Bears safety Adrian Colbert is a down-to-earth person.
He uses singing bowls to cleanse the energy around him. At training camp, he walks around barefoot to be more grounded and draw energy from nature. There is no doubt that his spiritual side is intact.
But this did not happen without a frightening incident in his childhood that still affects him emotionally.
“It was Sunday. I had a (football) game that morning. I still had my pads on,” Colbert said on ‘Hard Knocks.’ “I wanted to ride my bike, I wanted to race. We were racing, me and my classmate. I didn’t stop at the stop sign. And this woman speeding to work was going about 55 miles an hour. I got hit from the outside and hit. Yes, I got hit.”
“I almost lost my life that day.”
According to a newspaper report shown during the episode, Colbert had swelling on his brain and a fractured seventh vertebra. He spent a week in the hospital unconscious with a broken nose and collarbone. He was in a coma for two weeks. The doctor said he would never play football again.
Of course, he played football again. He played four years at Miami University in Florida. There, Colbert played in 40 games between 2013 and 2016, recording a total of 49 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and four passes defensed.
The 49ers selected him in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft. They were the first of ten teams Colbert played for over the next eight years. He played for the 49ers, Seahawks, Dolphins, Chiefs, Giants, Patriots, Jets, Browns, Titans and now the Bears.
“Adrian just needs every rep he can get to make the team,” general manager Ryan Poles said on the show. “To make the 53-man roster, he’s got to be able to perform on special teams. We’ve known each other for a long time now, so he’s someone I’m rooting for.”
Colbert did not make the Bears’ 53-man roster, and he did not get one of the 14 officially filled practice squad spots.
He did make an impression during the preseason, however. In his game against the Chiefs, he came out of nowhere to intercept a pass that likely could have led to a touchdown. He later threw a hard hit to quarterback Chris Oladokun, who then threw an interception to Reddy Steward.
Colbert is the definition of a journeyman. He’s still looking for a place to play permanently. But the cuts and his traumatic childhood injury won’t stop him from pursuing his dream. And they certainly won’t diminish his gratitude to be on Earth.
“It was a tough road back. But it didn’t stop me. It didn’t stop my goals,” Colbert said. “After that, I just went back to living my normal life, playing soccer in the street and riding my bike. I go out and I’m grateful for the leaves, grateful for the trees, grateful for every blade of grass.”
“I’m grateful to be alive. I’m grateful for this experience, being in the NFL and being around the people I meet every day.”
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