Still need to make Easter dining reservations? Check out these 6 cool brunch spots
SPORTS

Markquese Bell celebrates his commitment to Maryland

MATT SILVA
@mattysilv
Bridgeton High School senior Markquese Bell celebrated the signing of his National Letter of Intent to play football for the University of MAryland on Tuesday at Bridgeton High School.

BRIDGETON – All of the noise, all of the worries. Markquese Bell can finally put them to rest.

Bell, a senior at Bridgeton High School, celebrated his National Letter of Intent signing to play football for the University of Maryland on Tuesday at Bridgeton.

In front of the school, friends and family, Bell showed appreciation for the support he has been given during his time as a Bulldog.

Everyone wants a piece of Bridgeton's Markquese Bell

“I just want to say thank you to everybody that’s in this room for helping me throughout these four years,” Bell said. “Thanks to coach (Dave) Ellen for helping me during this recruiting process.

“It was just everybody that supported me. Sometimes when I thought I couldn’t do it, you all helped me through it, helped me with my classes and everything, so thank you.”

There will be no more calls from schools and no fans blowing up his Twitter feed to pick their alma mater. Bell now has a chance to breathe.

“It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders,” Bell said. “I don’t gotta deal with coaches hitting me up every day and I can just focus on school for right now. I’ve got finals this week and I’ve got move-in on Saturday. It’s a lot less I’ve gotta worry about.”

As an early enrollee, Bell will take his remaining finals this week before heading to Maryland on Saturday. He will officially begin classes on Monday and will also be able to start working out with the team.

“I think it’s a relief on his part and probably on everybody’s part,” Ellen said. “He started his sophomore year. He was really a kid that in his freshman year, he was worried that it wasn’t going to happen for him. I think it takes a kid like that.

“He stuck to his plan, he (sought) out advice and used it. He didn’t try to do it all by himself. He’s a worker and I think that’s going to make him successful at the next level too – always thinking that he hasn’t arrived. That attitude bodes well in college.”

It was a big moment for Bell, but one just as big for the school. Bell was ranked No. 95 on ESPN’s Top 300 recruitment rankings, so the recruitment process was unique for everyone involved.

The road was tough a times, but Ellen was happy to guide him through it.

“To me, it seems like he’s been around forever,” Ellen said. “I remember him when his older brother Sam was being recruited. He was an eleven-year-old skinny kid we took up to Brooklyn, NY. He didn’t speak the whole trip up there.

“He hasn’t changed much – he doesn’t talk much, but to see where he has come from, coach (Kevin) Nash will back me up on this – that speech he gave right there probably wouldn’t have been possible three years ago. He has grown an awful lot and it’s due to everybody around here. He’s got a great support system and he’s one of the kids that took advantage of the support system and this is where it leads. We’re all really proud of him.”

WATCH: The Recruitment of Markquese Bell

Bell made his final decision between Maryland and Ohio State live on ESPN in the fourth quarter of the Under Armour All-American Game in Orlando, Florida on Jan. 1.

“I feel at home down there. It’s just a great atmosphere,” Bell said on his decision to choose Maryland. “And the coaching staff is really good. They went from 3-9 to 6-7 this year. Not everybody has faith in them, but I believe we can turn it around and we can be a winning team next year.”

Normally a three-sport athlete, Bell would be getting ready for basketball practice and gearing up for spring track. Now, Bell will leave that behind to get an early jump on his studies and workouts with the Maryland football team.

The goal is to become a starter from day one. Bell expects to be utilized as a safety, but he’s willing to do anything to take the field as quickly as possible.

“I’m just excited for the workouts and how they’re going to develop me more,” Bell said. “I can just focus on one sport. Here, it’s football, basketball and track. It’s fun, but it’s a lot of distractions when you don’t get to focus on that one sport all year. Now that I can get that focus, I think I can excel.

“I’m going to work as hard as I can to put myself in the best position to start and if that doesn’t happen, I will contribute in any way I can.”

Matt Silva; (856) 563-5322msilva@gannettnj.com