Bears OL Dropped 30 Pounds, Feels Like 'Different Player'

Larry Borom has been putting in work.

The Chicago Bears selected Borom in the 5th round of the draft this year, and the offensive lineman has lost 30 pounds since he last played in 2020. Borom played at 350 pounds in college at Mizzou, and he is tipping the scales just over 320 pounds these days.

“I got down after the season to 322,” Borom said during an interview with the media. “I’m gonna get back up just a little bit to around 330, but it was just a lot of hard work. I put my head down this past offseason and just really knew what my biggest issue this offseason was. I feel really good. I feel light on my feet. I feel like a totally different player.”

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Borom Addressed a Huge Knock on His Game

In dropping 30 pounds, Borom has addressed one of the primary knocks against him heading into the draft. Criticized by some draft analysts for being “stiff-legged” and for having “lumbering lateral movement,” the offensive tackle is a bit more spry and light on his feet now. A lot less lumbering, perhaps.

Borom will be competing for the starting right tackle spot against Germain Ifedi, and he says he’s ready for the opportunity.

“As a player, I’m a mean, physical, dominant big person that’s going to displace people off the line of scrimmage,” Borom said. “I play with the demeanor and that chip on my shoulder that I’ve had since I was younger, and I’m never going to lose that…I feel like I can pass-block with the best of them,” he added.

He also noted his primary goal during rookie mini-camps was to “soak up as much information” as he could, and he said the experience was a positive one. “It’s been really good. There’s been a lot more detail,” Borom added. “Really just learning the scheme and just playing with each other.”

The offensive tackle has also been impressed with what he has seen from fellow rookie Justin Fields.

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Borom on Fields: ‘100 Percent Business’

“He’s 100 percent about business. It’s not fun and games when we’re on the field, 100 percent business. He wants to do the job at the highest level that he can. I try to echo that with my play,” Borom said about Fields. “If you see your quarterback is not messing around, it makes everyone else want to work 10 times harder.”

Borom is also getting along splendidly with offensive line coach Juan Castillo.

The only direction he’s going to take me is up,” Borom said after being drafted. “He’s one of the best in the game. He’s a guru. We had our Zoom meeting and he’s an up-tempo guy and he brings the juice and the energy.”

Whether Borom beats out Ifedi for the starting job remains to be seen, but it promises to be one of the more intriguing position battles to watch for the Bears heading into the 2021 season.