Why Kyle Long Has Chance to Become New Face of Franchise in 2015
Published by Ross Read on May 13, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
When you think of the Chicago Bears past and present, defense comes to mind. With names like Butkus, Singletary, Urlacher, Briggs and Tillman staking their claim as face of the franchise, it’s guard Kyle Long who’s looking to shift the focus back to offense.
Kyle Long might play offense but he fits the mold of Chicago’s blue-collar style and the Monsters of the Midway attitude the city has grown to love. Long is a gritty player who has a ton of passion and plays with a mean streak.
It was destined for Kyle Long to be in Chicago. He was a two-sport start coming out of high school and was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox before opting to go to Florida State.
Kyle Long’s passion and energy runs in the family. His father, Howie Long, made it to eight Pro Bowls en route to a Hall of Fame career as a defensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders. Howie Long finished his career with 91.5 sacks.
Kyle Long’s brother Chris is a former No. 2 overall pick and a premier pass rusher for the St Louis Rams. Kyle Long comes from a great pedigree of people who play hard and leave it all out on the field.
Beyond Kyle Long’s intangibles, he’s developed into a fantastic football player. Despite a subpar season for the Bears last year, Long made it to his second straight Pro Bowl in as many seasons in the NFL.
Kyle Long might have made it to a Pro Bowl in his rookie season but when you look deep into the numbers he struggled in more games than not. According to Pro Football Focus, Kyle Long had only five games with positive grades in 2013 and finished the season with a -1.7 grade. His biggest struggles came in run blocking.
In 2014, Kyle Long got significantly better. He graded out negatively in only two games, according to Pro Football Focus, and finished with a 12.1 grade overall.
Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman were the last of the big-name faces on defense and they have departed. If ever there was a time to look for a new leader who can rally the troops it’s now and it starts with Kyle Long.
In this era of social media, Long is very active on Twitter and often engages with his 139,000 followers. Scroll through his Instagram page and you will find selfies with fans at a Blackhawks game, pictures of him working with kids in the community and shout-outs to his teammates.
There likely isn’t a more popular Bear on the roster right now than Kyle Long. Jay Cutler‘s too up and down, Matt Forte has mostly a quiet demeanor and Kyle Fuller is still too young.
Kyle Long seems like the everyday man who just happens to be good at football. His personality is infectious and he has a redemption story proving even he’s human and can overcome adversity.
Kyle Long had some academic and off-field setbacks when enrolled at Florida State but eventually found a home at Oregon where he flourished.
Last season, then-head coach Marc Trestman opted to use rotating team captains all season. Hindsight is 20/20 as it was clear the Bears had no strong leadership all season. Don’t expect veteran head coach John Fox to make the same mistake.
The Bears need a new injection of leadership into their team and Kyle Long is the perfect person to start with. He’s an emerging star in the league, a fan favorite in Chicago and has the love and respect of his teammates.
There’s no question a new face of the franchise will be unveiled in 2015 and the odds-on favorite is Kyle Long. Just like on the field, who’s going to stop him?
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