LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears are putting more on Gervon Dexter’s plate, after the second-year defensive tackle removed a few food items from his own over the NFL offseason.
“It’s different things I would eat and I was like man, one honeybun won’t hurt me,” Dexter said. “So yeah, I just cut that out and now I feel a lot better.”
Dexter remade his body this offseason by eating right, running hills and doing strong man workouts. He said his goal was to get in “marathon shape,” which helped him take the defensive end conditioning drill on day one of training camp, and finish in front of the pack.
“It speaks to his level of discipline, his desire to want to be a starter and a highly productive starter,” said Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington. “To go away, to stay away and be to his own devices and have to manage that part of the offseason in term of what you consume, how you work, what type of investment you make in what – [I’m] really impressed with that.
“It’s paying off for him. He’s quicker, I have the film to look back – I wasn’t here – but I have the film to look back and evaluate and assess and compare where he was last year as opposed to last year.”
It’s the little details in each player’s game and habits at the pro level that can be the difference between being pedestrian production, and taking the step to the next level, which has clicked for Dexter as he aims to make that leap toward being an impact player on Chicago’s defensive line.
“The good ones can do it one or two plays,” Dexter said. “But the ones that go down as great ones are consistent, being able to play first through the fourth quarter.”
Checking in at 6-foot-6-inches tall and 312 pounds, Dexter is using his frame to get off the ball and penetrate faster as the starting three-technique — A key position in head coach Matt Eberflus’ defense — But Washington also said Dexter has taken extra steps toward honing the conceptual and mental side of football too.
“When (Gervon) Dexter comes on the practice field every day, when he comes into the meeting for a young player, he’s got blinders on,” Washington said. “He is really focused on himself, what he needs to do in that particular practice. We kind of preview what we’re going to do on the field the day before.
“I can see that he has taken that meeting outside to the grass, and when he comes into the meeting, he’s ready to go. The level of focus that he has as a second-year player is pretty uncommon.”
The 22-year-old South Carolina alum credits Montez Sweat for his heightened focus. Dexter said everything Sweat does — From coming in early, to getting in the hot and cold tubs — Is worth emulating.
“Yeah it’s huge having a guy like that because he’s a multiplier,” Dexter said. “When you have a guy like that, an edge rusher, sometimes the center may slide to Montez automatically. They don’t care if we’re three-by-one or two-by-two. They don’t care where the mike is, they’re sliding to him.
“He’s going to create so much attention, you kind of get those one-on-ones. Then as well when he’s winning his one-on-ones and you’re the guy that’s pushing the pocket, sometimes the quarterback may just fall in your lap … Being in the right spot with a guy like that will help.”