Jalen Bell's Impact Goes Far Beyond the Football Field
Jalen Bell hosted his second annual youth football camp in Detroit in July 2025. The event was free to all campers, and included food, bags, shirts, and wristbands.
“I love my camp; it’s my baby,” Bell said. “I wanted to always have my own youth camp, but I wanted it to be free. That’s kind of one thing I was very adamant on.”
Bell has fed the homeless each year after the event. This time, he took some of the campers with him to give back.
“For me, it’s perspective. No matter what you’re going through, there’s somebody going through a worse situation than you,” Bell said. “It’s always just giving the kids (the chance) to be able to give back early, to be able to get that in their life.”
There is also a portion of the camp for parents. Bell brings the mothers of NFL players in the Detroit area to speak to the kids’ parents.
Bell’s selflessness appears on the football field as well. He had a defensive lineman’s dream fall right into his lap: an interception. The “catch of his life”, as described by ESPN play-by-play announcer Courtney Lyle, was off a tipped ball to seal Memphis’ 28-7 win against Troy.
“Drue (Watts) had seen me. He saw it in my eyes. I was about to try to leave. I turned around and took two steps. He was like, ‘Bell go down, go down,'” Bell said.
Memphis defensive coordinator Jordon Hankins talked about Bell’s team-first move.
“He knew the game was over,” Hankins said. “Anybody else in that situation, I’ve seen it all the time, they want a pick, and their immediate response is to run to the end zone.”
Ryan Silverfield also had high praise for Bell back in fall camp.
“Jalen Bell — I’m just telling you, write that name down,” Silverfield said. “If he can stay healthy, I think he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
Bell’s first interception of his college career got him the opportunity to smash the rock, Memphis’ tradition for every win, after the game.
“It was a surreal moment in my career,” Bell said.
Bell’s passion and drive come from tragedy early in his career. His mother, LaNise Carter-Bell, passed away during Bell’s freshman year at Mississippi Valley State.
“At first it was a lot of anger, but it kind of turned into passion for me, being able to do everything for my mom,” Bell said. “When I make a big play, I know it’s her with me.”
Bell left Mississippi Valley State during his first season there. It was a decision he is not sure he would make today.
The seventh-year defensive lineman spent his first six seasons at the FCS level between Mississippi Valley State and Tennessee State. Bell acknowledges the increase in luxuries at the FBS level but says at the end of the day “football is football”.
“DI, DII, DIII, they got to spot the ball and play football no matter what school it is,” Bell said.
Bell’s words were on display when he played against Notre Dame with Tennessee State in 2023. The Irish’s offensive line featured two 2024 NFL Draft picks: left tackle Joe Alt (fifth overall pick) and right tackle Blake Fisher (59th overall pick). Bell finished the game with two tackles for loss and a QB hurry.
“That was one for the ages,” Bell said. “I played pretty well, graded out pretty good.”
Bell says being in that game in the past gives him extra confidence going into Memphis’ game against Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Bell’s size has been something that has “been a battle” his entire life. Bell is listed at 5-foot-11, 280 pounds. That is considered small for a defensive lineman, especially at the FBS level.
“It doesn’t do anything for me but put a chip on my shoulder,” Bell said. “I don’t care how small you say I am, all we got to do is put our hands in the dirt to play football.”
Bell is off to a hot start this season. Through his first three games, he has recorded three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and one interception. Throughout the adversity he has faced, everything Bell does on the field goes back to one person.
“You can ask any of my teammates. Everything that I do is for my mom.”
