Hyppolite out to prove you don't need the NFL Combine to make it in the NFL

David Banks - USA Today Sports

Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - 9 hours ago

CHICAGO - The Bears came out of the NFL Draft with a total of eight players - five offensive and three defensive players. Two of those defensive players were cornerback Zah Frazier and linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II.

Frazier wanted to come to the Chicago Bears. Besides having a strong culture, Chicago also has a seasoned defensive coordinator in Dennis Allen.

Allen has spent eight years previously as a defensive coordinator and was also the head coach for the New Orleans Saints for a few seasons before becoming Chicago’s defensive coordinator.

“Coach (Dennis Allen) been helping me for sure. Getting my stands higher, not being too low when I’m first man. So, being coached my him is really a blessing for real,” Frazier said. “Being coachable and not making mistakes, not making the same mistake twice. That’s my mindset these two days for sure.”

Hypollite II also liked working with Allen during rookie minicamp.

Allen may be quiet, but he also makes it clear when he needs more from his players, as Hypollite II learned the hard way during minicamp.

“I love DA. He’s very quiet, unique personality. But, I feel like him and I get along together,” Hyppolite II said. “He told me in the meeting (Friday May 9), ‘I need a better day from you.’ So, that was just good for me to hear that, even though he’s quiet, everything’s being evaluated. So, it’s all about handling my business. It’s just work.”

It was a rough journey for Hyppolite II to get to the NFL. Not only was he not invited to the NFL Combine, but he was not invited to the Senior Bowl or the Shrine Bowl. These are some of the top events for college prospects to be evaluated.

However, he took advantage of his Pro Day at Maryland and provides an example to other prospects - you do not need to travel the tradition path or attend the traditional events to get drafted.

“Just not going to the combine, not going to the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl. I had the Hula Bowl, which I give a lot of credit to Nick Logan for trusting in me to play in that game. But, just that and then, I called the NFS twice to see if I had a combine invite. They said no. So, going through that and then just going through training the whole combine season and chopping wood, carrying water, going through it every day and then having my (one) opportunity at Pro Day doing that and then I went on 15 visits, took 30 flights in two weeks, just back and forth across the country, doing my feedback. So, combination of all of that, me getting this opportunity now,” Hyppolite II said. “Definitely don’t take it for granted. Very grateful for everybody upstairs for believing in me and in my ability and now it’s time for me to put it together. I just love my story for anyone’s who out there, thinks that they need like the Combine invite, Senior Bowl invite, who thinks that they need that to get drafted, you don’t. You just got to put your best foot forward. You got to run fast and you just got to be your best self every day and I feel like I’m showing that. I got a lot of messages, a lot of love, a lot of hate too. But, that’s what come with it.”

Now, he will have the chance to learn from two veteran linebackers - T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds - as well as compete for the No. 3 linebacker spot which is up for grabs during training camp.

“I’m just here to learn from them. They (are) at a high level. Obviously, T.J. has earned his keep. Tremaine has earned his keep. So, just here to learn,” Hyppolite II said. “Looking forward to being in the building with them … Just here to learn. I got great vets in the room. I’m grateful for that and I just want to pick their brain, have them coach me up and we go forward from there.”