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When the Chicago Bears were scouring over the undrafted free agents last offseason, they made it a priority to sign UTEPs Roy Robertson-Harris. He played defensive line for the Miners, but at an athletic 6’7”, 268 pounds, he had the makings of a 3-4 outside linebacker for the Bears.
Initially the Bears had him listed as a defensive lineman, but they issued him number 45 and changed his position to linebacker. He missed his entire rookie season on the reserve/non-football injury list, but he did play briefly in the preseason.
From an athletic standpoint, Robertson-Harris is very gifted. Alex Nicolas, who covers UTEP for our sister site, Miner Rush, said that he stole the show at UTEPs pro day by posting a “4.8 second 40-yard dash time, 23 repetitions on the bench press, a 7.0 time in the 3-cone drill, a 4.27 time in the 5-10-5 short shuttle and a 35-inch vertical leap.” He added that, “Those times, and numbers would have placed him in the top-10 at the defensive line spot in the recent NFL Combine.”
If Robertson-Harris can get his technique to catch up with his size/strength/speed combination, maybe he provides a spark for the Bears’ D in 2017.
Check out these clips of him working out, preparing to make an impact for Vic Fangio’s defense.
Life is about making an impact not about making incomeTraining @iam_robharris DT @ChicagoBears how will U use your platform @adidasFballUS pic.twitter.com/hB1wKWMnrq
— Camnwosu (@camnwosu) February 27, 2017
DL footwork drills done by #Bears DL Roy Robertson-Harris (@iam_robharris; #UTEP)
— DLineVids (@DLineVids) February 28, 2017
Vid by @camnwosu. Follow him! pic.twitter.com/MJYStOezK5
And here’s a couple of Robertson-Harris looking lean and mean.
Teaching @iam_robharris the fundamentals of the drill & executing the right Technique. What R U willing to sacrifice to be great? #PositionU pic.twitter.com/n1xZNKMlDA
— Camnwosu (@camnwosu) February 24, 2017
Great yoga session with the fam @Jles9 Wr @Browns & @iam_robharris DE for @ChicagoBears photo by: @iam_krysharris thanks for joint us! pic.twitter.com/hJmQgH6hmi
— Camnwosu (@camnwosu) February 22, 2017
He still has a long way to go before he makes the 53 man roster, but he’s definitely putting in the work.
What do you guys think his chances are to make an impact in 2017?