The Mitch Trubisky Ohio narrative was a popular one throughout the draft process. It was played up constantly how he was a native of the state. Unsurprising since the Cleveland Browns held the #1 overall pick. It was a classic Hollywood script. The boy who grew up watching his favorite team returns as a man to lead them out of the depths of ineptitude.
Of course scripts are built around fiction and that dream never came to pass for the Browns. Despite their best efforts they were no match for GM Ryan Pace. His aggressive move up from #3 to #2 overall assured that the Chicago Bears would be his new home. Maybe not the biopic people had expected but there’s more than one way to make a great story.
Cleveland isn’t the only city fraught with quarterback woes. If anything the Bears’ is even more cringe-worthy stretching back decades. Interspersed with very brief moments of passable play. Trubisky is the latest in a long line trying to stop that trend. Why should anybody believe he can? Well aside from the talent, there is another interesting reason.
The Mitch Trubisky Ohio angle may have legs in another way
Ohio isn’t exactly quarterback central. At least not compared to states like California and Pennsylvania, long celebrated hubs for the best signal caller ever. That said there is one fascinating trait about Ohio-born quarterbacks people don’t know.
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They’re trailblazers. That’s to say the best of the best to come from there often did so from previously unproven programs in college. Look back over the history at the biggest names. Each of them came from a school that had never produced a viable quarterback in its history prior to their ascent. It’s a rather remarkable truth.
- Len Dawson (Purdue)
- Roger Staubach (Navy)
- Ben Roethlisberger (Miami of Ohio)
Keep looking over those three names. They have a ton in common. They overcame limited expectations early in their career. Each won at least one championship. Two are in the Hall of Fame and the third stands a pretty good chance once he retires. All of them elevated the QB position at their respective college to unseen levels seen before.
Now paint the picture again. North Carolina has never once produced a viable quarterback in its program history. Trubisky is from Ohio and he’s easily the most talented player ever to come out of there at that position. It’s just the latest sign that the stars maybe, just maybe are aligning in the Bears’ favor for once.
If nothing else they can use every bit of superstitious good fortune they can get.
