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Yesterday, I had the chance to speak to Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery as he announced his partnership with BODYARMOR, joining fellow young NFL stars Andrew Luck, LeSean McCoy, Rob Gronkowski, and Richard Sherman on their "Superdrink Team." As Alshon described the new beverage, "It's great - it's going to become the #1 sports drink in the world. It's amazing. I like the electolytes that it contains - more than any other sports drink - it's got 10% coconut water, and I love all the flavors."
(Photo Credit: Maria Ponce)
Switching from sports drinks to sports, I asked Alshon about the hardship he himself and the team as a whole has faced, and as he put it, "It's been a lot of ups and downs, and some things go your way, some things don't. Regardless, you have to keep fighting, and you have to keep playing football." Elaborating on what is keeping him going despite the season so far, he stated, "No matter how the season goes, you have to keep grinding it out."
With Brandon Marshall out for the season, Jeffery is now the #1 WR for the Bears. Asked if the promotion has affected his preparation at all, "It doesn't change my view of the game. No matter who else is out there, you've got go out there ready to go, ready to be that guy." Indeed, Jeffery has often outshined his fellow WRs, and as he explained further, "You've got to feel like you're the guy all the time."
Continuing on the theme of Brandon Marshall, I asked Jeffery what the relationship between the two star receivers is like and what he has learned from Marshall. As he told me, "We've got a great relationship... he's always telling me about his life story, the things he's been through. Every day, he's giving me a life lesson, a thing not to do, or a thing to do... On the football field, he shows me the little things to pay attention to, gets me to watch a lot more film, and I take advantage of everything [he offers]. He helps me stay focused."
As far as what the direction forward for the Bears is from the view inside the locker room, Jeffery spoke to the unity among the players despite the adversity: "We're going to stay together no matter what. No matter what's going on outside of the locker room - or what people say about us - we're going to stay together. We're a family. We're going to take these two games one a time, focus on our approach, and when we get to the offseason, we'll worry about it then."
Jeffery will be promoting BODYARMOR across the Chicago area this off-season, promotions which will range from event appearances to opportunities to train with the star WR. Big thanks to Alshon Jeffery and BODYARMOR for taking time out to talk to us!