Bears rookie tight end Adam Shaheen likes to hang out with quarterback Mitch Trubisky. But he doesn’t wait up for his new roommate.
“He’s a good roommate; he’s a great guy,” Shaheen said during the Bears’ three-day minicamp this week.
“[But] he’s not there much. He’s here [at Halas Hall] till 9:30 p.m. to 10.
“By that time, I might be asleep. He’s in here learning. The quarterback’s got obviously the most to learn, and he’s in here pretty much the whole time.”
The Bears surely love that about Trubisky. But the team also likes how their first- and second-round picks from this year are connecting on and off the field.
“Awesome dude,” Trubisky said of Shaheen.
“He’s a good dude,” Shaheen said of Trubisky.
Trubisky and Shaheen got to know each other immediately after they were drafted. The team put them in the same hotel room together for rookie minicamp and the offseason program.
In a way, it was a football move. And Shaheen knows it.
“I had a great relationship with my quarterback in Ashland,” he said.
That would be Travis Tarnowski, a standout at the Division II level. Together, Shaheen and Tarnowksi were a prolific duo at Ashland. Shaheen also wouldn’t have developed into an NFL-caliber player without him.
Shaheen quickly impressed Trubisky.
“[Shaheen] loves the grind,” Trubisky said. “He’s another great teammate, so I think if we just keep bringing in those high-character guys here and keep building on each other, keep getting better, we can do some good things around here.”
Of course, that’s what the Bears hope they will do. Trubisky will bide his time behind starter Mike Glennon, but Shaheen is already working with the first-team offense.
“[Shaheen has] picked things up very quick,” coach John Fox said.
Trubisky has helped with that. Trubisky’s non-stop work habits are rubbing off on Shaheen, while Trubisky said his daily routine has improved thanks to Shaheen. That starts with going to bed early.
“He wants to learn, I want to learn,” Trubisky said. “We just got to keep getting better and keep studying it. This is our job, and we love what we do.”
Trubisky’s and Shaheen’s Ohio roots only strengthen their connection. They cheered on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, while many teammates rooted for the Golden State Warriors.
“[Trubisky is] one of those guys that not only can hang out and be great on the football field, but you can go back and go to dinner with, go see a movie [with],” Shaheen said. “[He can] turn it off for the evening.”
