Sam Mustipher's Surprising Success Key's Line Improvement
If there's a classic underdog tale to this entire Bears season, it has to be center Sam Mustipher.
Undrafted and a practice squad player for all of 2019 up until October 14 this season, Mustipher not only had to overcome challenges just to make the roster but also then had a knee injury in his first start when he finally got the chance to prove himself.
Yet, he has persisted to the point where offensive coordinator Bill Lazor called him a real team leader.
"I wouldn't say it's hard for Sam because it seems to come really, really naturally for him," Lazor said. "One of the greatest compliments I can give Sam is that when his name is brought up in front of the group—how do I put it?—the reaction of the team, offensive and defensive players, the cheer that came up almost took me aback."
Matt Nagy had mentioned Mustipher's effort to the team to create this response.
"I'm not down on the field on game day, I'm not in the huddle on game day, but it's really natural for Sam to be a leader and to be in command," Lazor said.
Mustipher somehow avoided blushing when told of these comments.
"Really, I just want the guys to look at me as somebody who comes in here every day and does his job and is consistent no matter what's going on on or off the field," Mustipher said. "That's really important to me. But if my teammates deem me as such, then that's awesome. Doing my job is the most important thing."
Mustipher immediately made an impact when he first played but suffered a knee injury and went out. The Bears offense is averaging 28.5 points in the four games he started, including the 26-23 overtime loss to New Orleans and the last three regular-season games.
The first time the Bears played the Minnesota Vikings they didn't have Mustipher available, and Cody Whitehair went back to center after missing the entire week's worth of practice due to COVID-19.
Now Whitehair has settled in at guard, Mustipher has returned and Mustipher's former Notre Dame teammate Alex Bars has settled in at right guard as the line has started looking more cohesive and dependable.
"When you get that first opportunity, that first start and you get injured, wasn't the best feeling in the world," Mustipher said. "But the same way that I attack being a professional football player every week was the same way I attacked the recovery."
It's the same way he attacked adding more weight, possibly 12 to 15 pounds, during the offseason. He also had help at this training by relying on members of his brotherhood—former Notre Dame offensive linemen
"Q (Colts guard Quentin Nelson) stayed with me this offseason out here and we trained together. That was huge," Mustipher said. "Being able to train with he and Alex (Bars) every day, getting after it, competing together, that was the most important part. Every day was a competition. It was fun."
He often sees out opinions and information from other former Irish linemen.
"All the time, that's a tight-knit brotherhood," Mustipher said. "And those guys mean a lot to me. I was able to talk to Nick Martin after the game last week against the Texans, somebody I learned from, somebody I consider a mentor especially in college. So it’s cool.
"When you have a brotherhood like that— you think about Ronnie (Stanley) with the Ravens, even though he’s injured right now too—it’s been awesome. Zack (Martin, Cowboys), (Chris) Watt (former Charger) when he was playing, Nick, Mike (McGlinchey, 49ers), Q, Alex—being fortunate enough to have that many guys and you talk about the skill players too, we keep in touch. Notre Dame brotherhood's pretty close."
The success this year hasn't necessarily surprised Mustipher, even if it does others.
"Obviously that's always been a goal of mine and really it wasn't necessarily a shock for me because that's the way I prepare, that's the position that I've prepared to put myself in," Mustipher said. "But I was given an opportunity, earned an opportunity, however you want to put it, and I feel like right now all I can do is keep making the most of that opportunity.
"Every game, every snap, every practice that we have I need to keep improving. Steady, constant improvement and just be consistent with that."
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
