patriots draft Jaheim Bell, TE, Florida State with the 231st pick in Round 7". Pats Pulpit. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "Patriots Sign Three of Their Eight 2024 Draft Picks and Sign Nine Rookie Free Agents". Patriots.com. May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.