There are many, many instances of NFL players never once having met with the team that eventually drafted them. The Chicago Bears are no different. However, such was not the case with Kiran Amegadjie. The Bears selected him 75th overall in the 3rd round this past April. A Hinsdale native, the Yale offensive tackle felt like a surprise to fans. It was the complete opposite for him. He had manifested that moment over a year ago when he and Matt Eberflus met by chance for the first time.
Amegadjie frequented Kemper Lakes Golf Club with his father growing up. One day last summer, Eberflus showed up at the club to play 18 holes. Amegadjie’s father was there by happenstance and gave his son a call. The rookie explained how things unfolded from there on Meet The Rookies from the Bears’ YouTube channel.
Driving 40 minutes to get a chance to meet the head coach of your favorite team sounds relatable for Bears fans. Yet Amegadjie took it a step further by stating his heartfelt belief they would draft him. It’s made all the crazier by the fact that he didn’t play most of last season because of a quad injury. Sometimes, things work out as they should.
He’s big, long, athletic, and known for being mean between the whistles. Scouts and coaches who watched him also widely lauded his work ethic. The only thing Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles needed was faith that he would recover from his injury and be ready for training camp. It appears they don’t have to worry about that. All signs point to the rookie being healthy. Poles believes he should be able to compete for the primary backup tackle spot right away. If things go as planned, there is optimism he could challenge Braxton Jones for the left tackle job by next year.
However, it’s worth noting that Kiran Amegadjie isn’t limited to one position. He played guard in college, too. Some experts think there is a chance he could challenge Nate Davis or Teven Jenkins for one of those spots, especially if the two starters continue struggling to stay healthy. Either way, the Bears seem wide open to giving him the necessary opportunities to compete. If he ends up finding success, that story between him and Eberflus will become part of franchise folklore.
