NBer selected by Hamilton Tiger Cats in CFL draft

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It was deep into the evening when Daniel Bell of Saint John found out he was heading to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

But when his name was selected in the fourth round, 34th overall, of Tuesday’s Canadian Football League draft, word spread fast, with many in the Port City area as well as Sackville, where he played and starred for the Mount Allison Mounties, celebrating the reward for his years of dedication and excellence on the field.

“I think my parents (Bruce and Marlene) were more excited than I was when they saw my name get drafted on the board,” said Bell, the 22-year-old graduate of Saint John High School. “I know they are very proud of me, seeing all the hard work I have put in over the years.”

The highlight draft moment came after months of training and preparation following the end of the 2023 Atlantic University Sport season, which included the CFL combine earlier this spring and a series of intensive interviews with many organizations in the nine-team loop.

“I am very fortunate to stay in the East Coast,” said Bell, a six-foot-two, 215-pound defensive back. “I would have been excited to go anywhere but staying in the east, it holds a special place in my heart. My family is closer and it makes it a little more convenient to travel home. I think I am going to be a good fit for that team as well. I am very excited.”

The Ticats selected eight Canadians in the draft, somewhat of a rarity, considering one-third of the picks were American-born players. The team’s GM Ed Hervey says they wanted to fill some holes on defence and Bell was their third pick, and second defender taken.

“I had an interview with them and I thought it went well,” Bell said. “The majority of my interviews went well so I don’t think the Ticats interview was anything over the top and I was not thinking that for sure, I was going to go there. But it was definitely in the cards. I was not overly surprised but it was a sense of relief when I heard I was going there.”

The draft started Tuesday at approximately 9 p.m. ADT and it was after 11:30 p.m. when Bell learned of the Ticats selection.

“It was exciting,” he said. “It was a little nerve wracking waiting to see where I was going. It was very rewarding and well worth the wait to find out where I was going to pursue my football career.”

Hamilton finished 8-10 in the CFL’s East Division in 2023 before falling to Montreal in the opening round of the playoffs.

“The first thing the GM said when he called me was that they felt very fortunate to have selected me at that time in the fourth round,” Bell said. “They are definitely looking for me to be a contributor to the team right away, whether that is on special teams or serving in a big backup role to a starter.

“One thing they were saying is that they want me to bring the physicality I play with to the team.”

Bell said rookie training camp starts May 8, a two-day mini camp, and that is followed by the team’s main camp three days later. The first pre-season game is May 25 at home to Ottawa.

“It all comes quick,” Bell said.

Bell will graduate this month at Mount Allison with his psychology degree. On the field, he was a force with the Mounties. He played 30 games and made 177 tackles, seven sacks, 19 tackles for loss and nabbed six interceptions.

He was the Atlantic University Sport defensive player of the year in 2021 and 2023 and was a first team all-Canadian in 2021 and a second team all-Canadian in 2023.