Doug Kramer knows how special it is to play for Bears originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
NFL rookies are generally happy to play anywhere in the league, unless they’re named Eli Manning or John Elway. Being drafted is often the culmination of a life’s work, so it’s a special opportunity regardless of which team selects you. But when a rookie is picked by his hometown team, obviously the moment is extra special.
That’s exactly what happened for new Bears center Doug Kramer, who grew up in Hinsdale cheering for Brian Urlacher and Devin Hester. He stayed in-state and played college ball at Illinois under Lovie Smith. Then, last week, his dreams came true and he was drafted by the team that made him fall in love with the game.
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“Everyone lost their minds, to be honest,” Kramer said about his family’s reaction to Ryan Poles drafting him. “They were all so fired up… My friends were exactly the same. They were fired up for me.
“Leading up to the draft, they asked me, ‘Growing up as a Bears fan, if you go somewhere else, what are you going to do?’ Because it was a huge part of my life. They were fired up.”
Kramer admitted that when he first addressed the media, just a bit after receiving the life-changing news, he was still in shock.
“Everything happened super quickly, and it was tough to wrap my mind around it right away, for sure,” Kramer said. “But I had a couple days after that to really internalize it and get ready to go. I showed up here just ready to work and get after it every day.”
When he finally arrived at Halas Hall, sat in the locker room as a Chicago Bear and put the “C” on for the first time, that’s when the reality of the situation truly set in. Even though joining the Bears is a huge milestone in his life, he understands his work isn’t done yet.
“I know what the logo means to so many people in this city,” Kramer said. “I understand what it means to the people of this city, to the people who wear it to the people who have worn it in the past. And obviously, I haven’t gone through it yet, so there are still things I need to learn and get through my mind and figure out. I’m just happy to go through it.
“Obviously I’m super excited to be in the opportunity but now it’s like, ‘What are you going to do with it?’ That’s kind of how I feel.”
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