Demetress Bell

Demetress Carte Bell (born May 3, 1984), formerly known as Demetrius Bell, is a former American football offensive tackle. After playing college football for Northwestern State, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played for the Bills for four seasons and one season in Philadelphia. He is notable for making the NFL and playing for half a decade without ever having played a down of high school football, or having gone to college with the intention of playing football. He is the son of former basketball player Karl Malone. Early life Bell, who spelled his first name "Demetrius" until 2012 when he discovered it was actually spelled "Demetress", was born in 1984 to 13-year-old Gloria Bell of Summerfield, Louisiana, and Karl Malone, then a 20-year-old college basketball player and future National Basketball Association (NBA) star, and a fellow native of Summerfield. Malone and Demetress Bell had previously spoken on only one occasion prior to repairing their relationship in 2014. As a young teenager, Bell played more softball than he did Malone's sport of basketball. He did not play organized football at all during that time. Eventually, during high school, he took up basketball and played well enough to receive a scholarship to Northwestern State University, where he played in 88 games over the course of the 2003–04, 2004–05, and 2006–07 seasons. Bell was one of only four NCAA athletes to play both basketball and football in Division I in 2007. After the 2006–07 season, he decided to give up basketball to concentrate on his development in football. College career Bell's high school had not fielded a football team, so prior to his attending Northwestern State, he had never played organized football. In the fall of 2005, he red-shirted the basketball season and began playing for the school's football team. He was initially placed in the position of defensive end. The following year, injuries struck the team's offensive line, and he was moved to the left tackle position. He earned second-team All-Louisiana honors that season.