“He was (a priority),” said Donatell, in his second year as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator. He reached a contract agreement to join recently-hired defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and secondary coach Ed Donatell. “Thankfully, the Bears took a chance on him and it panned out.”Ĭhicago reached out after more than 30 cornerbacks were drafted. “I kept trying to tell people before the draft, not that I’m the ‘Oracle of Delphi,’ but I saw him every day and knew he could play,” Thurmond said. He knew what Callahan could add to a locker room, a culture, a game plan. Leading into the 2015 draft, Thurmond tried to sell an NFL team - any team - on the value of Callahan.
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He was so advanced and trusted so much, Thurmond would run two coverages on certain plays - man on Callahan’s side and zone in the middle of the field.ĭespite the production, Callahan wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but shined at Rice’s Pro Day with a 4.32-second 40-yard dash, 43 1/2-inch vertical jump and 11-foot broad jump. That’s how he makes up for his lack of height.”Ĭallahan played 47 games for Rice, intercepting 13 passes and making 143 tackles. Unbelievably explosive - probably the biggest advantage he had. “Almost every day we would do 7-on-7 in the red zone, at the end, he would do a standing flip. “He has unbelievable athleticism,” said Thurmond, now a coaching analyst at Oklahoma State. He just made play after play and was very courageous - he wouldn’t shy away from contact and tackle.”Ĭhris Thurmond was hired as Rice’s cornerbacks coach in 2011 and was the defensive coordinator in Callahan’s final two years. He has the ability to hang in the air almost like he’s defying gravity and come up with the big play. “If you threw a 50-50 ball, it was 100% Bryce’s.
“Teams (threw at him) and we loved it,” Bailiff said with a laugh. Once he started playing, he started producing takeaways. Playing opposite current Houston Texans cornerback Phillip Gaines, Callahan led all FBS freshmen with six interceptions. “He told me, ‘You don’t need a big school to make it to the NFL,’” Callahan said.Ĭallahan redshirted in 2010 Bailiff said the coaches could have played him but wanted to foster his progress. He credits high school teammate Sam McGuffie, who was transferring from Michigan to Rice, for convincing him that even a lower-profile program gets noticed. 323 in Texas in the Class of 2010. Callahan visited Kentucky, but committed to Rice after touring its campus. According to 247Sports, Callahan was ranked No. His family moved to Texas when Bryce was in the third grade. Callahan was an all-star safety and returner for his high school in Cypress, located about 40 minutes northwest of downtown Houston.īut the college recruiters never flooded him with offers. “We probably lived in 15, 16 states before settling in Texas.”Ĭallahan said his favorite stops were in California and North Carolina and the moves were so frequent that he would attend the fall semester in one state and the spring semester in another. “Anytime he finished a project, we would get in our trailer and go to the next one,” Callahan said in a phone interview with The Post last week. ”He made play after play”Ĭallahan, who turns 29 later this month, was born in Moscow, Idaho, which is where his stepfather worked for a company that constructed water towers. He’s a gritty guy who never complains and he’s going to figure out a way through his intelligence and hard work to overcome obstacles.”Īnd Callahan has experienced some obstacles. “He’s where he’s at because he outworked people and is talented,” said David Bailiff, his coach at Rice. The work ethic to regain his form - a constant.
In man coverage, according to The Denver Post’s game charting, Callahan has allowed 14 completions for only 121 yards (no touchdowns/no penalties). 1 cornerback and moved to the nickel spot covering New York Jets slot receiver Jamison Crowder mid-game in Week 4, a role he will continue to play against Patriots receiver Julian Edelman. Bouye (shoulder), Callahan has been the team’s No. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close MenuĬallahan was good … and has started the season just as well, playing all but three of 291 defensive snaps entering Sunday’s game at New England.
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