New Details Of Darnell Wright’s Infamous Bears Workout Keep Getting Funnier

GM Ryan Poles knew that he liked Darnell Wright as early as December last year. He went through film sessions with his scouts and came away impressed. Most 6’5 and 330 lbs guys don’t move with the grace and quickness the Tennessee right tackle could. It was the first indicator that the Chicago Bears should do more digging on him. Over the following months, their infatuation grew. Once the Senior Bowl and scouting combine were over, Poles was confident Wright was the guy he wanted to draft.

However, he needed to be sure. There were rumblings that the big man had a work ethic problem during his time in college. So the Bears set out with a mission. When Wright attended their private workout, offensive line coach Chris Morgan would put him through the wringer. The intent was to test him mentally and physically to the point of exhaustion. They wanted to see if the kid would break. Poles talked about wanting resilient guys. If Wright couldn’t handle a tough workout, then trusting him late in the 4th quarter was dicey.

The workout went well. Wright passed the test.

However, the intensity of the drill left a lingering impression. Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbe heard gossip about it from multiple people. The story he told Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune is pure hilarity.

Funny enough, that day I was out at my son’s soccer and it was raining. So I ran over to the facility to grab my umbrella. Jerome (Carvin), who had been there working with him, popped out and was like, “Yeah, man, we just worked out with the Bears and that guy tried to kill him, man.” He was like, “There were some choice words that were said, but they told me not to lay off of him and try to see if I can break him.” Then Darnell popped up and says to me, “Man, that guy tried to kill me! But it was fun!” With his playful personality, he enjoyed it. He thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Then that night, me, Jerome, Cade (Mays) and Darnell all went out to eat and got to hear more of the war stories from that 30-minute workout and laughed about it. … I think one of our operations guys was out there and ‘Nell may have been trying to look at him like, “Hey, man. Give me a pause here.” But it kept on rolling. He lays it all out there and that’s why they liked that. You can’t question that guy’s toughness or effort, that’s for sure.

Imagine if the Bears hadn’t drafted Darnell Wright.

There is a possibility Chris Morgan might’ve had a hit put out on him. Thankfully the Bears got their guy. Wright knew Chicago was a place he wanted to be. That workout might’ve turned off other prospects. He saw it as an indication that the organization would work hard to get the most out of him as a player. That is his objective. He wants to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when it’s all said and done. The only way to get there is through hard work. This coaching staff is perfect for him.

Credit must go to the Bears for recognizing that. Darnell Wright might not have been the first choice for many draft evaluators. They felt he went higher than he should’ve. Poles didn’t care. He has a specific template for what he looks for in draft prospects. Wright met every requirement. If everything lines up as it should, the Bears have themselves an anchor for their offensive line for the next decade. They are certainly due after enduring a myriad of injury woes with guys like Marc Colombo, Chris Williams, Gabe Carimi, and Kyle Long.