May 06--Kyle Long is on board with the Bears' recent draft picks, especially the selection of his former offensive line teammate Hroniss Grasu, a center from Oregon.
"I thought that we had a tremendous draft," Long said Wednesday as he announced his partnership with St. Malachy School on the near West Side to support students from low-income families.
"I think that (Bears GM) Ryan Pace and (coach) John Fox have come in with a great game plan. And to be able to bring in great football players into this franchise has been a big plus for us. I can speak on behalf of Hroniss Grasu, he is a tremendous football player and the kind of leader that we need in our locker room."
Grasu checks in at 6-foot-3, 297 pounds and with a reputation of having superior leadership qualities.
"He is a tough, hard-nosed, flexible, athletic, second-level blocking kind of guy," Long said. "He is a very smart football player. He is someone who was the captain on that team for two or three years ... from the time that I was there, which seems like forever ago. He was the guy to look to for advice. He is a guy who can come in immediately and have an impact."
Long is entering his third season with the Bears after being a first-round draft pick of the Bears with limited experience at Oregon. He feels Grasu can make a similar transition to the NFL.
"It will be tough for him, as it is for all rookies, as it was for me, as it was for everybody who has come into the league. But he is the kind of guy who will stick it out and make a positive out of it," he said.
UnitedHealthcare donated $22,000 to the Dreambuilders Foundation to help renovate Starr Park, which serves as the playground for St. Malachy School. Long interacted with the young students during a football relay drill, and he helped hand out backpacks to the students from the Blessings in a Backpack program.
