Kyle Monangai has been a revelation for the Chicago Bears. Disappointment reigned everywhere during the NFL draft in April. Fans had been geared up for weeks, hoping the team would go after a running back early in what was billed as one of the strongest classes in recent memory. Unfortunately, they missed several opportunities in the first few rounds. Rather than force the issue, GM Ryan Poles opted to focus elsewhere. Not until the 7th round did he finally make the move, scooping Monangai up.
Most people didn't know him. That comes with playing at Rutgers, the perennial bottom-feeder of the Big Ten. It didn't help that he lacked what many saw as anything elite: size, strength, speed, and quickness. Nothing about the running back situation had changed. Then things began shifting. Monangai started getting more and more work with the top offense. People were surprised. How had it happened so fast? Adam Jahns of CHGO finally added crucial details on what the rookie did to win over the coaching staff.
It was simple, but not at all easy.
He’s in the door at Halas Hall by 6 a.m. – 6:30 a.m. at the latest, he said – and the earliest that he’s left so far is 7 p.m.
“That’s a typical day,” Monangai told CHGO. “It’s a grind. That’s what training camp is. I hear it from all my friends in the league that your rookie year is your longest year. So I went into this year with that mindset.”
Why is Monangai arriving at the Bears’ facility that early?
“It’s just the mental and physical part,” Monangai said. “Mentally, getting in my playbook and getting ready for the install for the day, reviewing the install from before. And then physically taking care of my body, getting my body ready to go perform. We got a walk-through and then we’ll have actual practice, so it gives me a lot of time to get my body right to go be at my best for practice.”
Kyle Monangai is merely the latest proof of the NFL.
It has never been all about the talent. It's about what you get out of your talent. There are guys with elite ability who never made it beyond three or four years in the league. Meanwhile, more than a few who weren't even considered draftable ended up in the Hall of Fame. Kyle Monangai is probably a six out of ten on the talent scale. To compensate for that, he couples it with an elite work ethic. Putting in over 12 hours a day honing your craft might be obsessive, but it's necessary in this case. He doesn't just want to be on a roster. Monangai wants to play. He wants to show everybody he belongs at this level. We already see how this guy delivered back-to-back 1200-yard seasons despite playing for a mediocre program in a top conference. Bet against him at your own peril.
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