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Undrafted Rookie Receiver Tanner Gentry Continues To Impress With Bears

By Chris Emma—

(CBS) With a one-on-one matchup some 40 yards down the field, Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky unleashed the deep ball.

Veteran cornerback Marcus Cooper was in coverage and properly positioned, but it didn't matter. Up and over went receiver Tanner Gentry, who hauled in the pass atop Cooper's helmet.  The crowd at Olivet Nazarene went wild.

More and more in attendance now know who Gentry is.

"He just goes up and gets it," Trubisky said. "He does his job, and he's been beating his man on the outside. The opportunities he's been given, he has taken advantage of."

Unlike Trubisky, who was taken second overall in the draft, Gentry signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming. He's a classic underdog story, as the kid hardly recruited out of high school who made impressions at a low-major college but still was left undrafted.

The most notable day for the 6-foot-2 Gentry in training camp was marked by three touchdown receptions, two of which came from Trubisky. They have worked together with the third-team offense, and Trubisky has frequently looked toward Gentry, his top target so far.

The 22-year-old Gentry is taking each pass as the opportunity to prove himself. With each practice, he's looking more likely to stick with the Bears' roster.

"Tons of motivation," Gentry said. "(I'm) just playing with a chip on my shoulder. I feel like I've been doubted my whole life, my whole playing career, coming out of high school with not much opportunity there, either. I just go to show that I belong, just continue to make plays and make the most of every opportunity that I get."

Fortunately for Gentry, opportunity has presented itself in camp. The Bears are far from settled at receiver as the coaches look to identify their best personnel fits.

Gentry can draw inspiration from a teammate like Cam Meredith, who two summers ago was an undrafted free agent rookie fighting through his first training camp. Meredith made the team through the practice squad and last year became the Bears' leading receiver. He's now a starter and go-to target.

Like Meredith, Gentry has shown a knack for making plays with a smooth game – everything from natural instincts to body control in the air. For Gentry, going up and getting the football is something learned from his father, Ryan, who played receiver through college.

"He always taught me that if the ball's in the air, you go get it," Gentry said. "It's your ball. That's kind of how I play. Yeah, 50-50 balls, I feel like that's where I kind of excel."

While catching the football has often seemed easy for Gentry in training camp, there are greater challenges ahead for him to make the Bears roster. He must adjust to playing special teams in the NFL, something he didn't do at Wyoming. That's a major maneuver for any receiver moving from college to the professional level.

Ultimately, if Gentry can keep making plays with the speed of this level, greater opportunities will arise. He's willing to go up and get it.

"It would mean everything," Gentry said. "It's what I've worked for a long time."

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.

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