'Country strong' Cody Whitehair ready for challenges ahead

The Bears' second-round pick, Kansas State's Cody Whitehair, got knocked by draft analysts because he managed just 16 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at the Scouting Combine, second-lowest among guards.

But there are other measures of strength. Odds are Whitehair could have outrepped anyone at the Combine if there was a category for bale-throwing.

The 6-foot-4, 301-pound Whitehair grew up on a farm in Kansas, where he said, "I threw a lot of hay bales. Once I went to college, I didn't quite get to do it as much, but when I was in high school, I was always out there at 6 in the morning until … you know, if we had a truck driver coming in at 11 o'clock at night, I had to be that guy to help out."

Whitehair epitomizes the term "country strong," and he had more than enough inherent strength to start 51 games at Kansas State, even without the benefit of impressive bench-press numbers.

Maybe more important to Whitehair's game is the grip strength he possesses.

"I took a lot of pride in that my junior and senior years and just really tried to work on my hand strength and getting my hands in the right position," Whitehair said during this weekend's rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. "That's just kind of something that comes with being an offensive lineman, having good hands."

It comes with throwing bales of hay, too.

And, whether it was farm work, nature or nurture, Whitehair appealed to the Bears as much for his intangibles as his experience and measureables.

"He has the skill set to play in any offense because he's athletic enough," offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. "He's got a really strong lower body, so he can get to the second level."

"We drafted a very high-character guy who has played a lot of football. He's tough. He's the type of player that coach (John) Fox wants when he talks about a throwback, old-school guy. That's Cody."

That means a lot to Whitehair. "They judge a lot of guys on their character," he said. "So, if you have good character, I think you'll go a long way in life."

Although he started 35 games at left guard, 13 at left tackle (in 2015), two games at right guard and one at right tackle, Whitehair downplays his extensive collegiate experience. He's more focused on the challenge ahead.

"All these guys are good," he said. (The past) doesn't really matter. Everybody is trying to earn a roster spot, too. So it doesn't matter if you're a drafted guy, a free-agent guy or just coming out here giving it your best every day."

That part comes easily to the self-proclaimed "farm kid."

"I just like to be on a farm," he said. "I like the outdoors and I like to work hard. It's just what I am. It's who I am and what I like to do."

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