Riley Ridley became a 4th round pick for the Chicago Bears in the 2019 NFL draft. Experts everywhere were shocked the Georgia wide receiver fell that far. Though his production in college was never eye-popping, the tape showed a young player committed to his craft who would be far more effective in the pros.
Perhaps this is because he's willing to accept instructions from people who might know a bit more than him about how to play the position. A perfect example took place before the draft. Ridley got a rare chance to meet and learn from two of the best to ever play wide receiver in the NFL.
Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and six-time Pro Bowler Chad Johnson.
This might make a lot of people cringe. The men formerly known as "T.O" and "Chad Ochocinco" were most famous for their outlandish, diva personalities. However, hidden beneath the personas were two excellent football players who combined for 27,000 yards and 220 touchdowns.
Maybe they had something to offer the young buck.
Riley Ridley got some great lessons from Owens and Johnson
More than anything, there is a key thing that Owens and Johnson taught Ridley in that video. While knowing how to run routes is great, the devil truly is in the details. It isn't just understanding the directions to run or how to shake a defensive back. It is where to have your arms when running or how far or narrow your stances should be when making an adjustment.
The best wide receivers in the business are technicians who obsess over the little things. Owens and Johnson may not have always been the best teammates, but nobody could ever question their work ethics. They demanded themselves to be great and the only way to get there was to work.
If Ridley takes their pointers to heart moving forward, it only means good things for the Bears.
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