MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — It was during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when Dia Bell — now known as one of the top-ranked quarterback prospects in the 2026 recruiting cycle and who is committed to Texas — knew it was time to talk with his father, Raja Bell, about his athletic future.
They had just wrapped up an intense basketball workout in South Florida when Dia told his father he was ready to go all-in on football. That decision meant basketball — the sport Raja thrived at as one of the top defenders in the NBA during the 2000s — would get put on the back burner for his son.
“Basketball has always been one of my first loves, but (football) was kind of my path for me,” Dia Bell told CBS Sports. “When COVID came around, you couldn’t get into (basketball) gyms anymore. My dad didn’t like it at first, but he definitely respected it.”
Dia Bell named Elite 11 MVP: Five-star QB becomes first Texas commit to win award
Carter Bahns
Even though that news “surprised” Raja initially, it appears his son made the right decision. Bell earned MVP honors of the 2025 Elite 11 — known as the showcase featuring the country’s best high school quarterbacks — and became the first player committed to Texas in the 26-year history of the event to earn that distinction.
“I was excited that he felt comfortable saying that to me,” Raja Bell told CBS Sports. “I was a little…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/texas-5-star-qb-commit-dia-bell-carves-own-path-in-football-with-assist-from-father-ex-nba-standout/
Author : Cameron Salerno
Publish date : 2025-06-20 18:39:00
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