Believe it or not the Chicago Bears have a long history with the United States Armed Forces. Not all of it good, at least in terms of impact on the franchise. During the 1940s the Bears won four NFL championships. However, some players believe it would’ve been more if not for the onset of World War II. Fans today may not realize it, but their rising favorite Bears draft pick in the 2017 class came very close to joining the military.
In an interview with Rich Campbell of Chicago Sun-Times, it was revealed that running back Tarik Cohen came one fateful decision away from leaving football altogether. Despite a stellar high school career, his 5’6″ size automatically got him dismissed by most recruiters. His coach insisted he wasn’t small. Only short. It didn’t matter.
After failing to receive any scholarships from colleges, Cohen was forced to make a big life decision. Continue pursuing football or look into something else.
The future Bears draft pick soon looked into a family profession
“But Cohen’s senior season came and went without a scholarship offer.
When coaches came to scout Cohen’s teammates, Bunn High School coach Chris Miller begged them to consider him. They’d see Cohen in street clothes and say no.
Soon, Cohen began talking with a favorite cousin about going into his line of work.
He was going to enlist in the Navy.”
If not for an assistant coach at North Carolina A&T college, Cohen never would’ve even registered on the NFL radar. His name was Trei Oliver. He lobbied the head coach multiple times to give the running back a chance. After finally agreeing, Cohen eventually landed a scholarship. The rest is history. He rushed for 5,619 yards and 46 touchdowns, also catching 98 passes along the way.
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Cohen became a fourth round pick for the Bears in the draft. Per usual they were lambasted for the choice. Not only was Cohen “small” but he was coming from a small Division I program that few people know about. The NFL would eat him alive. Now the rookie is the fifth-leading rusher of the preseason fresh off a 77-yard performance against the Arizona Cardinals and their #2 ranked defense.
It’s further proof that America is all about chasing your dream. If you take enough opportunities and work hard, things tend to work out. Suddenly Cohen is a lock for the primary backup job behind Jordan Howard. Most envision him becoming a huge part of the offense in the weeks to come. Maybe even the next Darren Sproles.
Sorry, Navy. You can’t have him.
