Cleveland Browns Player Says His Niece Was Born at Indianapolis Stadium During Browns-Colts Game
A Cleveland Browns player just had a game he will never forget. On Sunday, the Browns defeated the Indianapolis Colts, and while Browns wide receiver David Bell was happy with the win, he was also excited that a new family member was welcomed during the game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. He told a reporter that his niece was born during the game. Many of Bell’s family members attended the game since Bell is from Indianapolis. Bell’s mother, Kareem Butler, said the baby’s arrival was a surprise.
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“She was due the 26th, but her mom went into labor as we were crossing the street. So, when they got here, they went to the first aid,” Butler said to WXIN (per PEOPLE). “By the time they got her back there, the baby was crowning, and they delivered her here at the stadium at 1:20.”
Bell, 22, said he was already excited for the game as he had almost 300 family members and friends in attendance. “For a lot of them, this was the first NFL game that they were able to come to, so it was definitely a blessing to see their baby boy’s dreams come to a reality and they can see it in full fruition,” he said in a post-game interview with WLFI.
Bell went to high school at Warren Central in Indianapolis and played college football at Purdue. Former Warren Central coaches were in attendance to see Bell and Colts cornerback Julis Brents who also went to the high school. “It’s a special day for the far east side of Indianapolis,” former Athletic Director Marques Clayton said, per WLFI. “Obviously we had David Bell, who was a superstar student-athlete. And then the opportunity to go against his high school teammate Julius Brents, Juju, it’s just a special day for Warrior Nation.”
Bell caught 93 passes for 1,286 yards and six touchdowns for Purdue in 2021, which led to him being named a consensus All-American. Following his college football career, Bell was selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Bell caught 24 passes for 214 yards in 16 games with three stars. This season, Bell has played in six games and caught four passes for 33 yards.
The Cleveland Browns’ victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday was nothing compared to what was happening elsewhere in the Indiana stadium where they played.
Browns wide receiver David Bell, who hails from Indianapolis, told a reporter that his niece was born at Lucas Oil Stadium during the game.
According to local news outlet WLFI, among Bell’s many family members in attendance for the game was a pregnant woman. Bell’s mother, Kareem Butler, also referred to the new mother — whose name has not been released — as her niece.
Butler shared with WXIN that the baby’s arrival was a surprise as she wasn’t expected to be born until a few days later.
“She was due the 26th, but her mom went into labor as we were crossing the street. So, when they got here, they went to the first aid,” Butler said. “By the time they got her back there, the baby was crowning, and they delivered her here at the stadium at 1:20.”
Ashley Vlaskamp, an advanced EMT with Indianapolis University Health who assisted in the delivery at the stadium, told The Indianapolis Star that they are “very blessed everything went so smoothly.”
“This was really special. It’s something I’m going to cherish forever. It’s an incredible feeling,” Vlaskamp said.
She reflected on the experience, adding, “After everything was over, I kind of had a moment where I just stood there and said, ‘Wow, that just happened.’ The game went on and so did we.”
Bell, 22, was already looking forward to the game before the exciting birth, as he had almost 300 family members and friends in attendance.
“For a lot of them, this was the first NFL game that they were able to come to, so it was definitely a blessing to see their baby boy’s dreams come to a reality and they can see it in full fruition,” he said in a post-game interview with WLFI.
He noted “God’s timing” in the baby’s delivery, and said, “Now I have a new niece, so hopefully I get to see her when I come back to the city.”
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Bell thanked the Colts organization for having “everything situated” and being “quick and responsive” to his family member in a conversation with WRTV. “It’s nothing but hats off to them and I really do appreciate it,” he added.
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