Rookie Quarterback Tyson Bagent Shines in NFL Debut, Leading Chicago Bears to Victory

One of the most exciting stories in Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season was that of Tyson Bagent, a rookie quarterback who gave the Chicago Bears the victory in his debut as a starter against the Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 30-12.

Bagent, 23, took over the offense after Justin Fields suffered a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand during last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings and responded with 21 completions for 162 yards with a touchdown and another 24 yards on the ground in his first game at Soldier Field.

With the victory, the Bears snapped a ten-game losing streak at home and head coach Matt Eberflus gave the winning ball to Bagent, who became the first Chicago QB to earn his first start since 2004.

However, the Shepherd University graduate’s path to the NFL was an unusual one.

Tyson Bagent’s path to the NFL

Despite being a two-time high school state title winner at West Virginia, Bagent received offers from no major colleges because he was considered a zero-star recruit and chose Sheperd University because of its proximity to his home. According to Football Reference, only one player graduated from that university has been drafted in the NFL Draft: the running back Wayne Wilson in the 12th round in 1979.

Shepherd University, founded in 1987, is located near the Potomac River and offers more than 80 different majors with 15 athletic teams participating in NCAA II under the Rams name. It was there that Bagent became the leader in most touchdown passes among all NCAA divisions with 159 during his time in college. The quarterback accumulated 16,869 yards while completing 68.9 percent of his throws during the four and a half years he spent as a college athlete.

Due to his performance at the college level, the native of Martinsburg, West Virginia, received an invitation to the Scouting Combine prior to the 2023 Draft and, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, posted a 5.68 grade, making him the 14th-ranked quarterback in that year’s class led by Bryce Young and CJ Stroud. Unfortunately, despite standing 6-3, weighing 220 inches and having 9 3/8-inch hands, he went undrafted but was signed by the Bears in May.

Luke Getsy, the Bears’ offensive coordinator, was the American Team’s head coach in the Senior Bowl and coached Bagent in that game. Since then, the coach had his eye on the Sheperd graduate, who declared that his plan was to do CrossFit and dedicate himself to a professional career as a high school teacher after not being recruited.

During the offseason, Bagent worked too well and took the QB2 job away from PJ Walker and Nathan Peterman. When it was confirmed that he would be part of the 53-man roster for the 2023 season, the athlete stated to the Bears website that he gave his best in every practice. The coaches, including the head coach Matt Eberflus said he is convinced of his poise behind the center in training.

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Other important NCAA II players

Few NCAA II players manage to establish themselves in the NFL, but, according to the athletic association, there are notable names like Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, who spent his college years with the West Alabama Tigers, and Austin Ekeler, running back of the Los Angeles Chargers, a graduate of the Western Colorado Mountaineer. Another is Kyle Dugger, the starting safety for the New England Patriots, who was part of the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears.

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2023-10-21 21:27:15
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