Bear Digest

Bears pick Colston Loveland sees peaceful co-existence with Cole Kmet

The new Bears tight end believes coach Ben Johnson will find ways to make sure the ball gets distributed correctly in a balanced way within the attack.
Gene Chamberlain|
Colston Loveland makes for the boundary after a catch against Illinois.
Colston Loveland makes for the boundary after a catch against Illinois. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

About 13 years ago the Bears personnel department went to Idaho to find their top pick in the draft.

That one, edge rusher Shea McClellin from Chicken Dinner Road, Idaho, didn't quite work out. Maybe this time it will and there seems to be a plan to make it work out.

A lot of Bears fans wanted them to draft a running back from an Idaho college but instead they have Michigan tight end Colston Loveland from Gooding, Idaho. And Loveland thinks he can be the right fit the Bears need on offense, even if they already have tight end Cole Kmet. In fact, he already has a strong appreciation for Kmet and understands how the two will work together.

"Yeah, no, a stud," Loveland said of Kmet. "Nowadays, like this time, you see teams trying to get two well-rounded tight ends that can do a lot, put defenses in a bind.

"So I’m super stoked to get in there and learn from him. He’s been doing it for awhile, really good at it, so I’m excited. He can be a mentor for me, just get in there and attack it. Like (reporters) said, having 12-personnel, two tight ends, that can do everything, can do a lot of things, that messes with the defense. 'Nickel, base, what are we going to play?' So I'm super excited to get out there, meet all the guys and get rolling."

The Bears might have had this kind of two-tight end threat only a few times in their history, the last being when they had Martellus Bennett and Zach Miller. But then they had that duo for only a season.

It's a chance for the Bears to line up against nickel defenses with smaller players in the box and then run it with two tight ends or pass it to two good wide receivers in DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, or to the two tight ends.

It also makes it easier to do what former Bears offensive coordinator John Shoop taught Johnson at North Carolina and that is make the same plays look different and different plays look the same.

Loveland brings a no-nonsense approach to the game the coaches said they appreciated, and one that reflects his upbringing.

"Coming from a place like this, very small town, blue collar, great community, great family, I was blessed," Loveland said via conference call from his home. "Obviously my family made many sacrifices. They sacrificed a lot for me to be here and I know that and I appreciate that, and I want to give it all back to them eventually.

"It’s been a process and I feel like, Idaho, these people—I’ve got 150 people with me right now, 500 more going to the country club to watch, so the support system, the people here really molded me to be a good person. You know, humility, show humility, work hard, do the right things. I’m obviously going to continue to do that and just strive."

The comp for Loveland by many predraft analysts was Johnson's former Lions tight end, Sam LaPorta. Loveland threw out the name while talking with Johnson at the Michigan pro day, the first time they really had met with him.

"I told him (Johnson)—they were kinda asking me who are some of my favorite tight ends—and I mentioned a couple and I threw LaPorta’s name in there," Loveland said. "Shout out to him, too. Heckuva player. But coach Johnson’s like, ‘Yeah, you remind me a lot of him. We can do a lot of things. Obviously we did a lot of things with LaPorta.'

"And he's like ‘Yeah, I can see you doing a lot of those things, as well.’ That was pretty cool to hear. And obviously now seeing it all come full circle, I’m excited. I know he’s great and he’s going to do great for Chicago."

Loveland even went so far as to call himself a Johnson fan, but playing near Detroit for college made that easy.

"We met at pro day," Loveland said. "Just love the guy. Before I even met him, just watching Detroit last year, the things they were doing—man, really smart. Knows what he’s doing. Knows football.

"Finally being able to talk with him and meet with him and pick his brain, I’m the no. 1 fan of that guy for sure. He’s legit. He’s a stud. I can’t wait to be on to that. I know he’s gonna put us in a great position, put Chicago in great position to win games. I’m super excited for it."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.