D-E-M-E-T-R-E-S-S. What's in a name?
Demetress, who used to be Demetrius, Bell
D-E-M-E-T-R-E-S-S. What's in a name?
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
The legend of Howard Mudd grows. We already knew that he was a molder of men, a mad scientist among offensive line coaches, and the inspiration for a frequently hilarious fake Twitter feed called @HowardMuddFacts.
Now we know this: that it was Mudd who insisted that his newly-signed left tackle, Demetress Bell, fix the spelling of his first name and change it from the incorrect "Demetrius."
"It was at dinner," Bell was saying Thursday, at his introductory press conference. Right at the start, Mudd asked him how to pronounce his name correctly. He asked if it was "Duh-MEE-tree-us" or "Duh-MEE-trus," and Bell told him it was the latter, and then Bell told him the rest of the story.
For his whole life, Bell had spelled it "Demetrius." But at some point, he got a look at his birth certificate and it was spelled "Demetress."
"I didn't care," Bell said. "That's how I learned to spell it growing up. That's how I spelled it until I looked at my birth certificate...When did I? I don't know. It was probably when I went to college. You don't look at your birth certificate until you have to take it to school. I'm sure it was right around that time."
Whatever and whenever, it was Mudd who insisted that it be fixed. So the coach went to the Eagles' public relations department and it was fixed. The name was spelled correctly in all of the team releases on the signing of Bell to replace the injured Jason Peters, and it was spelled correctly on a souvenir football that Bell clutched after the press conference was over.
In all, it was Muddian multitasking of the highest order. He will change Bell's technique in pass protection and he will change the spelling of his name, and he will do it all with the wave of the cane he used last year following mid-season hip surgery.
Meanwhile, Demetress Bell laughed.
"You make me feel like Chad Ochocinco," he said. "..It's really not a big deal."
Demetress, DeSean, LeSean, who cares? I like the old school better, with their nicknames supporting the legend of their play, Night Train, Galloping Ghost, Hacksaw, Concrete Charlie. Last names that put fear in an opposing player; Butkus, Nitschke, Bergey, White and Lambert. All coached by iron hearted legends like Halas, Lombardi, Neale.
The NFL is in a state of flux now where it is becoming several steps below a flag football league. I cannot imagine those iron willed players and coaches surviving one week in this new era of the Roger Goodell Experiment. Bring back the old days when legends ruled the gridiron!— DelawareRiverRat- No matter what all the Negative Nancys, Debbie Downers, or Spoil-sport Sallys say, the Eagles have had a good offseason. If they sign Shady to a long-term, incentive-laden deal, it will be a GREAT offseason, regardless of the draft. Just draft best available from 15 on......— IdahoMoose
- I wonder if Anfernee Hardaway ever looked at his birth certificate and found out he was really an Italian named Anthony— mikeyhigs
- thank god they signed bell.....now they will have options at the draft....will be able to take best player at 15— bigpaulie
Bronko Nagurski— verve- And that's why my wise old grandmother thought that an older, respectable woman should have the job of smackin' young mothers if they invent a new spelling or new name.— Warhound
- As long as it is DaMattress— SkipinWV
- Keep Vick of his back and we will call you whatever you want!— Blue and White
- Wonder if he's related to Dwy-ane Wade.— dasher
- It is why players love Mudd, because this was a sign that he respects the player and cares about them beyond the field.— JBP
- Was there a father listed on the birth certificate?— Newsreader55
- Was your father a trashy, undereducated bigot too? — ahab
- You are too quick to make assumptions. What is trashy, undereducated, and and bigotted about that comment? Apparently Karl Malone is his father. And his mom was 13 when she got preganant. Could it be that maybe Newsreader55 was referring to that? — mikeyhigs
- When I saw how it was spelled it looked like a terrible coincidence to the relationship between his mother and father. It looked far too close to "mistress's son" or "lover's son," from the French word "Maitresse" which means mistress (and of course the "de" meaning "of"). A man whose name is "Mudd" (whose name is not mud) is wise to fix this.
— TongueWagger - So his mother never realizes that he is spelling his name wrong all his life. Epic parenting failure. And we wonder why so many of this kids have problems dealing with the money and fame that come with being a professional athlete.— blaqjaq
