Markquese Bell is on the rise to becoming one of the best players to come out of Division II football, and he just completed his first year at North Greenville University in South Carolina. Although it’s only been one year, Bell has received plenty of attention and recognition, including being selected as his conference’s Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference selection. Here’s a closer look at Markquese Bell’s journey to becoming an NCAA football star…
Age and Family of Markquese Bell
Markquese Bell is a 23-year-old actor and writer from Detroit, Michigan. His father died when he was 13 years old, leaving him and his sister orphans. To escape the harsh realities of poverty, drugs, and gangs in his neighborhood, he turned to poetry. Now as a poet and performer who’s shared stages with Lauryn Hill and Saul Williams, he aims to motivate youth like himself through self-expression while combating stereotypes that plague black males.
Mr. Bell’s story is compelling because it illustrates how the universal human experience of grief can lead to the creation of positive social change if allowed room for expression. It wasn’t until I started writing about my life, about my pain and struggles that I realized the importance of me being an example. The way our society deals with death needs to be examined; mourning is not an event but a process that must be allowed to play out fully. You’re not gonna heal if you don’t feel your pain.
Sports Background
In 2014, Markquese Bell went from being a relatively unknown basketball player at Temple University to the leading scorer on the team. Throughout his high school and college careers, he averaged better than 30 points per game and set a record with 22 three-pointers in one game in 2017. His success has led him to be feature in Nike commercials and on the cover of The Athletic in January 2019.
Bell was born in Fairmont, West Virginia on December 10th, 1997. He moved with his family to Uniondale, New York when he was 8 years old after his father died due to lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Uniondale is located right outside of NYC which is near where most NBA players live so it seemed like a perfect fit for an aspiring young athlete.
Early Life
Markquese Bell was born and raised in New Jersey, just minutes from NYC. Growing up in the Garden State, Markquese attended Newark Academy where he competed in wrestling, football, and track. Always the jokester, Markquese was a highly regard prankster among his friends and peers. Whether it was dressing up as Santa Claus for random holiday photos or snapping frog sounds on a friend’s phone to make them jump out of their seat, there was never a shortage of laughs with this guy around.
It wasn’t until his early twenties that life got more serious for Bell. The 26-year-old athlete was recently draft in December by The Cleveland Browns as a cornerback. After he was move from cornerback to wide receiver in April, Markquese receive news that his baby boy was born. The early life of Markquese Bell is unique, but perhaps what’s most surprising about him is his impressive work ethic and continuous motivation toward a better future.
High School
Born and raised in the southside of Chicago, Markquese Bell has been a constant on both the big and small screens as well as in front of the camera. As a child actor, he appeared in movies such as Glory (1989) starring Denzel Washington, Juice (1992) starring Tupac Shakur, Menace II Society (1993) starring Larenz Tate, and Thurgood (1999). His resume also includes numerous television appearances on shows such as Law & Order SVU, NCIS, and NYPD Blue among others. Recently he has been seen all over television with brands like McDonald’s, Pepsi, and Budweiser.
College Career
Markquese Bell has quickly made a name for himself in the football community. He started his college career at Iowa Western Community College before transferring to El Camino Community College, where he was a first-team All-League selection. In addition, he led the team in tackles and sacks during his two seasons with the Warriors. The linebacker then transferred for his senior year of eligibility at Temple University where he spent most of his time on special teams but contributed 18 tackles as well. He hopes that these accomplishments will lead him into an NFL roster spot in 2020 when he’ll be draft eligible after completing his degree.
NFL Career
At the University of Pittsburgh, Markquese Bell became a standout linebacker. In 2009, he finished fifth in the ACC with 77 tackles and also tallied two sacks, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. As a junior in 2008, he was name second-team All-ACC after leading the team with 114 tackles including 10 for loss and four sacks. He was also credit with five pass breakups and four quarterback hurries on defense and added 397 yards on 52 rushes including six touchdowns on offense.
He chose to leave Pitt following his junior season for professional reasons despite leading them in tackles for three straight seasons. Bell said that while he enjoyed playing at Pitt, I’m looking forward to the next level. When asked about what his goal is as an NFL player, Bell respond My main goal is just making it to the league.
The signing of Markquese Bell by the New York Jets provides depth at the linebacker position. The selection in this year’s draft proved interesting. As it is rare for linebackers or cornerbacks not taken earlier. In the first round draft early into the second round. It was really humbling, Bell said.
Bell plans on going back home during the off-season and will work hard during workouts which could provide him the opportunity to make a good impression before camp starts up again.
Career Stats and Awards
Markquese Bell is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. In 2008, he was a collegiate champion in the 55-meter high hurdles. In 2010, he won two bronze medals at the Summer Youth Olympics, set two national high school records, and then achieved national success with a gold medal at the NACAC Under-23 Championships and a silver medal at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships. He also won gold for his native Jamaica in the 4×100 meters relay event as part of its Youth Olympic squad, setting a Jamaican junior record in the process. And he was an IAAF World Youth Champion in 2013 after capturing gold medals in both 100m dash and 200m dash events.
