Early life

Bell was born on April 1, 1978 in Long Beach, California to parents Cortland and Geraldine Bell. He attended Robert A. Millikan High School, where he played quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback. He also practiced track and field.

He accepted a scholarship from UCLA, where he was a three-year starter at cornerback. As a sophomore he had 18 tackles and 4 passes defensed. He contributed to the team winning the PAC 10 championship in 1998, when he finished with 38 tackles and led the team in passes defensed (14).

As a senior, he registered 42 tackles and 9 passes defensed. He majored in history.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Bell was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys in 2001 and made the roster based on his strong special teams play. As a gunner, he led the team in special teams tackles with 21. He was waived on September 1, 2002.

Houston Texans

On September 2, 2002, he was claimed off waivers by the Houston Texans and became a part of the inaugural season of the franchise. He led the team with 14 special teams tackles, even though he missed the first 3 games with a fractured right wrist. He received the Ed Block Courage Award at the end of the year.

Bell would remain a core special teams player during his time with the Houston Texans. In 2003, he was second on the team with 15 special teams tackles, even though he was declared inactive for 3 games with a knee injury.

In 2004, he registered 6 special teams tackles. On November 17, he was placed on the injured reserve list after breaking his right forearm while covering a punt against the Indianapolis Colts.

New York Giants

On March 13, 2006, he was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the New York Giants and was moved to safety during the season. He would also play 4 games with a fractured right forearm he sustained in week 12 against the Tennessee Titans.

Bell aggravated a back injury while working out during the offseason and was placed on the injured reserve list on July 25, 2007. He retired in 2008, after having a career-ending back surgery the previous year.

Personal life

After his retirement from the NFL, he attended the Harvard Executive Business program and transitioned into private wealth management. He joined Masters Private Client Group, where he is currently a partner, specializing in professional athletes and entertainers and their unique financial needs. He has been noted as one of the “Top 36 Football Players on Wall Street” by Business Insider.

His half-sister is Joanna Hayes, who won a gold medal in the 100 metres hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Bell dated Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle in 2008 and were engaged at one point, but eventually they separated. They reunited sometime in 2013, with Nadine announcing her pregnancy in August that year. She gave birth to their daughter, Anaìya, in early 2014.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]