Demetress Bell facts for kids

Demetress Carte Bell (born May 3, 1984) is a former American football player. He played as an offensive tackle. Demetress is known for a unique path to the NFL. He played professional football for several years. What makes his story special is that he never played high school football. He also did not go to college planning to play football. Demetress Bell is the son of NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone.

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Demetress Bell was born in 1984 in Summerfield, Louisiana. His mother is Gloria Bell. His father is Karl Malone, a famous basketball player. Demetress spelled his first name "Demetrius" until 2012. He then found out the correct spelling was "Demetress."

When he was younger, Demetress played softball. He did not play organized football. In high school, he started playing basketball. He was good enough to earn a scholarship. This scholarship was to Northwestern State University.

College Basketball and Football

At Northwestern State, Demetress played basketball. He played in 88 games from 2003 to 2007. In 2007, he was one of only four NCAA Division I athletes. These athletes played both basketball and football in Division I. After the 2006–07 basketball season, he decided to focus on football.

College Football Career

Demetress Bell's high school did not have a football team. This meant he had never played organized football before college. In 2005, he joined Northwestern State's football team. He spent that year learning the game.

Switching Positions and Earning Honors

He first played as a defensive end. The next year, the team had injuries on their offensive line. Demetress moved to the left tackle position. This is a very important spot on the offensive line. He earned second-team All-Louisiana honors that season.

In 2007, Demetress focused only on football. He had a great senior season. He was named a first-team All-Louisiana player. He also made the All-Southland Conference first-team. Demetress graduated from Northwestern State in 2008.

Professional Football Journey

Buffalo Bills Draft Pick

The Buffalo Bills drafted Demetress Bell in 2008. He was picked in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL draft. The Bills saw his natural talent. They knew he was new to football. They thought he would need time to develop.

The team kept him on their active roster. They did not put him on the practice squad. This prevented other teams from signing him. In 2008, he did not play in any regular season games. The team was still helping him learn.

Starting for the Bills

In 2009, Demetress showed great improvement. He performed well in training camps. The Bills' head coach, Dick Jauron, made him the starting left tackle. This was for the 2009 regular season.

He had some ups and downs during the first half of the season. He also had many penalties against him. His season ended early due to a knee injury. This happened in a game against the Tennessee Titans.

Time with the Philadelphia Eagles

On April 4, 2012, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Demetress. He played in nine games for the Eagles. He started five of those games. He also had some injuries during this time. The Eagles released him from his contract on February 6, 2013.

Short Stint with the Dallas Cowboys

On July 21, 2013, the Dallas Cowboys signed Demetress Bell. However, he was released by the Cowboys during the preseason. This happened on August 31, 2013.

Relationship with Karl Malone

Demetress Bell is the son of NBA legend Karl Malone. For many years, their relationship was not close. In 1996, Demetress's family filed a lawsuit. This lawsuit aimed to confirm Karl Malone was his father. Lab tests showed a very high chance that Malone was his father.

Karl Malone and the Bell family reached an agreement outside of court. Demetress's mother said her family did not want Malone jailed. Summerfield is a small town, and they were neighbors.

In 2008, a newspaper reported that Demetress did not know who his father was until after high school. However, an earlier article from 1998 said Demetress was hurt by Malone's refusal to acknowledge him.

Demetress said he spoke to Malone once when he was 18. He reported that Malone told him he would have to make his own way. Malone said it was too late for a father-son relationship.

Mending the Relationship

Around 2014, Demetress and Karl Malone began to improve their relationship. By 2018, Demetress shared that they talked and texted often. They even went on a hunting trip together. Malone later spoke about his older children. He said, "I didn't handle it right; I was wrong." He added that "Father Time is the biggest thief."

Demetress also said he is close to Daryl and Cheryl Ford. They are older twins of Karl Malone. They were also part of a paternity claim.