Everybody knows the NFL can be a cold-blooded league at times. So many young men come to it with dreams of carving out long careers and achieving the same things their heroes of childhood did. Far too often, however, most of them are told by general managers and head coaches that they weren’t good enough to make it. This leads many to believe the big decision-makers at the top have no heart. They’re simple robots removing weeds from a garden. Ryan Poles quickly proves that the opposite is true.
The Chicago Bears GM understands the perspective of these young men. After all, he went through what they did back in 2008 when the Bears cut him as an undrafted rookie. He never got to play in the NFL. Poles has empathy for their struggles and the mental toll it takes when another door shuts. The GM invests his time, energy, and emotions into this roster. He wants everybody to succeed. That is why it can’t hurt when some can’t quite make it. Those emotions came out when Poles had to inform safety Adrian Colbert that the team was letting him go.
While he doesn’t fear making the tough decisions, it would be wrong to believe they don’t affect him. Not everything about the GM job is pleasant. Colbert is such a great story. He overcame a horrific bicycle accident that landed him in a coma when he was younger. After surviving the accident, he made it his mission to live life the best way he could. That meant chasing his dream of playing football. It hasn’t been an easy road. He had to overcome a frustrating run at Texas by transferring to Miami. He got drafted in the 7th round in 2017 and has since played for ten different teams, including the Bears.
His outstanding pass defense in the preseason finale against Kansas City reminded us of his talent. Unfortunately, he was stuck at a position of strength for the Bears at safety, making it difficult for him to find any path onto the main roster. The hard truth is others offered more to the team, specifically on special teams. That is often the key difference between those who make a roster and those who don’t. Ryan Poles knew he was crushing Colbert’s dream yet again in that meeting. His emotions are a good reminder of how hard the job can be.
