Gervon Dexter understood one thing after the 2023 season ended. He’d have to reshape his body if he wanted to take the next step. As a rookie, he learned the intricacies of playing defensive tackle in Matt Eberflus’ defense. It was a big departure from what he’d done at Florida in college. It required him to get off the ball fast and penetrate up the field, squeezing the pocket around the quarterback. As the season went along, he got better at it but never quite had a true breakout stretch.
That was because, in his mind, he wasn’t in proper shape. He noticed he wasn’t always quick enough to create penetration and also that he tended to lose some steam late in games. That sealed for him. The goal this off-season was to improve his conditioning. Dexter told Larry Mayer of Chicagobears.com that he’s not only slimmed down, but his cardio work has made it far easier to handle heavy workloads. The results are already showing up on the practice field.
“I just tried to get in marathon shape,” Dexter said. “I’ve noticed that the good ones can do it one or two plays, but the ones that go down as great ones are consistent in being able to play [the first] through the fourth quarter.“
Asked about the most difficult thing to eliminate from his diet, Dexter said: “I would say that late-night snack. [Previously] I was just like, ‘Man, one honey bun won’t hurt me.’ [But] I cut that out and now I feel a lot better.”
Dexter’s increased strength and quickness has been evident on the practice field. He’s made his presence felt inside, batting down passes in two of the first three workouts.
“It’s a lot different,” he said. “Being leaner helps me get off the ball faster. Being leaner helps me penetrate faster. A lot of those things, like the three-technique role, I can do a little easier because my body is allowing me to do it.”
Coaches have described him as a man possessed. He is locked in every single practice, focusing on the little details and working his tail off to sharpen his skills. Combine that with the improved conditioning and it’s easy to see why the defensive line is causing some havoc early in training camp. The truth is Dexter isn’t simply motivated by wanting to have a good season. He has far bigger aspirations than that. His goals stretch far into the future. If things go how he wants, future players will remember his name every time they walk through the doors at Halas Hall.
“I want to have my name on those walls when you walk in.”
That is ambitious. He refers to the hallway near the entrance, which features names like Sid Luckman, Dick Butkus, George Halas, Walter Payton, and Gale Sayers. If Gervon Dexter wants to reach those heights, he has tons of work left to do. Steve McMichael, who is about to enter the Hall of Fame, retired with 95 career sacks. Dan Hampton had 82. That should give you a ballpark of where the young defensive tackle must aim if he wants to achieve that goal. Here is hoping he does.
