The Incredible Journey of Camp Sensation Quinton Bell

Quinton Bell was a wide receiver in college until, one day, he received a life-changing call from a coach asking him to change positions. Many years and teams later, he could be on the verge of becoming a contributor for the Miami Dolphins.

Aug 12, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Atlanta Falcons linebacker Quinton Bell (56) watches the offense from the sidelines during their preseason game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Edge defender Quinton Bell has been one of the best performers at the Miami Dolphins training camp this summer, but it's been a long road to get to this point, one that has featured detour after detour.

Bell has been signed, released, or transferred to and from the practice squad on 24 different occasions, all within the last three seasons. He has bounced around between the Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, and, since last October, the Dolphins.

Until now, the most significant thing he was known for was playing the role of Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Maxx Crosby on the scout team last season, which got him some good tube time on HBO® Hard Knocks: In Season With The Miami Dolphins.

But that could be about to change for Bell, whose play in camp has been good enough that he's listed first on the depth chart at one of the outside linebacker spots — yes, that's because Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are out, but it's impressive nonetheless.

"I feel like my whole career, starting in college, has just been a grind. 'Get it out the mud,' as we say, and going through that has just made me stronger," Bell said after practice Monday.

"It's made me stronger; it's made me work even harder. I love it when people tell me, 'I can't.' I love it when people tell me, 'No,' because I've always known what I'm about, and I've always known my skill set and what I can be."

The Call That Changed Bell's Life

Bell started as a wide receiver at little-known Prairie View A&M University in Texas. One day, he was napping when coach Todd Middleton called him. That phone call might have changed his entire life.

"He was the one who basically called me. I was taking a nap in my dorm room one day, and he called me and said, 'Hey man, come in and talk to me.' He said, 'I want you to come edge rush,' and really, at the time, it was a crazy request," Bell reminisced.

"I was a receiver. I was about 215 [pounds], lanky. But he started talking to me about opportunity, he started talking about the NFL, and ultimately, it's the best decision I've ever made to this day, for sure."

Bell was the biggest surprise at the Dolphins' training camp. He went from being the guy nobody knew to the guy everyone had been asking about. On Monday, he was the guy wearing the orange jersey, a symbol of recognition given to the top performer the previous day, at practice.

"I'm definitely getting a lot of great reviews, great reviews from my peers and people gaining respect and gaining that trust. I just feel like I've been flying around," Bell said. "It's all my hard work. It's always a wonderful feeling when you feel like you're coming out here and grinding every day, trying to get better and just leaving it all out there, and that work is being noticed and appreciated."

Bell's speed, agility, and determination have been particularly impressive, and his potential impact on the Dolphins' defense is becoming more evident with each practice.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has certainly taken notice. That is why Bell was wearing the orange jersey, awarded to the player who had the best practice the day before.

"Here's a guy that comes to work every day with no excuses. He doesn't tally how many opportunities he gets; he makes the most of the ones that he does get," McDaniel said. "And because of that, when you have that type of mindset, you get more and more opportunities. So he's at a cool spot in his career."

Bell does not believe being honored with the orange jersey is the pinnacle of his success. He wants to continue to grow as a player. He wants to be the type of player that people can count on. He wants a job.

"It only makes you want to go harder, so I come out here every day. That orange jersey is only the beginning," Bell said. "I want to continue to stack these days, continue to get better, continue to gain trust with these coaches. That's my main goal."