New Bears safety Kevin Byard has built up a strong reputation for dependability based on never missing games, or even practices.
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00:05 Probably like the second half of the year last season, I was just kinda,
00:08 obviously stuff like that was popping up on film, how well those guys were playing.
00:12 But like I said, I mean, I know a lot of these guys.
00:14 Obviously, I've been watching Brisker and Jalen Johnson.
00:18 And obviously, Kyle Gordon, the slot, he's a twitchy guy too, he's really good.
00:22 And Tyree Stevenson was a rookie last year, so
00:24 I think he played pretty good as well too.
00:25 So that's like I said, just kinda watching them on film and
00:28 kinda just seeing the guys they had.
00:30 Now obviously, I feel I could be a really good piece to kinda add into the secondary
00:34 from a leadership perspective.
00:35 First and foremost, I've been blessed.
00:36 This game, my bravery's always had to score you,
00:42 tell the team it's 100% guarantee injury rate.
00:44 Some point you're gonna get either injured, hurt, banged up, whatever it may be.
00:48 But I've been blessed.
00:49 I think I take body maintenance and just my career very seriously.
00:54 When it comes to off the field recovery, nutrition, doing all those things.
00:59 And I think that that's something that, not to say that I can bring to the team or
01:04 bring to the guys, but just watching me and how I take care of my body and
01:07 things like that.
01:07 They say availability is your best ability.
01:11 So that's been definitely one of my best abilities for sure.
01:13 The first thing I always try to do with any group of guys is first earn their
01:17 respect.
01:18 And I think one of the best ways to earn their respect is by showing up every single
01:23 day, working extremely hard, studying in the classroom, practicing.
01:28 I've never missed practice before in my career other than for
01:31 the birth of my children.
01:32 But being available, being there, being a good resource.
01:35 And I think once you earn their respect, you can kinda gain that,
01:39 not leverage, but you kinda gain just that respect of the guys.
01:43 So then you can actually vocally,
01:44 you kinda have a little bit of clout with the guys, I would say.
01:47 So that's the first thing I wanna do, earn the respect of my teammates,
01:50 my coaches, everybody in the building.
01:52 To let guys know how much I really care and how much this thing means to me.
01:56 And I think that's just one of the few ways that you start off by being
01:59 a leader, just by earning guys respect.
02:00 I mean, I wanna have some vet days off and nothing like that, but.
02:03 >> [LAUGH]
02:04 >> Materialize this shit.
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