Very few people who have formed their whole lives as athletes turn down a lucrative contract from a big team. Kyle Long seems to be on the list of people who do. The Virginia-born sportsman is a guard who represents the Chicago Bears in the NFL. Long would have turned pro much earlier but in a different sport. In 2008, the Chicago White Sox of MLB came calling, but the athlete declined the invitation in favor of a career in higher education and college football at Florida State University.

Kyle was finally drafted into the NFL after being drafted by the Chicago Bears in this year’s edition of the NFL Draft.

Kyle Long’s Bio

Born in Ivy, Virginia on December 5, 1988, Kyle played football and baseball during his high school days. In 2008, he participated in the US Army’s US All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. His baseball endeavors in high school and soon after brought him to the radar of Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox. He was selected by the team in the 23rd round of the 2008 MLB Draft. However, it looks like they were late to the party, as Kyle Long had already made a prior commitment to Florida State University. He consequently turned down the professional baseball team and traveled to Florida.

The time spent in Florida was not long by any stretch. He left the institution in January 2009 and enrolled at Saddleback College the following year. Here he continued to play football, defensively in his freshman year and joining the offensive line in 2011. Again Kyle changed his allegiance and moved on to the University of Oregon where he played in the 2012 season for the Oregon Ducks. an additional year of college eligibility by the NCAA.

Kyle Long began breaking NFL records from the day he was drafted. He was a first-round pick by the Chicago Bears, having been the 20th overall selection in the draft. Since being selected to play as a guard, he is the first guard since the 1960s, Roger Davis, to be selected by the Bears in the first round. He was also the last of the Chicago selections in 2013 to sign his contract.

Long was not involved in the team rookie mini-camp due to league rules preventing him from participating. However, he started in the team’s opening game, setting another record as the first Super Bowl-era rookie to start under good guard for the Bears on opening day.

His efforts throughout the campaign were rewarded with a spot on ‘Pro Football Focus’ and NFL.com’s Rookie Players Teams on January 15, 2014. The combination of preparation and foresight prompted Kyle to replace Injured Mike Iupati in the 2014 Pro Bowl taken into custody. Kyle Long became the first Bears rookie since 2009 Johnny Knox to make the Pro Bowl roster.

Long continued to prove useful to the team and even played tackle until the team brought in Bobby Massie from the Arizona Cardinals in March 2016. By then the guard had been named to three consecutive Pro Bowl games.

Throughout his participation in the 2016 season, Long suffered from a strained triceps and a torn labrum in his left shoulder. However, he continued to play through the pain until he was finally booked for injury with a serious ankle injury. He was rewarded for his contribution to the team when, on September 7, 2016, he signed an enhanced four-year contract worth $40 million.

In 2017, Kyle returned to the injured list after aggravating his shoulder and suffering ankle and finger injuries prior to the shoulder issue.

Family: father, brother

Looking at his family, it’s no surprise anymore that he turned down a baseball career in favor of football. Kyle Long comes from a footballing heritage, albeit a short one. He was born to Howie Long, his father, a football legend who played his entire career on the defensive end of the Los Angeles Raiders (now the Oakland Raiders).

Kyle also has an older brother, Chris Long, who currently also plays defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles. He also has another brother, Howie Long Jr., who works with the Oakland Raiders as a recruiting and personnel assistant.

wife, girlfriend

In July 2017, Kyle Long indirectly introduced his girlfriend to the world via a post on his Instagram. The guard is in a relationship with Shannon Noel Ford. The red-haired beauty from Gilbert, South Carolina is a model and reality star.

Self-love Barbara Walters attended the University of South Carolina where she earned degrees in political science and broadcast journalism. She also participated in the Miss USA 2012 pageant for South Carolina, where she finished in the Top 16.

Kyle and Shannon have been together for a while, but they are unmarried and have no children.

Height, weight and body measurements

The footballer is 1.98m (6ft 6in) tall. It also maintains a net weight of 143 kg (316 lb). No other verifiable information is available on his body dimensions.