Getty NFL tight end Cole Kmet, wearing headphones, was selected by the Chicago Bears during the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft on April 24, 2020. (Photo by NFL via Getty Images) (Photo by Handout/NFL via Getty Images)
Cole Kmet’s joy is very real. After being taken by the Chicago Bears 43rd overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, Kmet was elated, and not just because he was drafted — he seemed equally thrilled about who drafted him.
Kmet attended St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and his father Frank has history with the Bears. Frank was on the Bears’ practice squad in 1993, and Kmet grew up a fan of Chicago sports teams, including the Bears.
“I mean, this is amazing,” Kmet said during a conference call with the media after his selection. “It’s a dream come true for me and obviously I’m really excited.” His family was pretty excited, too.
“They’re freaking out right now,” Kmet told Bears coach Matt Nagy on the phone, referring to his family, who received the news when he did. “They’re all freaking out.”
Cole Kmet and His Entire Family Exploded in Celebration When Bears Selected Him
Kmet shared video on his Instagram page that was taken when he received the call from Matt Nagy informing him he was going to be a Chicago Bear, and Kmet’s joy was impossible to contain, as was the delight of the family members that surrounded him. “HOME!!!! Words can’t describe this feeling. Can’t wait to get to work with the @chicagobears. Let’s goooooo!” Kmet captioned with the video.
In the short clip he shared of his and his family’s reaction, Kmet couldn’t hold back tears of joy, and his family couldn’t hold back their applause or excitement, with several member screaming: “Let’s go!” as Kmet spoke to his new head coach for the first time.
“You’re coming back home, are you ready?” Nagy asked. “I can’t wait, I can’t wait,” Kmet responded.
“This is meant to be, man. I got chills,” Nagy said, then requested to see Kmet’s family, who were all still mid-celebration. It was a fun, pure moment, and one that makes the NFL Draft unique and special. “My whole family, we grew up Bears fans,” Kmet said during his conference call later. “So this is just unreal for us. It’s a huge dream come true.”
Kmet Says He’s Ready for the Next Step
Kmet also noted in his conference call that his aggressiveness was going to be a major asset for him in his first year with the Bears.
“I think my versatility, just from being able to go from the backfield to in-line to split out wide, that’s pretty unique. And I’m an aggressive player. I don’t go down on first contact. I like to run through guys and stuff and I’m going to play fast and physical, and I refuse to go down.”
Pace seems to agree.
“He just stones somebody, just runs over somebody,” Pace said about Kmet. “He’s just such a dense, big body that guys are ricocheting off him as he’s running after the catch.”
His knowledge of what Bears fans have gone through over the years can’t hurt, either. Not only does Kmet seem to understand the team’s importance to the city of Chicago and in popular culture, he knows its fans want a Super Bowl more than anything else.
Cole Kmet: “Bears fans want a winner. I know that because I am one.”
HOME!!!!!! @ChicagoBears
You can watch Nagy’s call with Kmet below:
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