Former Maryland linebacker Ruben Hyppolite was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but he was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and is working to take advantage of his opportunity with the Bears.
Hyppolite remained confident and did not doubt his abilities as a player after not receiving a Combine invite. He ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at Maryland’s Pro Day and went on 10 predraft visits. He recently reflected on being overlooked.
“I knew I was going to get opportunity,” Hyppolite said on Glenn Clark Radio Oct. 24. “I never doubted myself on that. I knew my ability. I knew what I brought to the table, not only as a player but as a person and just meeting with the different teams that I visited during the predraft process and then having the type of Pro Day that I had.”
Hyppolite played in five games so far with the Bears, mostly contributing on special teams. However, the 6-foot, 236-pound linebacker has had a chance to learn from his teammates on the defensive side of the ball.
“I have great vets in my room, as far as the linebackers go,” Hyppolite said. “So it’s a lot of great guys ahead of me who have great respect, not only amongst our team but in this league. I’ve just been learning from them, taking in all the information I could take in, being a great teammate.”
The Bears recently played in Baltimore, losing to the Ravens, 30-16. Hyppolite didn’t suit up for that game, but it was still a cool experience for him to be in the same building where his idol, Ray Lewis, once played.
“At Maryland, we would always go and watch preseason games there,” Hyppolite said prior to the game. “It’s just a different light playing there and just being there on the field rather than watching from the stands. So regardless of how the situation pans out, it’s going to be great just to be there and experience the environment as a player rather than as a fan.”
Hyppolite was asked about how the Bears have worked together to put together a quality season thus far. He highlighted teamwork and the defense’s preparation with coordinator Dennis Allen.
“We all understand how important and how imperative getting takeaways on defenses is,” Hyppolite said. “Dennis Allen does a great job scheming up throughout the week. Our coaches do a great job of preparing us throughout the week. We just go out there, execute and it’s fun. He runs a great scheme where us as players can use our skills and abilities and just go out there and just ball out and play and create turnovers, make tackles and all that stuff, just run and hit.”
Hyppolite praised head coach Ben Johnson’s leadership skills and success. Johnson became the 18th full-time head coach in Bears history last offseason after a successful run as the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, and he is tasked with bringing the Bears back to relevancy.
“He’s the captain of the ship,” Hyppolite said. “He always comes with a plan, and he knows how to execute the plan, and he tells us exactly how we’re going to execute it, and he stands on his word with a lot of things. You can only respect that out of a coach.”
For more from Hyppolite, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Chicago Bears