Travis Bell (born October 27, 1998) is an American football nose tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Kennesaw State and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft.
| No. 53 – Cincinnati Bengals | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||
| Roster status: | Active | ||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||
| |||
| Player stats at PFR | |||
Early years
Bell 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
Bell 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
Pre-draft
| 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
Bell 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
On 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
On December 19, 2023, Bell was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.[18]