NSU wide receiver Bell to leave early for NFL

Chris Bell received the answer he was looking for from the NFL Advisory Committee.

"Draftable," was the assessment of the Norfolk State receiver, after reviewing game film. Armed with that endorsement, the Granby High graduate decided to pass on his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft.

"Once the NFL said he was draftable, it was pretty clear he was gone," NSU coach Pete Adrian said. "I wish him the best."

The committee projected that Bell could be picked anywhere from the fifth to the seventh rounds, Adrian said. Bell has signed with an agent and is working out in New Jersey.

Bell, 22, was an All-MEAC pick in his only NSU season, catching 51 passes for 958 yards and 13 touchdowns. He came to NSU after two seasons at Penn State, where he was dismissed from the team following an incident in which he confronted a teammate with a knife in a dispute over a cell phone.

Bell received probation in connection with the incident and returned home in 2008. He sat out the 2008 season to improve his grades and blossomed into the MEAC's most dominant receiver in 2009.

At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Bell showed the ability that made him one of the nation's top receiver prospects coming out of Granby in 2006.

"Ability-wise, he has the talent, so we'll see what happens," Adrian said. "If they get him to the (NFL) combine, he'll go off the charts."

Bell did not immediately return a phone call Thursday. In a brief statement released through NSU, he said he was grateful for his time at the school.

"I am excited to take the next step in my football career," he said. "I appreciate everything the people at NSU have done for me. I wish the program luck."

Ed Miller, (757) 446-2372 ed.miller@pilotonline.com