The Name's Bellore, Nick Bellore
Nick Bellore does not wear sharp tuxedos or Tom Ford shirts to do his dirty work like a certain secret agent from Britain. However, with his helmet and pads, he takes care of bad guys just the same.
For several years, Bellore was an unheralded linebacker who started his career with the Jets and 49ers. He even made 83 tackles for San Francisco back in 2016.
In 2017, he reinvented himself as a fullback for the Lions, even catching a touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. His transformation at the NFL level was, as the late, great Sean Connery would say: "shocking, positively shocking."
Ahead of the 2019 season, he arrived in Seattle to aid in the Seahawks' heavy run attack, as well as provide a boost on special teams. Over the last two seasons, he's played 560 snaps on special teams and 64 on offense.
Wherever he plays, he only knows one speed.
"He's a bat outta hell," Bellore's fellow offensive backfield mate DeeJay Dallas said following the Seahawks' preseason matchup with the Broncos.
His head coach, Pete Carroll, added: "He's an amazing football player and a big factor on this team. There's not many guys that can do that. Now, he's one of those all-time NFL two-way performers."
This preseason, Bellore has taken on a whole new role, but a familiar one. He is behind enemy lines on defense, undercover, as the linebacker he once was; a "mole," perhaps. He has embraced his involvement in defensive espionage.
"I'm kind of a double agent," Bellore told Seahawks.com reporter John Boyle. "If I make a good play on defense, they assume I cheated, that I knew what the call was. They give me too much credit on that."
Double agent, you say? Bellore certainly isn't covert in his exploits on defense, making loud plays with a vengeance. He likes opposing ball carriers like James Bond likes his drinks: "shaken, not stirred."
He is credited with 11 total tackles in Seattle's final two preseason games at linebacker, and was the team's leading tackler with six in a shutout win over the Chargers last Saturday. He moved so quickly, like he had played linebacker all his life. It probably made the Chargers feel like they were seeing a spectre.
It seems Bellore has a golden eye for making plays on both sides of the ball. What an invaluable resource the Central Michigan product has turned out to be. Playing linebacker and special teams, as well as filling in at fullback when needed, he takes up two or even three roster spots by himself.
Call him a much more financially responsible Taysom Hill.
This gives the Seahawks more latitude to keep other players that they would otherwise be agonizing over cutting. Perhaps this allows Seattle to keep an extra running back or corner it wants to stash for depth.
This comes just a year after many had written Bellore off as obsolete. The world doesn't need fullbacks anymore, do they? He looked to be outmoded. His career was possibly in jeopardy.
Now? It's hard to imagine the 2021 Seahawks without Bellore playing multiple roles on the squad. He played in 59 defensive snaps in those two preseason games.
His career can die another day.
