Bryce Callahan trying to not let bum hamstring ruin the moment

These are heady times for Bears cornerback Bryce Callahan, but challenging times as well — he doesn’t want to blow the opportunity of a lifetime.

An undrafted free agent from Rice in 2015, Callahan established himself as the Bears’ starting nickel back as a rookie, then made an impressive transition to cornerback in Week 4 against the Lions.

But after suffering a hamstring injury the following week against the Colts, Callahan has been determined not to let it get in his way. He knows he has a chance to solidify his position opposite Tracy Porter in the Bears secondary. But playing through a hamstring is like walking a tightrope — you’re always one step from disaster.

“It’s frustrating,” Callahan said. “You want to be tough and smart at the same time. It kind of puts you in a what-to-do? kind of situation. It’s a tough decision.”

Callahan started against the Jaguars the week after the Colts game, but he aggravated the hamstring four days later against the Packers and was limited to 16 plays. He sat out the Bears’ victory over the Vikings on Oct. 31, so with the bye week Callahan has had three weeks to rest the hamstring. He has practiced on a limited basis this week and could play Sunday against the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

“I’m progressing every week,” Callahan said. “[The bye] helped out a lot. It gave me some down time to get my leg ready. I’m not supposed to be talking too much about injuries, but [the week off] was beneficial.”

The Bears aren’t likely to take too many more chances. “The last few times he’s been out on the field he hasn’t felt like he could open up and go,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said.

It’s an opportunity neither Callahan nor the Bears want to miss. The Bears have struggled to fill the cornerback spot vacated by Kyle Fuller’s injury — though even Fuller has yet to solidify it. The 5-9 Callahan was just getting past the “intriguing option” stage when he was hurt against the Colts.

“He’s got good quickness, good speed … good football instincts — a good feel for the game,” Fangio said. “Playing corner isn’t too big for him. We know he can play nickel, too. We’ve just got to get him healthy. I think he’ll be fine if he’s healthy.”

“He’s just a freak athlete,” teammate Cre’Von LeBlanc said. “Bryce knows how to do everything: Cover. Off. Press. When the ball is in the air he’s very acrobatic. I love watching him play.”

For as far as he’s come in a short time, Callahan is eager to get back in there, but knows he has to be patient. Still, there’s so much more he thinks he can do.

“I’m pretty excited about what I’ve done so far, kind of,” Callahan said. “I set the bar high for myself. I know I can do a lot better than what I’ve been doing.”

Such as? “Coming out of my breaks. Being more explosive. Burning my eyes to the guy instead of looking in the backfield. It’s time for me to start catching picks. That was my thing in college [13 in 47 games at Rice]. I want to get back to it.”