Yeremiah Bell
{{Short description|American football player (born 1978)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Yeremiah Bell
| image = Yeremiah Bell 2013.JPG
| alt =
| caption = Bell during the 2013 preseason
| number = 37
| position = Safety
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|3|3|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Winchester, Kentucky, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 205
| high_school = Clark (Winchester)
| college = Eastern Kentucky
| draftyear = 2003
| draftround = 6
| draftpick = 213
| pastteams = * Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|2003}}–{{NFL Year|2011}})
- New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2012}})
- Arizona Cardinals ({{NFL Year|2013}})
| highlights = * Pro Bowl (2009)
- Inducted into KY Pro Football HOF (2010)
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 729
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 13.0
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 = 9
| statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue4 = 10
| statlabel5 = Interceptions
| statvalue5 = 8
| pfr = B/BellYe20
}}
Yeremiah Neavius Bell (born March 3, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL draft.
Bell played for the Dolphins for nine seasons, seeing no game action during his rookie year before spending the next two seasons as a backup. He become a starter in 2006. After missing most of the 2007 season due to injury, Bell was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2008. He then remained with the Dolphins as a starter for three further seasons. After being released by the Dolphins after the 2011 season, he spent the next two seasons with the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals, respectively.
Early life
Bell attended George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, Kentucky, where he was a three-year letterman in football as a defensive back and wide receiver. He also lettered in basketball as well as in baseball, starting as a senior with former Major League pitcher Matt Ginter.
Bell was not highly recruited while in high school, and without a full scholarship offer he began doing hard labor in a central Kentucky steel mill for $8 per hour.
College career
After two years of working in the steel mill, Bell enrolled at nearby Eastern Kentucky University and attempted to walk-on the Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team. Bell made the team, but contemplated quitting during two-a-day practices his freshman year. Eventually Bell would remain on the team and excel in the defensive backfield. In his three-year college career Bell was a finalist for the 2001 Buck Buchanan Award as the Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named a 2001 All-American, two time All-Ohio Valley Conference safety (2000–01), and was the OVC defensive player of the year (2001). Before his senior season in 2002 Bell injured his knee in a pick-up basketball game ending his college career.
=Awards and honors=
- Eastern Kentucky Defensive Back of the Year (1999)
- 2× All-Ohio Valley Conference (2000, 2001)
- Eastern Kentucky Defensive Most Valuable Player (2000)
- Associated Press All-American (2001)
- Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2001)
- Named to the Eastern Kentucky University All-Century team as a Defensive Back (2009)
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 11 1/2
| weight = 193
| vertical = 34.0
| note = All values from Pro Day{{Cite web |url=http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=128&DraftYear=2003 |title=2003 NFL Draft Scout Yeremiah Bell College Football Profile |access-date=May 31, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
=Miami Dolphins=
==2003==
Bell was selected in the sixth round by the Miami Dolphins and signed to the team's practice squad.{{Cite web |title=2003 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2003/draft.htm |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
==2004==
Bell played in 13 games recording 10 tackles in primarily a special teams and reserve role before suffering a broken leg late in the season.
==2005==
In his first injury free NFL season, Bell played in all 16 games registered 21 tackles, three sacks, an interception, four passes defensed, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. He finished second on the squad with 14 stops on special teams, where he also recovered a fumble. The initial interception of his NFL career came vs. New England Patriots (11/13) when he picked off a Tom Brady pass in the fourth quarter, leading to a Dolphins touchdown six plays later.
==2006==
Bell earned a starting spot in Dolphins secondary. In his first season as a starter Bell has recorded 62 tackles, 2 sacks, and 11 passes defended. Dolphins defensive standout Jason Taylor said of Bell, "The guy just makes plays, no matter if it's special teams, defense or whatever. He always makes plays for us."
==2007==
In 2007 Bell was a restricted free agent and he signed a tender that he received from the Dolphins. Bell was the starter at strong safety but suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the season opener on September 9 that ended his season. He was placed on injured reserve on September 11. Bell finished the season with 5 tackles.
==2008==
After the 2007 season Bell became an unrestricted free agent but he did not receive much interest from other teams because of his torn Achilles tendon. The Dolphins re-signed him to a one-year, 1.4 million dollar contract on March 3. In 2008, Bell became a force to be reckoned with. He finished the season with 120 tackles, 1 sack, and three forced fumbles, & while he did not have any picks that year, his return from injury proved to be the stabilizing force in the secondary.
==2009==
Miami's leading tackler in 2008, and 2009, Bell signed a four-year, $20 million contract with the Dolphins on the eve of free agency.[http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2009/02/bell-agrees-to-4year-deal-with-dolphins.html Bell agrees to 4-year deal with Dolphins] The deal included $10 million in guaranteed money. He finished the season with 114 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3 interceptions. In 2009 Bell received a Pro Bowl selection after Antoine Bethea and the Indianapolis Colts went to the Super Bowl.
==2010==
Image:Clemons Bell.jpg in 2011.]]In 2010, Bell started all 16 games, recording 101 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles with one recovery and one interception.
==2011==
After starting all games and recording 107 total tackles for the 2011 season, Bell was released after the season on March 19, 2012.{{cite web|work=NBCSports.com|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/19/dolphins-to-cut-yeremiah-bell/|title=Dolphins to cut Yeremiah Bell|first=Mike|last=Florio|date=March 19, 2012|access-date=August 16, 2014}}
=New York Jets=
==2012==
Bell was signed by the New York Jets on May 18, 2012, to a one-year $1.4 million contract.{{cite news|title=Jets sign safety Yeremiah Bell|url=http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2012/05/jets_sign_safety_yeremiah_bell.html|work=The Star-Ledger|author=Vrentas, Jenny|date=May 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520110311/http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2012/05/jets_sign_safety_yeremiah_bell.html|archive-date=May 20, 2012|access-date=May 18, 2012|url-status=dead}}
=Arizona Cardinals=
==2013==
=Retirement=
On August 9, 2014, Bell announced that he would be retiring from the NFL.{{cite web|work=NFL.com|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/yeremiah-bell-former-dolphins-cards-safety-to-retire-0ap3000000376246|title=Yeremiah Bell, former Dolphins, Cards safety, to retire|first=Kevin|last=Patra|date=August 9, 2014|access-date=August 16, 2014}}
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="2"| Legend |
| Bold
| Career high |
=Regular season=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="5"| Tackles !colspan="5"| Interceptions !colspan="4"| Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |
| 2004 | MIA
| 13 || 0 || 10 || 8 || 2 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2005 | MIA
| 16 || 0 || 35 || 21 || 14 || 3.0 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 1 || 2 || 12 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2006 | MIA
| 16 || 11 || 70 || 46 || 24 || 2.0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 12 || 3 || 2 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2007 | MIA
| 1 || 1 || 5 || 4 || 1 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2008 | MIA
| 16 || 16 || 120 || 100 || 20 || 1.0 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 10 || 3 || 1 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2009 | MIA
| 16 || 15 || 114 || 92 || 22 || 1.5 || 3 || 3 || 48 || 0 || 29 || 8 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2010 | MIA
| 16 || 16 || 101 || 83 || 18 || 1.5 || 4 || 1 || 21 || 0 || 21 || 5 || 2 || 1 || 4 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2011 | MIA
| 16 || 16 || 107 || 81 || 26 || 2.0 || 2 || 1 || 20 || 0 || 20 || 4 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2012 | NYJ
| 16 || 16 || 90 || 73 || 17 || 1.0 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 3 || 18 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2013 | ARI
| 16 || 16 || 77 || 61 || 16 || 1.0 || 5 || 2 || 6 || 0 || 6 || 9 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 142 | 107 | 729 | 569 | 160 | 13.0 | 23 | 8 | 95 | 0 | 29 | 54 | 9 | 10 | 34 | 0 |
=Playoffs=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="5"| Tackles !colspan="5"| Interceptions !colspan="4"| Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |
| 2008 | MIA
| 1 || 1 || 3 || 2 || 1 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Personal
Bell has a daughter, Yamia, born July 23, 2000, and a son, Brayden, born December 15, 2003.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://ekusports.com/honors/hall-of-fame/yeremiah-bell/140 Eastern Kentucky Hall of Fame bio]
{{Dolphins2003DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Yeremiah}}
Category:People from Winchester, Kentucky
Category:Players of American football from Kentucky
Category:American football safeties
Category:Eastern Kentucky Colonels football players
Category:Miami Dolphins players