High School

Texas commit Dia Bell suffers leg injury and is carted off

Star quarterback left his team's Class 4A playoff game after being dragged down from behind with his team trailing early in the second half

Gary Adornato

American Heritage Patriots quarterback Dia Bell (3), a University of Texas 5-star commit, suffered a leg injury in Friday's playoff game against Dillard and was carted off the field.
American Heritage Patriots quarterback Dia Bell (3), a University of Texas 5-star commit, suffered a leg injury in Friday's playoff game against Dillard and was carted off the field. / Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

American Heritage 5-star quarterback Dia Bell, a University of Texas commit, left Friday's Florida Class 4A playoff game with Dillard, early in the second half, with what appeared to be a serious leg injury.

With his team trailing 14-0, Bell complete a pass inside the Dillard 10 yard line and then carried the ball on the next play, on a quarterback draw. As he approached the five yard line, Bell was pulled down from behind. He quickly jumped to his feet, but could not put any weight on his right leg.

Hopping on his left leg, Bell attempted to make his way to the American Heritage sideline, before collapsing to the turf and writhing in pain as he clutched his right knee. Athletic trainers quickly rushed to his aid and after being tended to for several minutes, he was placed in a cart and removed from the field.

Bell reportedly signed a six-figure NIL deal with Leaf Trading Card this summer. It was one of the most lucrative deals every signed by a Florida high school athlete. In June he announced his decision to commit to Texas.

On3.com rates Bell as the No. 6 overall player in the nation and the No. 2 quarterback, as well as the No. 1 player in Florida.

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Gary Adornato
GARY ADORNATO

Gary Adornato began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982, while still a mass communications major at Towson University, and in 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor.

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