Inside The Huskies

Early Reviews for Rome Odunze Are Over the Top

Bears teammate Keenan Allen says the former Husky is better than him as a rookie.

Dan Raley

Former Husky wide receiver Rome Odunze has been impressive in Chicago Bears camp so far.
Former Husky wide receiver Rome Odunze has been impressive in Chicago Bears camp so far. / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

So much for NFL rookie hazing. Rather than put Rome Odunze through some ridiculous and embarrassing team initiation, the Chicago Bears have come only to praise their first-round draft pick from the University of Washington.

And not only welcome him to the Windy City scene with a big contract, but they continue to shower him with endless accolades.

Take Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen, for instance. He emerges from his best pro football season -- a stunning 108-catch, 1,243-yard and 7-touchdown performance in 13 games for the Los Angeles Chargers -- and, while someone else might feel threatened by Odunze, Allen chooses only to elevate his new teammate at his own expense.

"He's a little bit better than me when I came in," Allen recently told media members who cover the Bears. "He's faster. I think he comes out of his breaks better than I did when I was that young. He looks more polished than I was as a receiver."

Allen, 32, is widely considered one of the greatest NFL receivers of his era, entering the league from the University of California as a 2013 third-round draft pick for the Chargers.

UW fans received a first-hand look of this Bears to Bears standout when, just five minutes into a 2011 Cal game at Husky Stadium, Allen took a Zach Maynard pass and zipped 90 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring in a contest won by the Huskies 31-23.

Odunze and Allen will team together with veteran D.J. Moore, who's coming off a career-best 96-reception, 1,364-yard and 8-TD effort with the Bears last season, to form what is expected to be one of the NFL's best starting receiver corps for rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

Coming up with his own big numbers, Odunze finished with UW career-best 92 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior for the 14-1 Huskies last season.

From the front office to the veteran receivers, people have noticed the new guy's maturity, his ability to grasp things quickly, to run his routes properly. There's more. What everyone with the Bears likes most about Odunze is his unwavering belief in himself as a fledgling pro football player.

“Confidence is key, I was the same way,” Allen said of his NFL rookie days. “I was here to take spots and be the No. 1 receiver. But sometimes, realistically, it’s not the way it goes. I’ve been a No. 3 and 4 receiver. Cards may or may not play out this way, but we’re going to need him.”

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley

DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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