Former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell was taken into custody in Ohio on Sunday after authorities executed a warrant from Michigan related to unpaid child support. Records from the Stark County Sheriff’s Department indicate Bell was held as a “courtesy hold for another agency.”
The 34-year-old athlete was in Canton for a fan meet-and-greet event at a local shopping center. The arrest occurred after the event, based on a Michigan warrant concerning overdue child support payments.
Warrant leads to arrest in Stark County
Officials in Stark County detained Bell due to an outstanding warrant from Michigan. The warrant originated from a child support case where Bell had accumulated arrears, as reported by the Canton Repository.
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office became involved due to the financial amount tied to the case, which ultimately led to the warrant and Bell’s arrest during his visit to Ohio.
Bell, a native of Groveport, Ohio, was taken into custody roughly two hours away from his hometown.
Attorney addresses ongoing payment dispute
Bell’s legal representative, Thomas Shaffer, stated that the former running back has struggled to meet the required payments because the amounts are still calculated based on his NFL-era earnings.
Shaffer noted that Bell recently withdrew funds from his NFL pension and paid $50,000 in child support for the child involved roughly six months ago. However, he contends that the current payment guidelines still reflect Bell’s previous NFL salary and professional boxing income, not his current earnings.
According to Shaffer, the situation recurs because the mandated payments do not align with Bell’s present financial reality. He believes the court should review and adjust the support obligation based on Bell’s current income level.
NFL career and standout years in Pittsburgh
Bell played eight seasons in the NFL, with his last game occurring in 2021. Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2013 draft, he quickly became one of the league’s premier running backs.
From 2014 to 2017, Bell earned three Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors. He rushed for over 1,200 yards in three of those four seasons and finished his Steelers tenure as the franchise’s fourth-leading rusher.
His 2,215 all-purpose yards in 2014 remain a Pittsburgh franchise record. Bell also holds the team’s single-season records for receptions by a running back (85 in 2017) and receiving yards by a running back (854 in 2014).
Earnings and career path after Pittsburgh
According to Over the Cap, Bell earned $44.8 million over his NFL career. His total could have been significantly higher, but he opted to sit out the entire 2018 season rather than play under the franchise tag for a second straight year, after receiving the tag in 2017.
That decision cost him $14.5 million in salary and also ended his five-year run with Pittsburgh. He later played for the Jets, Ravens, Chiefs, and Buccaneers over the next three seasons but never matched the production of his peak years.
Since leaving the NFL, Bell has focused on music and boxing. His boxing career includes a knockout victory over Adrian Peterson in 2022.