Each year, the NFL draft is a spectacle where hundreds of thousands of fans either attend the event in person, or gather around the world to see who their favorite teams will be adding to their team. For the Chicago Bears, not only do they have all eyes on their draft class, but they have found diamonds in the rough outside of the draft with rookie free agents.
This year, the Bears were one organization that was discussed heavily for the UDFA class they assembled, which included former Tulane cornerback KC Eziomume. Eziomume, who took the road less traveled making stops at Alabama A&M, University of Albany, and Tulane, rose through the rankings in his collegiate career and will now be looking to rise up the ranks at the NFL level.
In an interview with Bears Wire, Eziomume discussed his journey through the draft weekend, his collegiate career, and his excitement to work with the coaching staff, especially Al Harris.
Working with Bears coach Al Harris
It’s no secret that Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris was an integral part of the defense’s takeaway success last season, leading the league with 23 interceptions. And the fact that they were able to retain him despite interest for defensive coordinator jobs was a huge win for head coach Ben Johnson. Eziomume is eager to work with this Chicago coaching staff, notably Harris.
“I’m really just excited to get to work, especially with a legend like (Harris),” Eziomume said. “I have talked to some of the corners on the team currently and with the scheme, I like the scheme, I like the coverages they do. Everything they do, I feel like it fits me. I feel like I’ll be a great fit. I’m really just ready to get up there and get to working with him, honestly.”
Handling draft weekend
While understanding where his position was coming into the 2026 NFL Draft, Eziomume detailed draft weekend and how his journey landed him in Chicago. Eziomume said he didn’t know where his road was heading, having heard interest from several teams.
“So coming into the draft, I knew day three was going to be a big day, whether it was getting drafted late or getting signed,” he said. “So I was looking forward to day three. I remember my agent was telling me before the draft, I had some buzz from the Colts and the Dolphins. And maybe day two of the draft, I think the Bears said they were interested in me as a priority free agent. So I’m like, ‘All right, that’s cool.’ Because in the process, you’re hearing a lot of stuff from everywhere. So he’s like, ‘Yeah, it’s cool, but you don’t want to just harp on it and then be hurt.’ So I’m like, ‘All right, that’s cool.’
“So then day three comes. We’re in the fifth or sixth round, I’m with my friends. We were going to go celebrate and stuff, just have fun, chill, and I get a call in the sixth round like, ‘Yo, what are you doing?’ I’m like, ‘I’m just driving. I’m chilling.’ He said, ‘The Bears are signing you.’ I said, ‘The Bears?’ I said, ‘Okay.’ So I’m getting happy, you know what I’m saying? Then five minutes later, the coach calls me, or the staff calls me from the Bears, and it was like, ‘Hi, KC. How you doing? It’s the Bears. We’ll do–‘ And that’s when I really turnt up. I’m like, ‘Yo, this is real.’ Because I’ve been dreaming about going to the league my whole life, and there’s not that many people that have the opportunity to do that. So I was turnt. I was turnt, I’m not going to lie. I was turned up, yeah.”
What the Bears are getting in Eziomume
Taking the road less traveled, Eziomume will come into his rookie season with a chip on his shoulder and understanding to what needs to be done for this team and coaching staff as he looks to earn a coveted roster spot this summer.
“Even though I got signed, I’m still coming in as an undrafted free agent,” Eziomume said. “I still got a lot to prove. I still got a name to prove. I feel like even if I was to come in as a first-rounder, I feel like I still have a lot to prove because, yeah, okay, we got to the league. Now what? You don’t just get to the league and stay there. You got to keep working. So that’s just the mentality I have. Next day, just keep working, keep consistent. I’m always grinding to be better, be better than the next day. They’re getting a hard worker. They’re getting somebody that’s consistent. They’re getting somebody that’s going to put their all, and they’re getting somebody that’s going to strap the number one receiver, wherever it is. Someone who they can look up to.”
The football will be Eziomume’s
Joining a Bears defense that led the NFL in takeaways (33) during the 2025 season, Eziomume plans to fit right in with their mindset and says any quarterback that tries him will get intercepted.
“When that ball’s in the air, it’s mine, and if it’s not mine, it’s not theirs,” he said. “It’s simple like that. I have got to come down with it, or they can’t come down with it. Either one of the two. So, it’s just going to be exciting to do that in the league, knowing that I’ve been training for this, I’ve been working for this my whole life. And to actually perform, I’m ready to perform in a great crowd. I’m ready to rock on that field, look at the crowd, look at the fans and just ball out. Just giving people what they came here for.”
The rookie took it a step further, playing right into the hands of his new hometown fans, giving a very direct answer to his plans going up against Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
“As many times as he throw my way, I plan to come down with it,” Eziomume said.
Last season, head coach Ben Johnson showed that he didn’t care where a young player was drafted or what their draft status was; if they can play, he’ll get them on the field. Given several losses on the defensive side, drafted or not, Eziomume comes into a situation with the Bears where he has an opportunity to get coached by Al Harris in the secondary, Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator, Johnson as head coach, and plenty of opportunity to come with that.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears’ UDFA KC Eziomume ready to live out dream, give fans a show
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
