When the Buffalo Bills selected wide receiver Skyler Bell in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, they knew they were getting a versatile athlete. What they might not have known is just how deep his sports roots run—and how fully he's committed to his new home in Western New York.

Bell grew up as a multi-sport standout in the Bronx, and for a time, hockey was actually his favorite game. "I fell in love with it," Bell recalled with a smile after his first rookie camp practice with the Bills. "I used to go skate and shoot around a little bit. I still got some goals in my stick."

But don't expect the rookie wideout to lace up the skates and help out Bills owner Terry Pegula's other team—the Buffalo Sabres—who are battling through a heated second-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens. With a playbook to learn and a roster spot to earn, Bell knows where his priorities lie. "I would say my competitive hockey career is over," he said, laughing.

That shift happened around age 15, when football took center stage. But Bell's athletic journey is anything but ordinary. Growing up in the Bronx, he was something of a hockey pioneer among his friends. "Nobody plays hockey in the Bronx," he explained. "All my friends played basketball and football. They'd see me go to hockey games in the morning and be like, 'Bro, what are you doing?' But sooner or later, they started coming to my games, supporting me. It was great."

Bell didn't stop there. He also played lacrosse and basketball—including runs at the legendary Rucker Park in Harlem, a playground where countless NBA stars first found their rhythm. He was even good enough to suit up for the New York Gauchos, an elite AAU program that counts Kyrie Irving and Stephon Marbury among its alumni.

So where would Bell be if he'd stuck with hockey or basketball? We'll never know—and that's exactly how he wants it. Now he's all in on football, all in on Buffalo, and ready to make his mark with the Bills. And while the Sabres could use a little extra firepower, Bell's focus is firmly on carving out his role in the NFL.

For Bills Mafia, that's more than enough.