Madden mo-cap actor making a play for the real NFL

Withhis EA career on pause, Bell recently began training at theCarlsbad's Velocity Sport Performance;a program which grooms potential major league footballers for interviews with NFL scouts. And though he admits his age andsmaller stature are significant roadblocks, Bell told North County Times he is excited to be taking a shot at his lifelong dream regardless, saying, "I took an absence from my job and stepped out on a leap of faith. Even when I tried to walk away, get a normal job and just live a normal life, [football] just came knocking. I know it's something I have to fulfill."

Bell played football for Hofstra University in his early 20s, but took a job as a mo-cap actor after leaving the school undrafted and finding no love for menial jobs. Bell has since stayed in the NFL's periphery as an assistant coach for football teams at various schools, and has used his time at EA to hone his skills.

In a 2007interview with Sports Illustrated, he spoke to his future ambitions, stating, "I don't want people saying, 'He's just in a video game' ...My goal is to get on a real team."

Bell is preparing to participate in San Diego State's pro daylater this month. We wish him the best of luck. We also hope his heartwarming tale about a video game mo-cap actor trying out for the big leagues becomes a story of inspiration, and not source material for a Rob Schneider film.

Source:North County Times

Mar 7, 2011

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Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries.