Jacob Bell is an American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 guard

Guard (American football)

In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....

 for the St. Louis Rams

St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...

 of the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...

 in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft

2004 NFL Draft

The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...

. He played college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 at Miami University

Miami RedHawks football

The Miami University RedHawks, known as the Miami Redskins before 1996, are a NCAA Division I FBS college football program that competes in the Mid-American Conference...

.

Early years

Bell was born on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio before moving to Cleveland Heights in his youth. He displayed an interest in sports from early on, of which football was one of his favorites. He attended Saint Ignatius High School (Cleveland, Ohio) before winning a scholarship at Miami University in Ohio.

College career

He played in 39 games with 38 starts at Miami University

Miami University

Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...

, gaining starting

Starting lineup

A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...

 experience at left tackle (13 games), right tackle (two) and right guard (23). As senior, started all 14 games at right guard and earned first-team All-MAC honors en route to conference championship. Helped Redhawks set school and conference records for most points (553) and most total yards (7,016). Also helped team set school record for rushing touchdowns in season (34). As junior, started first two contests at left tackle before shifting to right guard, where he started nine of next 10 games. Started every game as redshirt freshman at left tackle and gained two starts there as sophomore. He graduated with degree in sport organization.

Pre-draft

2004 pre-draft workouts, Bell was timed in 4.98 seconds in the 40-yard dash, performed 30 bench press repetitions of 225 pounds
and posted a 32-inch vertical leap.

Pre-draft measureables
Ht	Wt	40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football...	10-yd split	20-yd split	20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting...	3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting...	Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is...	Broad	BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...	Wonderlic
6-4¾ *	302 lb *	4.98 **	1.80 *	3.02 *	X	X	32" **	X	30 **	22 *

(* represents NFL Combine

NFL Combine

The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...

; **represents Miami (OH) Pro Day)

Tennessee Titans

He signed a three-year $1.1 million contract with the Titans as a rookie in 2004. As a rookie in 2004, Bell played in 15 games with 14 starts at left guard before tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament against Denver (12/25). En route to being named to All-Rookie teams of ESPN.com, Football Digest and Pro Football Weekly, helped Chris Brown rush for 1,067 yards and protected Steve McNair and Billy Volek as they combined for 3,829 passing yards. In 2005 Bell played in nine games with one start at right tackle at Pittsburgh (9/11/2005). He also saw action at right guard, left tackle and on special teams. In 2006, started 13 games at left guard and two games at right tackle as he helped pave way for fifth ranked rushing attack in NFL and five 200-yard rushing games which
ranked second in the NFL. Bell helped Travis Henry amass 1,211 rushing yards and opened rushing lanes for Offensive Rookie of the Year Vince Young as he gained 552 rushing yards, becoming the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to reach 500 rushing yards.

In 2007, Bell signed a one-year $1.85 million tender offer as a restricted free agent

Restricted free agent

A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...

. In 2007 Bell played in a career-high 16 games with 16 starts…also started in Titans’ playoff contest. He opened holes for rushing attack that ranked fifth in the NFL gaining 2,109 yards (131.8 yards per game) behind RB LenDale White’s career-high 1,110 yards.

St. Louis Rams

On March 3, 2008, he signed a six-year $36 million deal with the St. Louis Rams

St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...

. The deal contains $13 million guaranteed, including a $7 million signing bonus. In 2008 Bell played in 13 games with 13 starts

External links

• Tennessee Titans bio
• Rams Player Bio