Florida A&M alumnus Markquese Bell has been stepping up for the Dallas Cowboys this season, turning into a defensive star for America's team. Bell went undrafted out of FAMU in 2022 but found a home with the Dallas Cowboys. His play has helped maintain a dominant defense for the Cowboys, as they work through the season-ending injury to linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
Bell, who's normal position is Safety, has been called upon to play linebacker for the Cowboys in Esch's absence. Thus far, Bell has accumulated 53 tackles (36 solo) and 1 forced fumble this season. His best game of the season came against the Carolina Panthers, where he racked up 10 tackles (6 solo) in the Cowboy's 33-10 victory.
What makes Bell's performance this season even more special is that he didn't know what his future held, per comments obtained by Nick Harris of dallascowboys.com.
“I was nervous coming in last year not knowing where I'd fit in and how everything would play out. I gotta trust it and put my faith in God that he put me on this path for a reason. I'm blessed to be in this position I'm in right now.”
In a quote obtained by Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in October, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has very high praise for Bell and his impact on the defense.
“That definitely was part of why we wanted him so much in the first place. He has the length and the size to do that. And then when D-Mo was injured, there was really only one other person that had that kind of speed and striking ability, and that was ‘Quese.So when Bell gets in there, you feel some of those same type of run-and-hit factor plays, that he can match up and go. That’s why, for me, there was really no one else I was going to call to make that move other than Markqeuse, because I had a vision for him coming out of A&M, that he could do the linebacker jobs.”
Bell certainly showed his ability to be a game-changer on the defensive side of the ball at his HBCU. He played two seasons at Florida A&M and had a highly impressive 2019 season for the Rattlers. However, the 2021 season shows that he had NFL-ready talent. He finished his final year with the Rattlers totaling 95 tackles (71 solo), 2 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and 1 pass deflection.
Bell's success with the Cowboys shows that there is talent on the HBCU level. NFL front offices would do a great service to their team's title hopes by taking serious looks at HBCU stars on both sides of the ball and using draft capital to bring them to their teams.
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