Latest news with #ShemarTurner
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears rookies love the energy from Ben Johnson and his coaching staff
The excitement surrounding first-year Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has been palpable among fans over the last few months. The energy he has brought has come through even during press conferences and interviews, which has many people hopeful of a quick turnaround up at Halas Hall. Now, the players are experiencing that same energy and excitement during practices. After Day 1 of Bears rookie mini-camp, a few of the team's top draft picks spoke with the media and shared their thoughts about Johnson and his coaching staff now that they're beginning to get in work. First-round pick Colston Loveland didn't shy away from how much he's enjoying playing for Johnson. "I'm a big fan,' said Loveland. 'I love his spirit, his energy. He's super determined. He's ready to go. He's ready to take this thing to the top. I've seen him getting on people's butts. [He's] fired up too. I'm loving how he coaches. It's early, but I'm excited to play for him.' Advertisement The tight end's comments are even more notable when you consider Loveland is not yet able to practice in full due to his recovery from shoulder surgery. But even in a limited role, he can feel the energy exuding from the head coach. The same goes for second-round tackle Ozzy Trapilo, who is vying for a starting spot on the offensive line. "He has really good energy,' Trapilo said. 'I think all the guys are excited to be here. Great energy on the practice field. It was really good today.' Fellow second-round pick Shemar Turner echoed Trapilo while playing on the opposite line. "I love the coaches; I love their energy and the way they go about things," Turner said. "The vibe is always good here. I love everything they've got going." Energy was the word of the day, and it's important to establish that early, especially with a group of young rookies who are just getting started. Wide receiver Luther Burden, another second-round selection, noticed it as well. "It was great energy," Burden said. "First day, everybody got their first-day jitters out, and everybody should feel comfortable to go back and correct stuff and get back ready for tomorrow." Burden, however, made sure to note he didn't have that nervous energy. "I didn't have any jitters. I've been ready for this." The rookies have a long way to go, and in Loveland's case, he still needs to fully get back on the field. But these young players are already buying into what Johnson and his staff are selling, which is important when setting a new culture as a first-time head coach. It sounds like the players are just as excited as the fans. This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears rookies love the energy from Ben Johnson and his coaching staff
New York Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Bears rookie minicamp: What we learned from Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, Ozzy Trapilo
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears rookie defensive tackle Shemar Turner declined a golf cart ride to the practice field on Friday at the start of rookie minicamp. For his first practice as an NFL player, he wanted to walk and soak it in. 'Dream come true, finally getting to do what I've been wanting to do for my whole life,' he said. 'I get to do this every day now.' Advertisement For Turner, the rest of the 2025 draft class, 10 undrafted rookies and 23 rookie minicamp tryout players, Friday marked the first time they'd wear an NFL uniform. It was also coach Ben Johnson's first practice in front of the media, and our first chance to see top-10 pick Colston Loveland on the field — albeit, in a limited fashion. Here's what we learned on Day 1 of Bears rookie minicamp. As expected, Loveland didn't do much in practice. He underwent shoulder surgery in January. 'A priority for us is getting him back healthy because the sooner he gets healthy, then we get the full-speed reps and that's where it really all comes together,' Johnson said. 'It's more mental and we're going to take full opportunity with the time we have with him, call it six weeks in terms of getting him up to speed with not only what the veterans know mentally but how much can we walk through with him on the side to speed up the learning process.' Sitting and watching wasn't easy for Loveland with his fellow rookies at work on Fields 3 and 4 at Halas Hall. 'Just take it slow,' he said. But Loveland is physically active. 'I'm working out; I'm running,' he said. 'I'm doing everything except like the weight is not as heavy, obviously. We're taking that day by day. Stacking bricks and getting better.' It didn't take long for receiver Luther Burden III to make a noteworthy play during a Bears practice. He made a catch at his feet. 'Yeah, I caught it,' Burden confirmed. 'Yeah, that was my first catch. … It felt amazing. I'm super excited to go catch some more. A lot more.' With Burden, the early storylines didn't change. He's happy to be a member of the Bears. Lions receiver Jameson Williams, a teammate and friend from East St. Louis High School, endorsed Johnson and his offense. 'He told me I'm gonna love it,' Burden said. 'So … let's go.' Advertisement But he's still angry that he fell to the Bears at No. 39. 'That's staying with me forever,' Burden said. 'Everybody who passed up on me gotta pay.' When Ozzy Trapilo had his sights set on the NFL, he knew it'd be important to show he could play multiple positions. So at Boston College, while starting at right tackle the past two seasons, he'd still find a way to get reps in on the left side. 'You have to be versatile. That's the quickest way to get on the field,' he said. 'So after practice, even though I was a right tackle the last two years in college, working left, making sure that it's still smooth, that it still feels good. Especially after the season, I was working even more left than right just because (I was) catching up for lost time.' It's early — as early as it gets in the NFL practice calendar — but Trapilo is going to get some snaps on both sides, as evidenced by his first practice as a Bear. Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy! — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 9, 2025 He said there weren't any notable obstacles to flipping over to the left side. 'In a way, if you're more used to playing right tackle at speed and you're still consistent with left, you feel good at left, it's almost easier when you're learning new technique because you don't get into that flow state,' he said. 'You know your habits are all coming back, you're hyper-focused on every movement because it's not as natural. So in a way it feels smoother, it feels easier to adapt to this new coaching style, new techniques and all of the above.' Trapilo's top trait in college was being a technician, which can be tough at his size (6-foot-8). Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar will teach some new techniques, but Trapilo said everything is minor. Even if he's not in pads, he could get himself in good position over the next month in the left tackle conversation. Advertisement 'He's exactly what we thought he was going to be,' Johnson said. 'He's super smart. We had a meeting (Thursday) night with them. Meeting this morning with them. And he's able to apply those concepts to the field immediately, so he's very advanced in that regard. Technique, fundamentals, he takes those seriously, something we talked about this morning as a team, transferring the little things that Coach Roushar, (assistant offensive line) coach (Kyle) DeVan are talking about in that meeting room and being able to apply them immediately. It's really impressive for a young guy.' For someone who is as outwardly excited as anyone to practice football in May, is it going to be tough for Turner to not hit anyone for a few months? 'No, sir,' he said, laughing. Get used to the Bears' second-round defensive linemen being all smiles. After talking about his dream job, and soaking it in that this is what he gets to do every day, Turner went through some of the things he's focused on this weekend. 'Hand placement, feet, making sure I'm keeping my feet in the ground so I can get all my power, utilize everything, coming out of my hips,' he said. 'Just getting back to the basics that was overlooked.' .@TheShemarTurner gettin' coached up 😤 — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 9, 2025 As expected, Turner said he will play wherever the coaches line him up, whether that's at defensive end or defensive tackle. 'Whatever they want me at, shoot, I'm gonna play it and I'm gonna be successful,' he said. The Bears signed two rookies who play defensive end — Xavier Carlton and Jereme Robinson — likely allowing Turner to focus on his natural interior position during minicamp. He said the team wants him to stay in the 290-295-pound range. From our limited time with Turner, it seems he's exactly what defensive coordinator Dennis Allen would want. What does Allen's defense ask for out of its defensive linemen? Advertisement 'Get lined up and win,' Turner said with that constant smile. 'Play ball, let's go.' If you're a Bears fan looking at rookie jerseys, don't buy Burden's No. 87 quite yet. That could change after training camp when the roster looks different. Asked why he chose No. 87, Burden said, 'All the good numbers were gone.' He wore No. 3 at Missouri. That's retired for Bronko Nagurski. Loveland, though, likes his new No. 84 after wearing No. 18 at Michigan. 'I feel 80s are always a good number for a tight end,' Loveland said. 'No. 84, I was like, 'Yeah, let's do it.'' (Photo of Ozzy Trapilo, left: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bears 2025 draft pick profile: DT Shemar Turner
Bears 2025 draft pick profile: DT Shemar Turner The Chicago Bears selected Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner with the 62nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Turner, a three-year starter, is an explosive interior defender who's a solid run defender and fits the aggressive style of defense that Allen is looking to employ in Chicago. Last season with the Aggies, he totaled 36 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass breakup and a forced fumble in 12 starts. Turner joins a defensive line group that features interior defenders Gervon Dexter, Andrew Billings and newcomer Graddy Jarrett and edge rushers Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo. Here's a quick rundown on Turner: The Basics Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 290 pounds Age: 22 From: DeSoto, Texas Breakdown Tweener of a DT at 6-foot-3 and 294 pounds but with good length and power. Turner is an explosive athlete off the line with experience at edge and inside. He gained a reputation for getting flags due to his competitive nature. He projects well with great twitch and powerful hands. If he can play more disciplined, he'll be a starter in the NFL for a long time. -- Ayrton Outlay Dane Brugler's Scouting Report A three-year starter at Texas A&M, Turner played a three-technique role as a senior in head coach Mike Elko's four-man front, logging snaps everywhere from zero- to seven-technique. After playing primarily on the edge as an underclassman, he added weight for the transition inside in 2024 and made his presence known on every tape studied, despite playing through a stress fracture. With his active motor and body quickness, Turner finds ways to pierce gaps and affect the backfield action. He has a strong, explosive grip to snatch and displace blockers in the run game, although he can be a liability at times when he abandons his gap or fails to break down and finish. Much will be made of his overzealous tendencies, which draw attention from officials, but as one scout described him: "He's the type you want on your side." Overall, Turner needs to introduce more discipline to his play style, but he prides himself on being the aggressor and relies on his initial twitch, fierce hands and combative mentality to be a factor. He projects best as a penetrating one-gap tackle. They Said It "We want violence and we want knock-back, and so if that was the goal, you look at a player like Shemar and he really embodies those things: relentless, violence, changing the line of scrimmage. I think it really checks the boxes. It's a good fit for scheme and culture and what we're looking for." -- Bears director of player personnel Trey Koziol RAS card Grade: B If Turner heals quickly and can channel his aggression into plays from whistle to whistle, this could turn out to be a very nice pick as the Bears look to fortify their defensive line. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compared Turner to Baltimore Ravens star Nnamdi Madubuike, showing just what his ceiling can be if he reaches it. We'll see how quickly he gets adjusted and how his shin holds up. -- Brendan Sugrue Highlights Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Bears DT Shemar Turner provides injury update on stress fracture
Bears DT Shemar Turner provides injury update on stress fracture Chicago Bears rookie defensive tackle Shemar Turner is going to be a big addition on a defensive line that has seen several upgrades this offseason. Turner, who was drafted with the 62nd overall pick, is working back from a stress fracture that held him out of the Senior Bowl, but he played through the injury in his final season at Texas A&M. Last year, Turner totaled 36 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass breakup, and one forced fumble in 12 starts with the Aggies. In 2023, Turner was third in the nation with two blocked field goals, showing he can contribute for the Bears on special teams if given the opportunity. But before any of that, Turner will have to have a clean bill of health. Meeting with the media at Halas Hall after he was drafted, Turner provided an update on the stress fracture in his shin, and it was a positive one. "Pretty much 100%," Turner said. "I've been training, running, jumping, and going. By the time rookie minicamp comes I should be able to go." Rookie minicamp is slated to start in early May, but if Turner can be ready for the start it should put him on a good track to begin his rookie season. Last year, third round pick Kiran Amegadjie was held back as he recovered from a calf injury that required surgery in his final year at Yale. It set him back in his first year, making it tough for him to get up to speed once he was healthy. As for Turner, his health seems to be tracking well, and that should give him an opportunity to impress the new coaching staff as he fights for an opportunity to play as a rookie. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Projecting DL Shemar Turner's potential signing bonus with the Chicago Bears
Projecting DL Shemar Turner's potential signing bonus with the Chicago Bears Texas A&M's 2025 draft class included three starting defensive linemen during the 2024 season hearing their names called during the first two days, led by edge Shemar Stewart being selected 17th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals, followed by fellow edge Nic Scourton (51st overall, Carolina Panthers) and defensive lineman Shemar Turner (62nd overall, Chicago Bears) going in the second round. While Stewart and Scourton were expected to going in the first two rounds, Turner's recent surgery combined with his up and down play during the 2024 season led many draft analysts believing he would become a third or fourth round selection, but knowing Chicago's depth issues in the trenches, Turner's versatility, high motor, and and interior pass rusher prowess makes him an immediate contributor during his 2025 rookie campaign. Contract wise, nothing is official, but according Spotrac, Turner's signing bonus is, of course, less that Nic Scourton or Shemar Stewart's, but is still financially health, especially at his position as a second round pick. Turner's contract is worth $7,215,450 with a potential signing bonus of $1,887,599. Likely signing the usual four-year deal, Turner will have the chance to prove his worth with the franchise before becoming a free agent. During his four-year career in College Station, Turner recorded 101 tackles and ten sacks, while his six sacks during the 2023 season came during his time at defensive end, a position that he could still play due to his athletic build and elite hands. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
