As Trevathan sees things, best is yet to come
The big question about inside linebacker Danny Trevathan is: Can he be the same type of difference-making player with the Chicago Bears that he was with the Broncos, when he was surrounded by elite teammates such as Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Malik Jackson?
It was the Denver defense that set the tone throughout the 2015 season that culminated with a dominant effort in the Super Bowl 50 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Trevathan, in his fourth NFL season, led that star-studded Broncos defense with 109 tackles; he also had 2 interceptions.
Two years earlier, when it was the Broncos' offense that got them to the Super Bowl, Trevathan put up even more impressive numbers.
"They weren't mentioning our defense my second year when we went to the Super Bowl, and I still led the team in tackles," Trevathan pointed out, a nod to the 159 tackles he racked up to go with 3 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions.
But he understands that the 2016 Bears defense is different from either of those Denver defenses.
"I know its not going to be the same," he said. "But nothing's ever the same; it's a new team every year. Even if I was still on the Broncos, it would be a different team.
"But I'm here now, and this is home, and whatever I have to do to ensure that we're going to be the best, I'm going to do it."
The Bears have invested $24.5 million over four years in Trevathan because they believe he's the kind of dynamic, play-making, every-down inside linebacker the defense lacked last year. And, since he's still a few days shy of his 26th birthday, it's a safe assumption that his best football is yet to come.
"My future?" Trevathan said late last week at Halas Hall, where he noted the Bears' legacy of elite linebackers. "How good can I get? I think I can be great. I think I can be mentioned among one of the greats here. But to say that and to go out here and perform are two different things.
"I have some money now, (so) the sky's the limit. But, seriously, I believe I haven't even reached my prime yet. I haven't even touched my best yet."
On top of his 2015 regular season, which came on the heels of a 2014 campaign marred by three different left-knee injuries, Trevathan had a statement game in the Super Bowl victory. He had 8 tackles and recovered 2 fumbles, an ideal catalyst for a player headed to free agency.
"It was a blessing, man," Trevathan said. "I prayed all night. It wasn't my first Super Bowl, but it was my first time winning it. I knew what to expect this time. My first time (2013 season), I just let it go by.
"This time, I sat there with Peyton (Manning) for a long time before the game, and he just told me, 'Soak it in this time. We're going to do it right.' I said, 'You're right, Peyton, we got the same birthday (14 years apart), so we're thinking alike.' I thought, 'All right, we got this.' "
Among his new Bears teammates, only 11-year veteran safety Tracy Porter has as much Super Bowl experience as Trevathan has accumulated in just four seasons.
"I know what it takes to get there, and I know what it takes to win," Trevathan said. "To get there is one thing, and to win is another. You have to start right now, in the off-season, and lay some groundwork and get that camaraderie going."
He's eager to set an example with a work ethic, much of which comes from his mother. She inspired him even when she left him at home in Florida when she and Trevathan's three younger sisters moved to Ohio to care for his ill grandmother.
"I wanted to finish high school, so I stayed in Florida with a (family) friend," he said. "Those were some of the harder times in my life. But my mom told me three things: 'Keep God first, stay humble and, no matter what you do, be the best at it.'
"(She said) 'I don't care if you're a trash man. Be the best at it.' I always take that with me. I write stuff down. I wake up in the morning, that's the first thing I see, and it's the last thing I see before I go to sleep."
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