GM Ryan Poles was beyond thrilled with Darnell Wright when training camp open. Every team has a conditioning test when players first arrive. This is a good way to measure what kind of shape they’re in. Those that fail likely won’t see much work in practice until they show they’re more committed. There were some concerns about Wright. He came into the league at 330 lbs, and lingering concerns about a shoddy work ethic followed him from Tennessee. Poles didn’t think he had to worry after seeing the big tackle survive a gauntlet of drills the Bears threw at him before the draft.
He was correct. Wright showed up in even better shape than he and the coaches expected. He’d lost weight, trimmed body fat, and crushed the test without breakout a sweat. It turns out there was a dirty little secret behind Wright’s accomplishment. He explained during his Friday presser after practice. Every position group on the roster has its own conditioning test requirements, from offensive line to running backs and so on. Wright didn’t realize until too late that he’d been reading the wrong chart.
He had been training to pass the wide receivers test.
Darnell Wright couldn’t believe his mistake.
He undoubtedly wondered why the preparation was so difficult. Maybe he chalked it up to how this coaching staff operates. It wasn’t until right before camp that he realized his mistake. By that point, he was down 16 lbs. Rather than owning up to the embarrassment, he took the test and passed easily. All one can do is wonder what would’ve happened if he’d taken the wide receiver test instead. That would’ve been beyond hysterical. Either way, this takes the prize for the best story of training camp so far.
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It’s also a reminder of how strong of a work ethic Darnell Wright actually has. He put himself through some brutal workouts to get ready for camp. Wide receivers are required to do tons of running for long periods. Offensive linemen don’t need to do that. Wright did it anyway. Some guys would’ve complained. He didn’t. He shrugged his shoulder and kept grinding. Now he’s probably in the best shape of his life. Some things happen for a reason. One thing is for sure. He can probably now beat any of his offensive linemates in a race.
