These days when the name Mike Furrey shows up in print, most Chicago Bears fans expect to hear updates on the receiving corps. Head coach Matt Nagy hired the man away from Limestone University of all places to come in and coach that unit. It seemed a bit unorthodox at the time. However, Furrey spent a number of years as a receiver himself in the NFL. That combined with his detailed and energetic approach appealed to Nagy.
All things considered, the man hasn’t done a terrible job. Allen Robinson has regained his form as a top pass target since joining the Bears in 2018. Anthony Miller has also shown progress, really coming on during the second half of last season. Furrey was one of the few guys who wasn’t fired after the end of last season in a significant retooling of the offensive staff. A surefire sign of Nagy’s trust in him.
Being able to adapt and thrive under fluid conditions is nothing new to him. It’s an art Furrey perfected going back years. Need a crazy story to understand? The former Northern Iowa product cracked the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2003. For two years he was primarily on the bench as a wide receiver. Then in 2005, an injury to starting free safety Michael Hawthorne forced the St. Louis Rams to shift Furrey to that spot. He ended up leading the team with four interceptions.
For those efforts, the Rams cut him at the end of the season. He was quickly scooped up by the Detroit Lions and returned to his position at wide receiver. There he caught 98 passes for 1,086 yards and six touchdowns. Think about that. Four interceptions on defense in 2005. A 1,000-yard receiver in 2006. It easily has to be the craziest two-year span for a player in modern NFL history.
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Mike Furrey is a perfect example of what hard work brings
One thing about success in the NFL? It usually comes to those who work the hardest and keep an open mind to opportunities. A lot of guys come in thinking their athleticism will be enough to carve out a great career. Others are so cemented in thinking they belong at one position that they pass on chances to maybe find success at another. Furrey proves that ceaseless work and a willingness to do what the coaches ask can lead to good things.
So anytime his players complain about things, he can tell them he wouldn’t be asking them to sacrifice anything he wouldn’t. His career is living proof of that. It’s why he remains one of the most interesting people in the entire Bears organization.