Bell joins Bulldogs for spring practice
Mississippi State added another big man to its spring football practice rotation Thursday.
It is a familiar name for fans who follow Bulldog athletics.
Jimmy
Bell Jr., who is fresh off the basketball court leading
MSU to the
NCAA Tournament, joined the Bulldogs on the gridiron for spring drills and his presence excites head coach Jeff Lebby.
Lebby said Bell will be brought along slowly as he gets adjusted to life with the pads on.
“We'll get him some good work,” Lebby said. “We're going to take some baby steps with him and make sure we are setting him up for success. It will be a little bit slower of a process than some other guys with him obviously coming off the hardwood, but love the fact that he wants to be out here after a long season, he's ready to get out here and get going. It says a lot about him.”
Bell played 35 games with 16 starts for MSU basketball and his service was needed in the first 12 games when Tolu Smith was recovering from a foot injury. He averaged 16 minutes per game with five points and 4.9 rebounds per outing.
While at West Virginia for 2022-23 basketball seasons, Bell also worked with the football team. He never played in a game so he has one season of football eligibility left.
Lebby said Bell expressed an interest in joining the football team and the two were able to have a conversation. That led Bell to the practice field.
Although Bell's role with the Bulldogs is not fully defined, he was an offensive tackle in high school at Saginaw, Michigan.
Lebby plans to use Bell's 6-10, 280-pound frame to their advantage.
“He is a giant,” Lebby said. “He has natural length and he's big guy. Big people tend to have success in this game so that's where it starts.”
When asked in jest if Lebby was going to go after Cameron Matthews, another big contributor on the court for MSU head basketball coach Chris Jans, Lebby said he did not want to upset the apple cart.
“I don't want Jans mad at me,” Lebby said with a grin.