N.B. football star's hard work, training land him spot in CFL Combine

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A New Brunswick football player is in the running to play at the professional level.

Daniel Bell of Saint John participated in the 2024 Canadian Football League Combine last week, and the 22-year-old defensive back from Mount Allison is the only player from a New Brunswick school, and from Atlantic University Sport, to attend this year’s combine.

Bell has spent years preparing for this stage of his career after starting out in football when he was 12.

“It’s been almost a decade in the making, and a lot of hard work, a lot of training and a lot of sacrifices,” said Bell. “Being able to see it pay off on the draft day would just mean everything to me.”

Combine participants enter multiple challenges to measure their physical skills on the field. Bell finished sixth on the bench press, ran a 4.88 in the 40-yard dash, tied for ninth in the vertical jump at 35.5 inches, 9’10 1/8″ in the broad jump, was sixth in the 3-cone at 6.87, and fourth in the shuttle at 4.25.

Bell said the experience at the combine was a bit stressful going in with months of preparation coming down to the wire. He said overall, he did well with a couple of events he wishes he could do again.

The 2024 CFL Draft will take place on April 30 in Toronto with 74 open draft slots across eight rounds.

Bell said one major factor he’d bring to a CFL club is his tackling ability.

“I’ve gotten a lot of tackle reps over the years from football, and also from rugby,” said Bell. “I think the combination of those two sports has really helped me get a lot of tackling reps and getting good at it.”

Bell is coming off of his fourth season with the Mounties where he was named an AUS all-star for the fourth time. This past season, he led the AUS in total tackles (63), tackles (49), and second in assisted tackles (28).

Despite his busy schedule last week, he still took the time to be in touch with the people who helped him get there. David Grandy, Bell’s high school coach, said he got a text from his former player the day prior to Thursday’s combine.

“He (Bell) was highly motivated and driven. I saw those traits in him when he was here, and I knew he was going to want to do some great things,” said Grandy. “This has been one of his dreams and that’s been a part of him, and we still talk about the times here and that these were the things that were on his mind, even when he was in high school.”

If drafted, Bell would be the 30th player from Mount Allison to be drafted into the CFL. He would also be the third New Brunswicker from Mount Allison to be drafted in two years.

He’d join Moncton’s Reece Martin, who was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Lucas Cormier of Sackville, who was taken by the Ottawa Redblacks, both in 2023.

Mounties head coach Peter Fraser said that Bell is an ultimate competitor.

“I can count on one hand how many guys in my 20 years of working with high-level athletes at the university level (who have) the amount of compete level that reaches his level,” said Fraser.

Fraser said Bell is an athlete who combines the ability to run while being in a 6’2″, 218-pound frame.

Originally from Oromocto, Fraser said Bell being from New Brunswick can make the path to the CFL a little more difficult. He said Bell’s success is a testament to his hard work.

“We’re over the moon here as a program and couldn’t be happier for him as a young man,” said Fraser. “I’m from New Brunswick originally, so (it’s) kind of a little bit of a special added bonus to it to see another New Brunswick player that has come through our program.”

Bell played two seasons at Saint John High.

Grandy said they were fortunate to have him in their program, playing both as a defensive back and a running back.

“He just eats, sleeps, and breathes football.”