The Chicago Bears had plenty of reasons to love Gervon Dexter. It started with his size. It's never bad when a guy is 6'6, and 315 lbs. Despite occasional success stories for smaller guys, football is a game for big men. Then there's the athleticism. Dexter's ability to run a sub-5.0 in the 40 is exceedingly rare for his size. It showed a player with boatloads of untapped potential. He was already a stout run defender at Florida. Maybe he has the capacity to become far more with adjustments to his technique and playing style.
However, it goes deeper than that. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have said time after time that they seek players willing to work hard. It turns out Dexter has a reputation for being semi-maniacal in this regard. The Bears spoke to Florida defensive coordinator Sean Spencer for their Meet The Rookies series on YouTube. He had a story to tell about Dexter's work ethic. He is a copious note-taker during film sessions and would relentlessly pester coaches with questions even during the late hours of the night.
Gervon Dexter isn't the type to rely on his natural talent.
The idea of hard work was instilled in him from a young age by his father. Before football came calling, Dexter was a diehard lover of basketball. His father would get him up early in the morning to work on his game every day. He quickly became an accomplished player on the court. Soon the football coaches managed to lure him onto the gridiron, but his work ethic remained. If anything, it gained further intensity when Dexter's father tragically passed away from a heart infection.
It's finally becoming easier to understand why the Bears made him the 53rd overall pick. He has the physical skillset to be a dominant defensive tackle in this league for a long time. He's big, powerful, athletic, and intense. Throw a relentless drive to improve on top of that? It would be a bigger shock if Gervon Dexter wasn't successful in the NFL. Maybe he won't be a true superstar, but guys like him almost always have long, productive careers in the league.
