Undrafted CB Toliver already making waves at Chicago Bears camp

BOURBONNAIS - Judging by the size of his cheering section, undrafted rookie CB Kevin Toliver is the most popular player in Bears training camp.

There are aunts, uncles, his brother, his mom, and his 2-year-old son Kane among a contingent of 30, most of them wearing "Toliver 33" jerseys.

"I was born in Chicago so I've got a lot of family up here," said Toliver, who only lived in the area for two years. "So they just came to support me."

It doesn't appear as if Toliver needs much support after intercepting three passes in the first two practices. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound LSU product became one of the country's top recruits after playing his high school football in Florida but he never lived up to expectations in Baton Rouge.

Injuries and suspensions produced a checkered career and so many character questions that, despite his first-round talent, he went undrafted. The Bears scooped him up as a free agent, and he flashed during rookie minicamp before a hamstring shut him down.

He's clearly 100 percent now and has been one of the most noticeable defensive players on the field early in camp. For a defense that has produced a franchise-low eight interceptions in each of the previous three seasons, Toliver's ability to make plays on the ball are a welcome sight. Most importantly, coach Matt Nagy has noticed him.

"Any time anybody has a turnover, they always flash, right?" Nagy said. "So they stand out on tape. And he's had that now. We stressed takeaways on defense, and having interceptions is important. He's done that now the last couple of days."

Nagy is on record as granting every player in camp a clean slate, and that's more important for Toliver than just about anyone. He started eight games as a freshman at LSU, but his performance plummeted after that. Critics weren't off base when they described him as "entitled," and "uncoachable."

But the 22-year-old, who left school with a year of eligibility remaining, has the opportunity to bury that negativity from the past if he behaves as a professional, because his physical gifts can quickly overshadow his past indiscretions. He's off to a great start but still has a long way to go.

"Kevin's a big kid (and) he's a tall, rangy, lengthy corner that really almost looks like a safety," Nagy said. "So for him to be able to move around out here, it's about getting confidence. So any time he gets some interceptions, you're going to build confidence. But now, let's get the pads on, and lets see how we do in the run game, and let's test him out in some other areas, too. And he'll do fine."

Toliver is thrilled to have impressed his coaches and his large support system with his early success, but he agrees it's just the beginning. The next step is Sunday's first practice in full pads.

"It's just a start," he said. "I just have to keep improving, just keep staying consistent. That's the thing you've got to do in the NFL, stay consistent as much as possible, so that's what I'm focused on right now."

That lack of consistency was another knock against him at LSU, and another reason he was shunned in the draft. But Toliver says he's not dwelling on the past.

"I don't really think about the draft and what happened and all that," he said. "I'm here, and I'm just happy to be here, and I have to make the best of it and keep getting better every day."

It's taken just two practices for Toliver to demonstrate he belongs in the NFL. He realizes that, but he's learned there's more to the equation than talent. He voices equal parts confidence and humility when asked about the differences on the field at the pro level.

"Nothing, really," he said. "I've been competing my whole life, so it's just the next level. This is just football at the end of the day, so ain't nothing to it."

But Toliver knows a couple flash plays early in camp aren't enough to earn him a spot on the final 53-man roster.

"It's just being consistent," he said. "That's it. That's all I can do, is be consistent. Every day. There's more room for improvement so I've just got to get better every day. That's what my focus is. Be better tomorrow than I was today."

• Bob LeGere is a senior writer at Pro Football Weekly. Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere or @PFWeekly.