The Chicago Bears strengthened their pass rush with the addition of Tulsa’s Trevis Gipson, who they drafted in the fifth round with the 155th overall pick.
In case you were wondering how high the Bears are on Gipson, general manager Ryan Pace traded a 2021 fourth-round pick to grab him eight spots before Chicago’s fifth-rounder rolled around.
No matter how you look at it, Gipson’s upside is huge. While he’s a developmental prospect, he has all of the physical tools to become a starter for the Bears down the line.
Here’s a few things to know about the new Bears pass rusher:
1. Gipson’s motivated to prove everyone that passed him up wrong
When you know you’re a great football player, it’s difficult to watch so many people pass over you for other players. Such is the curse of the NFL Draft, and it was something that really irked Gipson.
During Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft, Gipson was getting antsy waiting for his name to be called during the fourth round. He took to Twitter to share his thoughts about being passed up by so many teams. And the message was loud and clear.
Gipson is motivated to prove the other 31 teams that passed him over. And what better place to do that in Chicago, where he’ll get to learn from the best in Khalil Mack and his new partner-in-crime Robert Quinn.
2. He comes from a family of athletes
When your entire family plays sports, it’d be pretty impossible not to follow in their footsteps. That was the case for Gipson, who hails from a family that has played a variety sports. Some that have even played at a professional level.
Trevis’ brother plays professional basketball overseas in Finland, his father played collegiate basketball for Texas and his mom played soccer and ran track at North Texas. Trevis, however, isn’t the first member of his family to be drafted by an NFL franchise.
His grandfather, Tom, was drafted in the 14th round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the now-Las Vegas Raiders. He played four games as a defensive tackle for the Raiders.
3. Gipson has a connection with Broncos’ pass rusher Von Miller
Growing up in Cedar Hill, Texas, Gipson had a unique opportunity to bond with Broncos stud pass rusher Von Miller. That’s due to the close proximity between the pair, as Miller’s alma mater DeSoto High was about six miles away from where Gipson attended high school at Cedar Hill High.
Gipson lists Miller as his favorite player, and he even got a chance to attend Miller’s pass-rush summit in Las Vegas. He got to work with the likes of Miller and Rams star Aaron Donald, which are certainly players to learn from about how to get after the quarterback.
“[Miller] gave me a lot of tips — film review, how to take care of my body, having mental toughness — a lot of things I was able to take into my senior year and my stats overall showed that,” Gipson said.
Now, Gipson will get to learn from another one of the NFL’s star defensive players in Khalil Mack.
4. Gipson didn’t start until his junior season — but he made the most of it when he did
For the first two years of his collegiate career, Gipson served in a reserve role at Tulsa. During that time, he totaled 19 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, one sack and one forced fumble. But once Gipson got his opportunity to start, he took over.
In his junior year, Gipson had 46 tackles, including nine tackles for loss, four sacks, one pass defensed and five forced fumbles. He followed that up with 49 tackles, with 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles.
5. Gipson was first Tulsa, CHHS player drafted in last 9 years
Gipson made history when he was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He became the first player from Cedar Hill High School to be drafted by an NFL club in the last nine years.
A fellow CHHS graduate, Josh Thomas, was the last. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in 2011, and he played in the NFL for six years.
Gipson was also one of the first Tulsa player to be drafted in the last nine years. Although cornerback Reggie Robinson II was technically the first, as he was drafted by the Cowboys in Round 4. The last time a Tulsa player was drafted was in 2011 when the Miami Dolphins selected TE Charles Clay in the sixth round.
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