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Former NFL offensive tackle Demetress Bell is the son of Karl Malone, also known as The Mailman, a 57-year-old retired Basketball Hall of Fame player. Malone's career spanned decades, beginning in 1985 and concluding in 2005.
Demetress Bell was born to 20-year-old Malone and a 13-year-old mother in 1984 in Louisiana. Malone and Bell did not have contact over the course of Bell's youth, with the father and son only speaking on one occasion before ultimately reconciling in 2014.
Karl Malone's son: How did Demetress Bell make it to the NFL?
Bell was not a career football player, nor did he have any aspirations to play the sport in his childhood. Bell played softball for the majority of his youth, before transitioning into basketball around high school. Eventually, Bell's talents led to him being offered a scholarship to Northwestern State University, where he played in 88 games between 2003 and 2007 until giving up on basketball to switch to football.
Bell's high school alma mater had no football program so he had no experience with the sport until deciding to redshirt the 2005 basketball season and focus on football instead. Bell began his football career on the defensive side of the ball, playing defensive end for Northwestern State until injuries ravaged the program and his talents were needed on offense.
Bell stepped up as a left tackle, and filled the role beautifully, being voted to the All-Louisana team in his first year in the position. Bell left basketball behind and focused completely on football for his senior season and it paid off, culminating in multiple honors such as another All-Louisiana team selection, to go along with a first team All-Southland Conference selection and a spot on the Associated Press All-American list.
The Buffalo Bills drafted Bell in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft, placing him on their active roster during his rookie season. Bell was seen as a project, given his lack of experience, and did not register any playing time in any regular season games that year. Bell managed to earn a starting position on the offensive line in the next season before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Bell was a Philadelphia Eagle for a short time, starting in five games with the franchise before suffering multiple injuries and ultimately being released without fanfare. The Dallas Cowboys signed Bell for just over a month before releasing him in the preseason of 2013, effectively putting an end to his career.
Although Bell's career was short and unspectacular, there is something to be said for the effort and natural talent needed to transition from a softball and basketball player to an NFL draft pick and starter at one of the most difficult positions in football. Bell and Malone are close these days, and Bell will forever be a legendary player in his home state of Louisiana, giving him the ability to look back on his life with satisfaction.
