Everybody has heard at least snippets of Caleb Williams‘ rise as a quarterback. He started at the very young age of nine, realizing quickly that football was what he wanted to do with his life. His father challenged him, knowing the amount of hard work it would take to reach the NFL. Williams accepted it, sacrificing a part of his childhood to consistently train his mind and body for the grind ahead. It’s a great story that illustrates why he became the #1 overall pick. Such an origin story feels hard to top. Dillon Thieneman might’ve done just that.
The Chicago Bears selected the safety out of Oregon with the 25th pick in the 1st round this past April. Most experts credited his tremendous mixture of athleticism and intelligence for his rise. What most of them didn’t know was just how much work Thieneman put in, and for how long. The Bears recently released their annual Meet The Rookies episode on the young safety. It revealed that Thieneman got a taste of real football preparation and training when he was in 5th grade.
This came courtesy of his two older brothers, Jake and Brennan. Both played college football at Purdue. They brought home their playbooks and taught Thieneman how to read them. He took copious notes. Then, in 6th grade, they put him on a training regimen that mirrored what they did in college.
No wonder Dillon Thieneman always seems a step ahead.
It was like he had the cheat code book before even playing the video game. Thieneman ensured that he was always two or three steps ahead of everybody on a football field. Here’s a young man who’d read and understood complete playbooks from the college level before playing middle school ball. It’s no wonder his high school coaches were shocked at how deep his understanding of the game was. The Bears’ eventual 1st-round prize was thinking several steps ahead of everyone else.
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That is why it always seems like he knows where the ball is going on every play and is constantly in the right position. Endless preparation and study. It was ingrained in him at a very young age. His brothers were smart enough to know that Dillon Thieneman was talented enough to play the game at a high level. It fell to them to give him the best possible chance to get there. They had access to resources that few others did, and rather than shield their brother from the difficulties ahead, they challenged him.
Thieneman isn’t intimidated by the NFL.
Most players his age experience the league in the same ways. They’re overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the pro level, forced to absorb playbook orders of magnitude larger than those in college. That is why it always feels like they’re a half step late reacting to everything. Thieneman is different. He spent years learning how to read playbooks and digest film before kids were ever taught to do so. His transition is more like going from Calculus I to Calculus II than, say, high school Physical Science to Quantum Physics.
Sure, it’s more advanced, but he was well-prepared for what to expect. That is why reports out of Halas Hall indicate he is already seizing control of communication responsibilities on the back end. Thieneman will likely hand that over to veteran Coby Bryant before the season, but it is clear his command of the defense is already taking shape. This is why the Bears were so anxious to draft him. They knew he could not only be a great player, but he could also help them immediately.
