Tyson Bagent Is Such A Study Nut That Even Coaches Get Annoyed

The Chicago Bears had plenty of reasons to be interested in Tyson Bagent. He was the most prolific passer in Division II history. Stat lovers couldn't make an argument against him as he held all the records. His team at Shepherd had plenty of success, reaching the semifinals of the national championship tournament two years in a row. Physically, he was 6'3 with good mobility and an arm with enough strength to make most of the necessary throws in the NFL. Yet all of that wasn't the biggest selling point to the Bears.

It was his mind. Coaches and teammates raved about Bagent's passion for the game. His work habits were second to none. Nobody on the team could touch his thirst for film study. He loved searching for ways to find and exploit weaknesses in opposing defenses while also recognizing his own faults. It got so intense that even his coaches had to admit it put them on edge. Bagent wasn't afraid to needle them if he felt they weren't providing the necessary support. His former offensive coordinator at Shepherd, Tye Hiatt, said as much to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

“When you went into a meeting, you had to be on everything because he was going to watch every cut-up, he was going to watch every clip and you better make sure that you have everything there,” Hiatt said. “As a coach, it made me better. You couldn’t just line up and say we’re going to run four verticals or smash or whatever else. You would need some things to be able to stretch him intellectually so it challenged him to help raise him to the next level and he was all about those things. We always had to be on it because you knew Tyson was going to watch every situation and if you were not prepared, he was going to call you out on it and not in a bad way, but he was prepared to the hilt.”

Tyson Bagent already has proven he belongs in the league.

He's the first Division II rookie to win an NFL game since the Korean War. What he accomplished doesn't happen in this league. Not unless you have certain capabilities. It's way too early to know if the kid can be a starter. However, it is already apparent he should at least be a dependable backup moving forward. That isn't a bad thing. Ask any NFL team. They will say having a reliable #2 is almost as important as having a good starter. Teams like Philadelphia (Nick Foles), Baltimore (Trent Dilfer), New York (Jeff Hostetler), and Las Vegas (Jim Plunkett) have proven this over the years.

Even the Bears understand the value of somebody like Tyson Bagent. Chicago got a 6-3 record out of Steve Fuller in 1984 and 1985, including a big playoff victory over the defending NFC champion Washington Redskins. Steve Walsh filled in for the injured Erik Kramer in 1994 and led them to an upset win in the wild card round over Minnesota. Bagent has enough ability to at least be on their levels. Whether he shows more depends on if the organization gives him that opportunity. He certainly has the work ethic to prove it.