Even after choosing two defensive tackles on Day 2 of the NFL draft, Chicago Bears normal supervisor Ryan Poles couldn’t resist the chance to scoop up a 3rd.
There was an excessive amount of about Travis Bell’s make-up and hustle that drew Poles to the participant, so the Bears chosen him within the seventh spherical with the No. 218 choose, including a developmental participant from the FCS degree to the place group.
“This is probably one of my favorite human beings,” Poles mentioned of the Kennesaw State product. “He is a special person. I didn’t want him to leave after his 30 visit and he didn’t want to leave either. There’s something different about this guy. He is passionate about the game.”
Kennesaw State coach Brian Bohannon described the same affinity for Bell and what he meant to the varsity’s program. Bohannon spoke to the Tribune concerning the defensive sort out’s improvement and prospects for an expert profession. Here’s that interview, edited for readability.
Note: This is a part of a collection of conversations with the faculty place coaches of this yr’s Bears draft picks.
How did Travis get in your radar?
Travis got here out of considerably the inner-city of Montgomery, Ala. Travis shouldn’t be essentially height-wise (6-foot) going to wow you, and he performed loads of totally different positions in highschool and we spend loads of time over there recruiting. One of his coaches introduced him over right here someday and we have been in a position to get in on him and felt like Travis could be an excellent match for us. You noticed loads of capability, however clearly he’s so much totally different leaving right here than when he was arriving right here.
How did Travis get going as soon as he was in this system?
He was really redshirted his first yr. He was on the offensive discipline with me the entire time as a part of the defensive scout group. And you may see the flexibility. He simply wasn’t able to play. Put it this fashion, you bought a uncooked child who hadn’t been in any construction and hadn’t been in an setting like this, and it took slightly bit for him to get used to it. He struggled with it at instances and it simply took a short time for him to regulate. We felt like he had an opportunity to be an excellent participant.
What does it say about Travis having a job whereas he was at school and a part of your program?
I don’t suppose Travis had the job (for a medical provide firm) the entire time he was right here. It was within the final perhaps yr or two. Travis already had his diploma right here. These children bought a COVID yr and he was in his sixth yr of being right here. When I say Travis didn’t come from a lot, he was in all probability working to ship nearly all of his a reimbursement dwelling. I by no means actually requested him particularly, however I believe he was sending most of his cash dwelling. That’s simply the type of child he was. He was simply going to do this for the folks he cared about.
At what level did you get an inkling that Travis could be on the NFL’s radar?
All of a sudden issues began to click on for him and he figured it out. I felt like he had an opportunity on the subsequent degree. I didn’t actually know what that meant as a result of magnificence is within the eye of the beholder generally. You don’t know what the individuals are seeing. We felt like we had a shot.
His inventory rose this previous season. The Cincinnati sport this season was huge for him. That simply put him at a spot the place they get a greater thought evaluating him. And then his professional day, he killed it. Everything began including as much as say not solely did we really feel assured he was going to get picked up, but it surely bought to some extent the place we felt he was going to be drafted. I don’t suppose we absolutely know the impression he made with the Bears. We know who he’s, however we didn’t know the small print of his go to there. I listened to the entire information convention the Bears had with the GM and the pinnacle coach and Travis’ story is superior. Kid comes from nothing, goes by loads of trials and tribulations, will get his diploma and truly bought drafted. You’re hitting each button proper now. It’s nearly as good a narrative as you possibly can have. But I believe on prime of that, culturally the place Travis comes from and the issues we do right here, it’s an awesome match for what the Bears try to ascertain. Listening to them, there’s loads of similarities in what they’re attempting to do of their group and what we’re attempting to do right here. It feels like it is a actually good match. They speak about HITS there and we are saying EAT — effort, perspective and toughness. Just watching this child develop and develop and undergo some robust instances and all of the stuff that went with it and to see the place he’s at in the present day. Even if he doesn’t make it, it’s an outstanding story.
Can you quantify what Travis meant to you and your program?
Early on, there have been some robust days. There have been in all probability conversations the place it had gotten to some extent he wasn’t positive he was going to make it and I wasn’t positive he was going to make it. And then to show the nook and to utterly change the trajectory of the place he was going that he grew to become a frontrunner on a group, he grew to become the man everybody would type of go to and hearken to. Travis was not at all times a vocal man. Became a vocal man and that was polar reverse from when he began to the place he completed. We did a factor in camp the place guys would rise up in entrance of the room they usually have been requested to call two or three guys on the group they need to go to battle with and trusted. I wager his title got here up with each child on the group. For all the explanations you need too. He’s essentially the most humble, nicest man on the planet till he will get between the white traces. There is a change that flips. Different man. Unbelievable.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com