Kyle Long Literally Owes His Chicago Bears Career to a Coin Flip

Despite all the injury setbacks in recent years, nobody can argue Kyle Long is the best offensive lineman the Chicago Bears have employed since Olin Kreutz departed in 2011. A three-time Pro Bowler, he was the fixture up front through some dark years from 2013 to 2017 before finally getting his first chance to play in the postseason in 2018. Now 30-years old, he's one of the most experienced veterans on the entire offense.

His body is finally healthy and expectations are for this team to be in the running for a Super Bowl. Getting a ring would instantly put him among the most beloved Bears in history. Not just for his play on the field but also his infectious personality that goes with it. The guy has been one of the great entertainers this franchise has produced in a long time.

It would be hard to imagine that all of this success almost didn't happen. There was a point in his athletic career where Long had a difficult decision to make. Does he stick with football or go with his other great sports love of baseball. He was great at both but wasn't sure which was the best for him. He couldn't reach a satisfying conclusion.

So drastic measures were taken.

Kyle Long left the fate of his sports life up to chance. According to Kevin Fishbaine of The Athletic, a friend offered the idea of leaving it up to a coin flip. True to his aggressive and care-free personality, Long agreed.

“They always said, ‘Do what you love and do it to the best of your ability and if you’re not having fun, don’t do it.’ I have fun with everything I do, so it was always a hard decision for me,” Long said. “(My friend) had a coin with him and we flipped it and heads is baseball — use your head — then tails, go kick some tail (and play football). We ended up landing on tails. Coach (Mark) McElroy, I was in his office the next week.”

From there, things moved fast. After two years at Saddleback Junior College, Long was recruited to Oregon in 2012. He showcased his freakish mix of athleticism and size almost right away. This caught the eye of Bears GM Phil Emery leading up to the NFL draft that next April and the guard became the 20th overall pick. The rest is history.