By Mallory Mattingly
Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent is “different.”
Last year, he made history when he became the first undrafted Division II “passer to make an NFL start in 13 years, and the first Chicago quarterback to win his starting debut in almost two decades,” per CBS Sports.
This year, Bagent will serve as Caleb Williams’ backup as he just signed a two-year, $10 million contract that could reach $16 million. It’s a life-changing deal for the athlete and his family.
“My dad is my right-hand man. He didn’t have running water until high school, so there’s definitely a lot of people I can certainly help with this gift I’ve been blessed with,” the West Virginia native said, adding, “It’s certainly a weight off my shoulders and my family’s shoulders.”
He has an impressive record and work ethic that got him to the NFL.
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Bagent owns the “NCAA’s all-time record for career touchdown passes (159). He also went 26-4 in his final two years at Shepherd after guiding back-to-back state championships in high school,” CBS said.
Tyler Haines, Bagent’s former offensive coordinator and quarterback’s coach, knew the athlete was made for the NFL.
“I talked to every single scout his senior year, and I tried to explain to every NFL team what makes Tyson Tyson. I’ll say this: He’s different. He’s different than anybody I’ve ever coached, on a whole lot of levels,” Haines explained. “He’s the ultra-competitor, no matter what he does, whether it’s CrossFit or rock-paper-scissors or walking on his hands — I’ve seen him walk on his hands almost 100 yards. Everything’s a big deal to Tyson.”
“This guy self-prepared maybe 90% of his meals as a college kid. I remember, off the Potomac River near West Virginia, a couple of the players at Shepherd created sort of a cold tub in an actual stream, and he’d go in it every day,” the coach continued. “We’re talking November, December, and he’s in there trying to take care of his body. Other guys were playing video games, going on dates and he’s self-preparing meals and sitting in a stream.”
Bagent credits his faith for his journey to the NFL, and Haines would agree.
“You’ll notice he’s got a lot of tattoos — a sleeve on his left arm. Most of them, if not all of them, are faith-based. He’s a faithful Christian churchgoer, and that helps make him who he is,” Haines added.”Our head coach, Ernie McCook, went to the same church. He even allowed Tyson to miss some meetings on Sundays if Tyson needed to get to church, or it went long. Sometimes it goes unnoticed, because when you watch him, he is fiery, he spikes the ball, you see him yelling. But he’s a man of faith.”
Bagent continues to work hard and remains grateful for the opportunity he’s been given.
“If you gon send somebody, SEND ME!!! Love my life and love what I do, I’m ready to see what #24 is talking about!!!” Bagent shared in a post on social media last summer.
As Bagent continues to work hard, stay faithful to the process and trust God for the opportunities ahead of him, he will certainly have a remarkable future in the NFL.
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