Byron Pringle's Knack for Bouncing Back
Byron Pringle has made things work out after all else broke down, on the field and off it.
So perhaps the former Chiefs receiver who just signed on with the Bears is the ideal receiver for quarterback Justin Fields.
"I see him as an elite quarterback," Pringle said. "He keeps his legs alive and he definitely knows how to extend plays and that is something that I did in Kansas City. When the play broke down, I always tried to find, get in the quarterback’s vision.
"So with him being able to keep plays and drives alive, I know I fit perfect in this offense, especially with a quarterback like Justin Fields."
It was a part of the game sadly lacking with Bears receivers last year considering Fields' knack for moving around and throwing. They didn't get open enough on plays that extended beyond their pass patterns. There wasn't enough improvisation by the receivers while their quarterback improvised.
It's possible adding someone who did this for Patrick Mahomes can help.
Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, a former receivers coach himself, had experience with this in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers and his receivers.
Pringle also brings a bit of an edge in that Bears GM Ryan Poles knew all about him, having been with the Chiefs in personnel when they acquired him. Poles throughout free agency, has been signing players who overachieve or who fight back from adversity to succeed. Pringle definitely is one of those.
"Somebody that would come to work every day ready to compete at a high level and just have that mentality, that 1-0 mentality of coming to win," Pringle said, describing his approach. "I don't care about no numbers. I want that letter at the end of the game, that W."
Pringle, a 6-foot-1, 201-pounder who plays any receiver position, is a typical of Poles' additions as an undrafted player, but also because of the way he overcame real adversity that had nothing to do with the NFL.
Coming out of high school, Pringle signed with Youngstown State. He was arrested for robbery in 2013 and even though the charges were dropped he had lost his chance to play for that school.
He went to Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas and redshirted in 2014, then stepped up to catch the attention of Kansas State.
"Nobody would never hold my hand and tell to get on the straight path," Pringle said. "But when I called Andre Coleman up—he was my receivers coach at Kansas State—when I called him up and told him I wanted to play football again, I would give credit out to him and his family and coach (Bill) Snyder and Kansas State coaches and staff when I came there for bringing me in.
"Other than that, I'd just give credit to myself and I'd thank them for the opportunity they gave me to be able to come back and play ball again."
Pringle had overcome his early trouble, and it led to a somewhat humorous but also scary moment at his college graduation regarding his mother, Alissa.
"She came into the graduation and as they were getting ready to call my name, something happened to her," Pringle said. "She fainted. She was just so happy that she had fainted in the stands so it's big coming from her. I'm the baby boy and I got the college degree, I was the first one to get a college degree so it was a big accomplishment to her and also to me as well."
Pringle had more to overcome with the Chiefs. He suffered a hamstring injury in training camp after going undrafted. He also needed to have a hernia surgery, so he landed on IR all of 2018.
"They kept my in meetings, not just doing rehab and going home," Pringle said.
When he was able to play again, the attention he received while out helped.
"I just kept that mindset: don't worry about the person on the side of you or in front of you or behind you," Pringle said. "Keep looking forward and keep going. Hard work pays off.
"You stay focused at the task at hand. That, to me, is winning games and being a great teammate, a great player for the coaches to coach. And just an all-around great teammate, on and off the field."
In his first two years as a receiver Pringle made just 25 total catches, but then last year broke out late in the year and finished with 42 catches for 381 yards. He made 12 catches in the playoffs for 82 yards and three TDs.
Now he's looking to play a bigger role for Fields.
"They reached out to my agents and they give me the great opportunity to be able to come in here and compete and play with a young quarterback with young receivers, be able to give the guys, the receivers some like, basically that leadership role, in the receiver room," Pringle said.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
