31 October 2026
For over a decade now, Jason Bell has been the face of the NFL in the UK. As the sport grows in popularity on this side of the Atlantic thanks to multiple games in London, and now Dublin and Paris, Bell has been instrumental in moving American Football culture forward.
As part of our series The Crossbar, Mixtape Madness sat down with Jason to discuss his NFL journey, his predictions for the season, and five songs that shaped his career:
How did your love for American football start?
I’d say as a kid, playing in the neighbourhood, but I started playing organised football around 14 and just really fell in love with it. A neighbor of mine, their parents were big football fans, big New York Giants fans, and I remember going over there and watching a game and I thought, man, this is crazy. I want this in my life.
It was the one thing I did that gave me a sense of direction. Something you do with your friends, but as soon as I got a taste for it? Man, I was addicted. Just to progress, the hurdles you have to face to get better. I just tapped into it, and to your point, it’s been kind of my guiding star of my life because of that.
The college system in American sports differs a lot from our academy systems here. How did that play into your career?
It’s huge because obviously you play youth football, play in high school, and then to continue to play, you gotta go to college, right? I think that was probably the most significant part of the process because when I fell in love with the game, I wanted to keep playing and college was the next step. It made me focus on school and education because you have to have that to get to college in the first place. It’s quite tribal, like football in this country. When I think about it, I would say most people’s loyalty is with their college. I went to UCLA – I had a good time, man.
You went to the NFL undrafted. What kind of mentality do you have to have to make it into the league and make yourself stick?
I’m so thankful that happened, especially now because whatever life challenges that I face, I know I can find a way to make it happen. It wasn’t given to me. The thing that you learn when you are undrafted is you cannot allow that position to dictate your next step or your future. You can feel like, because I wasn’t chosen, then I can accept whatever happens to me. That’s not the case because I went there and I was delusional about where I stood, and that’s the only way I made the team.
That’s the only way I continued my career. To this point, whatever I do, whatever I face, whatever challenge, or hurdles in my way, I still have that mentality. I wouldn’t have learned that if I was drafted. Like anything in life, man, you can’t let anybody choose your path or your future. Being undrafted just showed me that.
As someone who didn’t come in with much hype around them, how do you assert yourself in a locker room?
First of all, you gotta be yourself. Whoever you are, people are willing to accept that. And then whatever skill you have, whatever role you’re best at, you gotta identify that and know that. A lot of times people try to do too much. And on a team, you have a role, right? You might have a different perspective on something that you want to be or become. But on that team, you have a role.
I was very clear on what I needed to do and how I needed to produce, and that’s how I stuck around. Just identifying that and obviously each year working on your craft, getting better at the things you need to improve on.
What would you say your career highlights were?
I always remember the beginning. The 1st game, and I can remember the plays vividly. The things I was doing. And I also remember the last. I walked in here with my best friend, who you met earlier (Tony Parrish). He’s a former player too, and my last game I played in was in the playoffs. Oh, man, it was shaky at the end.
I end up having a really good game, but it’s funny. The game was over. Tony called me and was like, “hey, man, that 1st quarter was a little shakey, there, wasn’t it?” But it was one of the best games I’ve ever played. It was the last game. I remember at the beginning when I was nervous in my career, and I remember at the end really enjoying it. To this day, everything I do, I try to be really present and enjoy what I’m doing because I might not ever do it again. I vividly remember that.
Song Selections
DMX – Stop Being Greedy
That was in college, man. You put that on and I was ready to go! Even when I was playing in the NFL, sometimes you just need to turn it up. When I used to play that song, man, I was ready. It’s just the energy DMX brings, right? You could be feeling like you don’t have it that day. You put some DMX on, and I needed to be greedy, you know? That got me going.
His voice as well. It just does it, right? It’s just like he’s talking to you and you’re like, “let’s go!” It’s like a hype video, man. On game day, you’re just locked in, you got your headphones on. It’s whatever you want to do. Sometimes I’d come out a little calm, a little peaceful, and then I just ramp it up as it got closer to the game. DMX is the one that I would play straight before. I was ready to run through a wall. Go time.
Nas – If I Ruled The World
Nas is my favourite rapper. I could listen to Nas all day. I always like to go back and try to remember what I felt like as a kid, when I fell in love with the game. And Nas, If I Ruled The World, that does that for me. I’ve met Nas before and I was such a fan, man. That’s my guy.
Nas brings me back to when I fell in love with the game. Unbelievable storyteller. Unbelievable cadence. Not only is he telling a story, but he’s educating you at the same time, and I really appreciate that about his skills. Making all those albums at such a young age, too. It’s pretty incredible. Unbelievable.
2Pac – Ambitionz Az a Ridah
I mean, come on. That’s up there with Stop Being Greedy, DMX. I just remember in high school playing that before the game. We all just used to huddle up and listen to that, man. Straight west coast – I love that. They used to call me West Coast in the locker room after that.
I was always tapped into Pac, man. Pac was worldwide. Every state in America people were Tupac fans. I was in high school right before I went to college when that album dropped and it was everything, everywhere. It brings me back to that point where I can remember as a kid, loving this game for the purity of it, and those songs do that for me.
Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg – Nuthin’ But a G Thang
I’m from Long Beach, California. When Snoop comes out, it changes everything. We are on the map because of Snoop Dogg. That was the song, when it came out and it was like, “look at us”, you know? You got the Long Beach hat on. We had never seen anything like that. So just what he’s done and for the city I’m from, representing who and what we are, I could go anywhere in the world and they’re like, where are you from? I’ll be like, I’m from Long Beach, you know, Snoop Dogg?
I’ve always loved anything that Dre does as far as the beats are concerned. That’s once again taking me back to that time when I was young and I fell in love with this game. The chemistry between the 2 of them as well is something undeniable. Man, they make magic. Back and forth, the sound. It’s just so cool, man. I do remember hearing though about how Jay-Z wrote the lyrics for Still D.R.E, I was upset about that.
UGK – Ridin’ Dirty
When I was playing in Texas I had a friend, his name is Dimitri Evans. He’s a defensive lineman. And in my position, we always hung out with the big defence guys a lot. He was from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he said, “You’ve never heard of UGK?” He was playing it in the car. I was like, “what is this?”
It was then that I fell in love with my favourite group, probably besides Outkast. I loved it. I had never heard anything like it. I went through their whole catalogue to just catch up with all the years. Huge UGK fan. When I was in Houston, they were living out there. Bun B is out there now, still. I loved playing in Texas because I’d never seen or experienced anything like it.
You’ve been in the UK for quite a while now expanding the profile of the NFL. How much do you think the sport has grown here since you first arrived?
It’s grown a lot, and I would say it’s because of the fans. I really appreciate this nation because it is a sporting nation. They understand the sporting culture, and I think that because the games are here as part of the NFL’s ambition that has helped.
The reason I love being here is because I feel like it’s my job to continue to go out there and educate people on a game that might be new to them, but try to get them involved and try to get them focussed and fall in love with it because of how I present it, and discuss and talk about the game. It’s just like anything that’s new, man, if you’re the vessel, if you’re the one breaking it down and describing it, it’s a privilege. That’s why I love being here, man.
Jason Bell’s Quickfire NFL Picks
MVP: Brock Purdy
Super Bowl: Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers
Dark Horses: Jacksonville Jaguars