Bears in agreement on picking Paea
Considering he had never played a down of football and did not speak English until he came to the United States from Tonga as a 16-year-old, Bears second-round pick Stephen Paea has enjoyed a meteoric rise.
After moving to Utah, the 6-foot-1, 303-pound defensive tackle was a standout in rugby before he played his only season of high school football.
With no scholarship offers, Paea enrolled at Snow Junior College in Utah. After playing one juco season, the only school that offered him a scholarship was Oregon State, where he was an immediate starter and by last season the Pac-10 defensive MVP.
“If somebody told me when I came from Tonga that I would be the 53rd pick of the draft I would’ve laughed,” Paea said. “I only expected seventh round when I got here, and now I’m going to one of the best organizations and I’m just ready to roll.
“My whole life has been a roller coaster here in America.”
To make sure they got the player who was a favorite of their coaches and scouts alike, the Bears had to trade up nine spots from their No. 62 to the Washington Redskins’ 53 position, which also cost them their fourth-round pick, the 127th overall.
“We had an opportunity to work with the Redskins to get up,” said Tim Ruskell, Bears director of player personnel. “We thought there were a couple chances that he’d go in the next few picks and we did not want to risk that.”
Iowa’s Christian Ballard still may have been on the board, but Paea was an easy decision for the Bears.
“When you have everybody, the D-line coach, (defensive) coordinator, head coach and scouts all in agreement on a guy, when you have a consensus, you feel good about bringing him into the building and that he’ll get every opportunity to be successful,” Ruskell said. “It was kind of a no-brainer for us, whereas all those other guys, there was something missing here or there.”
Although Paea said he believes he will be more effective as a 3-technique tackle in the Bears’ scheme, he has the strength to handle double-team blocks at nose tackle.
He established the all-time scouting combine record in February when he did 49 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Even more important is how his brute strength transitions to the football field.
“You see it in his play,” Ruskell said. “The great thing about him is we feel he’s capable of doing both (nose and 3 technique).
“That’s what we liked about him. That’s what a lot of people liked is his versatility. He’s a guy that’s very strong and very quick, two different traits that we look for in those positions.”
Because he suffered torn cartilage (lateral meniscus) in his right knee during a Senior Bowl that required surgery, Paea did not run or jump at the combine, but he and the Bears say he’s already close to 100 percent.
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