Bears' Trubisky on rookie RB Cohen: He's 'always been a beast'
Two years before they became Chicago Bears teammates, rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky knew rookie running back Tarik Cohen was a force to be reckoned with.
"Tarik's always been a beast," Trubisky said. "I'm glad we're on the same team."
Back in Week 2 of the 2015 season, Trubisky's North Carolina team trounced Cohen's North Carolina A&T squad 53-14. Marquise Williams was the Tar Heels' starting quarterback in 2015, but Trubisky got in late and had a 35-yard touchdown run, along with 5-for-7 passing for 37 yards.
Cohen had one of his less productive college games, but he still rushed for 69 yards on 15 carries and caught a 20-yard pass.
It was enough to impress Trubisky.
"He's fearless," the quarterback said. "I've always said it's all about heart. You've got a bunch of measureables, but it's all about heart, and that's what he goes out there and plays with."
Cohen, feigning a faulty memory, says he doesn't remember Trubisky's TD run.
"They won," he said. "That's all I'm going to say."
Playing time for the two rookies will overlap in Saturday night's second preseason game, which means Trubisky won't have many opportunities to appreciate Cohen's accomplishments.
"It's tough for me because if I hand it off to him, I want to watch him run, but I've got to carry out my fakes," Trubisky said. "He's a great teammate to have, and what I love about him is he always practices hard. No one is outworking him."
Looking ahead:
Veteran inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman sees a bright future for outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, the Bears' 2016 first-round (ninth overall) pick, who had 7 sacks in 12 games as a rookie.
"Leonard's going to be pretty good for a while," Freeman said. "He can do it all. Of course, you see him pass rush (and) that first step. But having a guy like that in coverage - he can cover just like anybody else - is definitely a plus.
"As an offense, you never know if he's coming (as a pass rusher) or dropping (in coverage). He's a good guy to work with because he's willing to listen. He's being a sponge, and him being the athlete that he is, is a great thing to have on that front line."
Playing it cool:
Mitch Trubisky's ability to throw accurately on the run is one of the characteristics that impressed the Bears enough to select him second overall in the draft.
When Trubisky takes off, he appears to be moving at full speed, but he never seems out of control.
"I never try to panic," he said. "You just always try to play cool, calm, collected. I've got the ball in my hand, and I've got to make the defense wrong."
Trubisky says he also is conscious of the work being done by his offensive linemen.
"You don't want them working for you all day," he said. "They're out there sacrificing for you anyway, so it's all about getting the ball out of your hands quickly. When I pull it down, I want to make sure I'm being decisive, taking care of the football and picking up yards.
"It's all about moving the chains and taking care of the ball."
Trubisky says it's more a natural reaction than something he has been coached to do.
"I guess it's kind of innate," he said. "You just do it naturally and you just want to protect the ball."
Fun, productive night:
Coach John Fox came away from Thursday night's practice at Prospect High School pleased with the results in front of a crowd of 4,713.
"Kudos to all our fans," Fox said. "They're great. They want a winner bad, and we're going to try to do all we can to give them one.
"We were really pleased with the turnout; our guys were excited, and I thought we had a good practice."
Wide receiver Cam Meredith said the practice reminded him of his high school days at St. Joseph High School in Westchester.
"It was really fun," he said. "My high school is about half the size of the visitors side. It's like Friday night lights all over again."
Injury update:
Guard Kyle Long did not participate Thursday night after missing Wednesday's practice to have his surgical ankle examined.
"The treatment they did usually requires 24 hours off," coach John Fox said. "But he feels a lot better, and we're excited to get him going again."
The only new injury to report concerned defensive lineman Mitch Unrein, who suffered a concussion during Wednesday's practice.
• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere.