Bears first round pick Floyd confident he'll make impact

Bears general manager Ryan Pace, who moved up two spots in the first round to make Leonard Floyd the ninth overall pick, predicted that the lanky linebacker would make a good impression at Halas Hall based on the team's extensive evaluation of him.

Pace was correct.

The 6-foot-6 Floyd, who said he currently weighs 240, was overly polite but genuine as he spoke with media at Halas Hall, addressing questioners as "sir" and "ma'am."

"He's from a really small town in Georgia," Pace said. "When you meet him and talk to him, he's such a genuine guy. Football is really important in his life. He has a natural charisma to him. (Last year's first-round pick) Kevin White has the same type of charisma when he walks in a room. Leonard has that, too."

How small is Floyd's hometown of Chauncey, Ga.?

It had a population of 342 according to the 2010 census.

It's a long way from there and from there to Chicago, but Floyd doesn't seem fazed after being an instant-impact player starting with his freshman year at Georgia when he had 6½ sacks, and making a name for himself in the elite Southeastern Conference.

"I went to school in Athens," he said. "There's a lot of students in Athens, so I'm pretty used to being around a lot of people." Floyd sounded eager to get started with his new teammates and said he didn't want to leave Halas Hall when the Bears had him in for an official visit last month because he felt like he fit in immediately.

"I wanted to be on the right team with the right scheme, and obviously the Bears running the 3-4 is the perfect fit for me," Floyd said. "I've been running 3-4 my whole college career. It was a great fit coming here."

Floyd will benefit from the tutelage of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio who helped Aldon Smith rack up 33 sacks in his first two season with the 49ers.

"I've known he's a great coach," Floyd said. "He's gonna teach me, and it's my job to be coachable and do what he says."

Pace also awarded his prize pick high marks for his character and approach to the game.

"This player has the right attitude and mindset," Pace said. "He's hungry; he's high energy. He plays with a lot of enthusiasm and passion. I think that all comes together."

Floyd chose to enjoy the draft day experience with friends and family, including his 1-year-old son Carter and girlfriend Rachel, at his aunt's home in Atlanta, and he said there was a bit of confusion when his phone rang after eight picks.

"It was Tampa's turn, and I had gotten a phone call," Floyd said of the Bucs, who had just traded the ninth pick to the Bears. "I thought it was Tampa calling. But they told me it was the Bears and quickly I jumped up because the Bears were one of my favorite teams. They always showed me the most love during this whole process.

"So I felt like it was a dream come true being drafted by the Bears. It was a good night."

Floyd didn't play football until his freshman year at Dodge County High School in Eastman, Ga., focusing prior to that on basketball and track, where he threw the shot and the discus.

A football coach at the school was the first to recognize that the tall, fast, skinny kid had some potential on the football field.

"His name was coach (Rickey) Parks," the skinny kid recalled. "He brought me into football. He told me I should try it. I ended up being pretty good at it. I'd probably thank him the most. But he passed away my junior year of high school."

Categorizing himself as "pretty good," indicates the kind of unassuming player the Bears have acquired.

Floyd was asked how he ended up with No. 84 on his Georgia jersey.

"That's the number they gave me," he said. "I ain't never questioned it. I took the number and went out on the field and played."

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