OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Although most Ravens fans could have never imagined Le’Veon Bell in purple, the longtime rival says it’s been in the works since he took off the Pittsburgh uniform for good.
"Honestly, when I first left, the Ravens were one of the teams that I was kind of looking at. So, it wasn’t far-fetched," he said.
The longtime Steeler signed with Baltimore before week one in a rush to fill Baltimore's injured running back room.
"Coming here, running downhill, the Ravens were a great opportunity for me," said Bell. "So, I would start foaming at the mouth when they started calling me."
The 29-year-old is coming off his best game a a Raven. He had eleven carries for 48 yards and a touchdown in thewin over Minnesota. He is getting more and more comfortable and building that chemistry with Lamar Jackson.
"The coaches did a great job of not putting too much on my plate, just letting me come in, get my feet wet, getting the timing down with Lamar," said Bell. "So, it’s like now to the point where it’s like second nature. It’s like I don’t even think about it when I’m out there with him."
"He has been getting better, getting a feel for the game, hitting the holes a little harder," said Jackson. "He just got to keep going, each and every week keep getting better, keep staying locked in."
If you noticed after Bell’s touchdown against the Vikings it didn’t look like he was in the end zone. I looked like he was in the ring. Boxing is something he says has helped him on the field.
"It’s something I started taking kind of seriously at the end of last year. I still go twice a week. I go after the games all the time just to kind of get my hips loose," said Bell. "It helps with my legs and conditioning, my mentality."
Bell and the Ravens look to deliver that next knockout blow Thursday night at 8:20 p.m. in Miami against the Dolphins.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
