It was a rainy day in Columbus, Ohio, when Le’Veon Bell first discovered the game of chess.
He was in third grade and the weather forced the class inside for recess. Some kids grabbed the Monopoly board. Others played checkers. Bell and his friend Tyreek picked up a chessboard and started teaching themselves to play.
It began a love affair with the game for Bell, and the Jets’ new running back says the lessons he has learned on the chessboard have helped him on the football field.
“I think the thing I love about chess so much is it’s an opportunity to kind of manipulate people,” Bell told The Post.