Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles knows a thing or two about the heartache that comes with an NFL player seeing his career on the verge.
A former player at Boston College, Poles was an undrafted free agent of the Bears back in 2008. He did not make it out of training camp. Instead, Poles was cut when Chicago trimmed its roster to 53.
It’s this type of experience that gives Poles empathy. It also makes roster cuts during the summer somewhat personal for him.
Enter into the equation veteran safety Adrian Colbert, who has spent the past two seasons as a reserve in Chicago.
Poles had to inform Colbert of his release ahead of cut down day last month. In newly unearthed video, the front office head could be seen as extremely emotional when meeting with Colbert in his office.
This was part of a broader scene on HBO’s “Hark Knocks.” It makes public the very personal meetings between players and decision makers. It shows the human side of the business in a big way.
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Colbert, 30, entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Texas native spent college ball with Miami (F).
As detailed in “Hard Knocks,” Colbert was hit by a car as a kid. He was in coma for two weeks and was told he’d never play football again. Colbert defied those odds.
He’s spent time with 10 different teams throughout his career with 22 starts under his belt.
Whether this is the end of the road for Colbert remains to be seen. He touched on that just recently.
“I have a life outside of ball,” Colbert says, via 670 The Score. “I have a life that keeps me fulfilled. I’m grateful for that.”
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