MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama football linebacker Christian Bell recently sat down with USAJaguars.com to discuss his long journey to Mobile, what he likes best about playing his position and his leadership style, among other things.

Bell, a senior from Birmingham, Ala., joined the Jaguars program during the offseason after transferring from Wisconsin. While with the Badgers, Bell appeared in 24 contests the last three seasons, posting a combined eight stops with two behind the line of scrimmage. Bell initially began his collegiate career at Alabama during the 2016 season after concluding his prep career at Hoover High where he helped the Bucs to a 42-2 overall record and three straight state titles his final three years at the school.

You began your college career at Alabama before transferring to Wisconsin and then signing with South this past spring. Talk to me about your journey here to South Alabama.
"It was a long, hard journey for myself, but I definitely learned a lot from it. You never want to go through some of the adversity that I've been through, but I definitely feel it's helped make me who I am today. There are certain things that I used to do that I do not do now. Going from Alabama to Wisconsin was a huge difference. Both of them are good programs. South Alabama has been good to me since I arrived here. I'm glad to be here, the people are awesome. I'm just happy that I still have the opportunity to play football."

What attracted you to the Jaguar program? What factored into your decision to come to South Alabama?
"Initially, I was planning on going to Illinois, but things didn't work out as originally planned. One of the biggest things that factored into my coming to South was the closeness to home. I'd been at Wisconsin for four years and I wanted to move closer to home. I'd only been able to see my family two or three times a year. Now, I'm able to see my parents two or three times in a week since they moved to Florida. They live in Niceville, so now it's just a two-hour drive to see them."

How did your time at Wisconsin prepare you to make an impact here at South?
"At Wisconsin, I learned a lot about the X's and O's of football and about coverages and defending different formations. Having that knowledge has helped me out here, because if I see a certain formation, I know there are only a certain amount of plays an offense is going to be able to run out of it. Not many freshmen are able to notice those types of things. It takes time and experience."

You weren't able to have a traditional spring due to the pandemic. Talk to me about that challenge and how the transition to a new program has been for you?
"Initially, I wasn't going to transfer to a program in the spring because of the timing. Wisconsin played in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 and most schools begin classes on Jan. 6, so it was kind of a quick turnaround. I decided to take my time with that decision because quick decisions aren't always the best decisions. I decided to stay with my family and work out on my own. The first month, I was able to go to the gym, but with the pandemic those were eventually shut down. I just worked out on a football field. It was good and bad."

What do you like about playing in defensive coordinator Greg Stewart's scheme?
"I like the fact that the 'Bandit' – my position – does a lot of things. One of the things they told me when I was deciding to come here was that they wanted to send the 'Bandit' more in their pass rush this season. I'm able to rush more, which I feel is one of my strengths, than I was able to at Wisconsin."

What do you like most about playing your position?
"I like just being able to do multiple things out on the field. On one play, I might cover the running back out of the backfield. On another, I might cover a wide receiver, and the next I might rush the quarterback, set the edge of the line, or do a stunt. You do pretty much everything you can do on defense at that position."

What do you see as your role on the defense?
"My role on the defense is to get to the quarterback, to set the edge of the defense, and to lead the young guys."

What type of leadership style do you use? Do you lead by example, are you a vocal leader or is it a combination?
"I don't really see myself as a vocal leader because I'm not going to yell. I'm going to go to the guy individually and talk with them face-to-face and help them. The coaches may not notice that, but the players do and that's what matters."

What one area of your game did you want to focus on improving this season?
"I wanted to work on playing the run better and setting a firm edge."

What do you feel are some of the key areas the defense needs to focus on in order to be successful?
"We have to create turnovers, first and foremost. We also have to get the quarterback on the ground on third down. If we do that, I think we'll be fine."

What are some goals you set for yourself this season?
"This season, I want to help South Alabama become a winning program. I want to help move the program in the right direction and help the young guys as much as I'm able to with the knowledge I've learned over time so they don't make the same mistakes I did. The thing I love to do is help others. I have a passion for that. I just like helping people and I want to help as many people as I can."

Whether it is after your playing days here at South or after a professional career, what do you want to do after your football career is over?
"I'm going to coach. When I was a senior in high school, I coached a fifth-grade Pop Warner team and I fell in love with it. That's where I see myself. I see myself always trying to help others, and that goes along with coaching."

Who has had the biggest influence on your life?
"I would mention a couple of people. First I would say Adrian Abrams, who is the head coach at Minor High School. He was my coach at Hoover High School. He motivated me and stayed on me. He coached me as if I was his son. He helped me not only in the game of football, but in life. He always related things he was teaching me to something in life, it was easier for me to see the meaning to things because of that. I'm always the person that ask 'Why I'm doing this?' or 'What's the meaning?' because I want to know. I don't want to do things just to do it. He's my mentor and I still call him every once in a while. He definitely changed my life.
"I would also just say my family in general. My mom and my stepdad keep me sane. When I'm down or upset, they don't let me stay that way. They've also shown me a lot of life lessons. They've been through a lot. They've learned a lot, and they 've tried to teach me how to do things the right way."

What was it like growing up with seven siblings, and how did that help you?
"I'm the oldest, so I feel it helped me develop leadership skills. My parents worked a lot, so it was myself with the kids a lot. I had to mature quick, because I didn't have a choice. I feel I'm a lot more mature because of it."

What do you like to do in your spare time?
"I like to go fishing and hang around family. I like to talk about old stories with them. I'm not a video game guy at all. That's pretty much it."

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