Dallas Cowboys second-year safety Markquese Bell, a Florida A&M Alum, has been named the NFL HBCU Spotlight Player of the Year.
Bell will officially be honored on Feb. 10, at the 25th Anniversary Super Bowl Soulful Celebration one day before the Super Bowl.
“I am humbly grateful for this honor and acknowledgment to be selected for the NFL HBCU Spotlight Player of the Year for the 2023 season,” Bell told The Famuan, Florida A&M’s student newspaper
“It’s humbling to be mentioned in the same sentence as Russell Wilson and Prime Time Deion Sanders, who have stood on this platform,” Bell added.
Bell signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft, making the Cowboy’s 53-man roster his rookie season.
However, this season, Bell had a breakout year
after converting from safety to linebacker when rookie linebacker DeMarvion Overshown tore his ACL in the preseason. Despite being undersized at 6 ‘3 and 205 lbs, Bell excelled in the role, finishing second on the team with 94 tackles, including 60 solo tackles, four passes defended, three tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles in 17 games, helping the Cowboys win the NFC East with a 12-5 record and making the playoffs for the third straight year.Despite his breakout season, Bell knows he has to improve for the Cowboys to make it further than the wild card round, and intends to go back to work this offseason.
“I know that I must work extremely hard during this off-season to condition my body to prepare for the everyday grind as a professional football player,” Bell said. “I am extremely excited about getting with my coaches and teammates this off-season to study my craft and add more tools to my tool belt.”
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