Former Mississippi State basketball player signs with NFL team

Jimmy Bell Jr. was a big man for Mississippi State on the hardwood. Now, an NFL team is interested in seeing if he can still use that size and athleticism on the gridiron.

Bell, who measures 6-9 and 330 pounds, is signing with the Los Angeles Chargers as an offensive tackle.

Nothing but GOD thank you @chargers for an opportunity to show the world !!! I PROMISE YOU YOU WONT REGRET IT https://t.co/beTigTTSh2

— TUNK(@JimmyBellJr15) April 27, 2025

Bell, who turns 25 in July, was a college basketball player from 2019-24. He had stops at Saint Louis (2019-20, 2020-21), Moberly Area Junior College (2021-22) and West Virginia (2022-23) before transferring to Mississippi State for a graduate senior season in 2023-24.

As a basketball player, Bell recorded 491 points, 479 rebounds, 50 assists, 49 blocks and 44 steals at the NCAA Division I level. He notched 11 of his 13 double-figure outings and all 5 of his double-doubles over the his final 2 seasons at West Virginia and Mississippi State.

You have to go back a few years to trace Bell’s football roots. His MSU bio notes that he was an offensive lineman as a multi-sport athlete at Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw, Michigan. He spent his last two high school years at Bella Vista College Prep School in Scottsdale, Arizona to focus solely on basketball. Bell’s college basketball career began in 2019.

It will be interesting to see what Bell can make of his opportunity to play professional football after years of focusing on basketball.

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.