Rome Odunze was a toddler when Devin Hester made his electrifying kickoff return for a score to open the Super Bowl. That moment is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Odunze calls the Chicago Bears’ Hall of Famer his favorite player of all-time.
Odunze has tried to incorporate some of Hunter’s game into his own and is willing to do so even more if he is given the chance to play special teams.
“I might have to hit up coach (Richard Hightower) to get in the return game too,” Odunze told CBS Sports in a 1-on-one interview. “We’ll see. But, you know, he was a special player. Hopefully I can emulate just a little bit of that.”
Is Odunze actually serious about possibly returning punts and kickoffs for the Bears?
“Shoot, man, there’s always a chance,” he said. “There’s always a chance, you know. Put the ball in your hand and go to work.”
Odunze has certainly gone to work this season for the 4-3 Bears, who are vying to record the franchise’s first winning season since 2018. A 2024 first-round pick, Odunze has been a key contributor to Chicago’s early success. With five receiving touchdowns, he’s already caught more two more scores than he did during his rookie season and is on pace to record the 20th 1,000-yard receiving season in franchise history.
Chicago’s early success has largely been attributed to Bears first-year coach Ben Johnson, who publicly challenged his players to improve their practice habits amid Chicago’s 0-2 start. The players responded with four consecutive wins prior to last Sunday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Odunze lauded Johnson’s ability to find the balance between challenging his players while maintaining the locker room, a task that isn’t necessarily easy for any coach, especially a first-time head coach who is in his first season with a new team.
“It’s definitely a balance, for sure,” Odunze said. “At this level, it’s something you’ve got to pay attention to. But I feel like he’s done a great job with it.
“He comes at us with a great approach. Understanding how we’re feeling, what he needs to demand from us and the expectation. I feel like those things have matched up very well and married up well. That’s part of the reason we were able to get on the right track with that four-game winning streak. His message this week is that our preparation is going to get us back on track.”
Johnson’s long-term success in Chicago will largely be determined by his success working with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who for whatever reason appears to be a constant lightning rod for criticism.
Williams, who got sacked a league-high 58 times during his rookie season, has improved his passer rating this year despite facing the challenges of learning a new offense for a second time in two years. Williams, as mentioned, has also had to handle the intense scrutiny that comes with being a former No. 1 overall pick.
“He does a great job,” Odunze said of Williams and his ability to handle the outside noise. “He’s definitely a leader for us, on his team and for this organization. In the midst of all that scrutiny and all the things that people say about him outside the facility, I think he has the mindset that it’s really about everything inside this building. Just holding yourself accountable to the standard of what’s expected of yourself inside this building.
“At end of the day, people are going to have something to say regardless. So he’s done a great job of that and continuously improving since he first got here.”
2024 first-round picks Williams and Odunze have played a big role in Chicago’s 4-3 start
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While he spent most of his upbringing in Las Vegas, Odunze has fully embraced Chicago since coming to the Windy City in 2024. He routinely has “food adventures” with his significant other while visiting the downtown area, he said.
Odunze knows what a championship would mean to Chicago and a fan base that hasn’t has that experience since Mike Ditka, Walter Payton, Mike Singletary and the rest of the iconic 1985 Bears captured Super Bowl XX nearly 40 years ago. Chicago hasn’t been back since Hester made history by becoming the first and only player to open one with a kickoff return for a score in Super Bowl XLI.
Along with mimicking the success Hester had on the football field, Odunze also has a strong desire help the Bears get back to and ultimately win the big game.
“They’re itching for that,” Odunze said of Bears fans. “That’s obviously the goal. … That’s what we’re striving for. We’re looking to go do that this season, and we’re looking to go do that the season after this. We’ve just got to put things together and put ourselves in a position to do so, and that starts with the daily work.”
From a personal standpoint, Odunze hopes for his career to one day be good enough to stand beside his childhood hero’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Hester was inducted in Canton, Ohio, in 2024 while becoming the first player to earn enshrinement primarily for his role as a return specialist.
“When I hang it up, I hope I’m one of the best to play this position,” he said. “Hopefully have my jacket and all those other things. Those are obviously long term goals, but you’ve got to strive to be best, or what’s the point of doing it.”
Along with pursing team and individual greatness this season with the Bears, Odunze has partnered up this season with Invisalign, a removable orthodontic treatment system that straightens teeth without the use of traditional metal braces.
“I personally had a journey with them in high school,” Odunze said. “It was a great experience. It’s also backed by 25 years research and 20 million people have been helped with this. I’m one of those 20 million, so it’s been great.”
