Kyle Long doesn’t take crap from anybody. That much has been proven true over the year. If anybody needed a reminder, just go look back at the game against San Francisco last season. Mitch Trubisky receives a late hit out of bounds. This immediate starts a fight between the two sidelines. One that escalates with Richard Sherman getting involved. Amidst a bunch of guys in pads and helmets, there was Long in a baseball cap and T-shirt, sticking up for his quarterback despite still being injured.
One player who had a front row seat for Long’s dedication to protecting his boys was Earl Bennett. The former Bears receiver never forgot the first instance of the giant guard upholding that duty. He explained during his latest #StoryTimeWithEarl segment where he talked about the mob mentality of the offensive line. How every man in that group is an extension of the others. Fight one and you fight them all.
One poor soul from the practice squad figured that out the hard way during Long’s rookie year.
“Fast forward to 2013, where we had our share of fights during the season. But, this fight between the offensive lineman and a DT was critical. C #1 had got into a fight with a practice squad guy. The battle was fairly even. That was until the rest of the offensive lineman saw the fight.
The first-round pick OG had made himself comfortable and meshed with the group. When he saw the fight, there was nothing the practice squad guy could do. I saw a 6’7, 330-pound, guy, mid-air barreling toward the practice squad guy like a torpedo. WHAM!!!! He obliterated the guy, and Coach Trestman kicked everyone out of practice.”
Kyle Long is merely continuing a lesson from his father
Long’s mentality didn’t just drop out of nowhere. It was something instilled in him at a young age by his father, Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long. He is a major proponent of strength in family relationships. He once told his kids that he ever heard that somebody at school or elsewhere got after one of the brothers and they were there and didn’t step in? He’d kick their butts.
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So it’s not really a surprise Long jumps at every opportunity to battle it out with people who dare threaten his “brothers” in the locker room. Nobody in their right minds would want to risk getting a beating from Howie. One thing is for sure. Opponents would be wise to avoid the issue all together this year. Long is fully healthy now and feeling better than he has in years. Considering what he did to people the last time that was true?
Don’t risk the humiliation.
