Mitchell Trubisky: Confident in face of Chicago pressure
— -- LAKE FOREST, Ill. --- Chicago can be a tough town for quarterbacks, but? Mitchell Trubisky says he's equipped to handle the kind of intense scrutiny Jay Cutler faced throughout his eight-year run with the Bears.
"If the coaches say it to the media or they know what they're talking about, then I'll listen to what you guys have to say," Trubisky said Friday in his introductory news conference. "But unless it doesn't come from the coaches, I know how to block that out. I'm going to stick to what I know and what I do and just continue to learn from the coaches and the rest of these players in the league. But yeah, a lot of people got a lot of things to say, but it doesn't necessarily help you."
Trubisky added that he, "blocks out the pressure and put a lot of pressure on myself. I have high expectations for myself and what I'm capable of in the future. And I love ball, so for me it's all about just playing football, continue to play the game I love and bring the winning tradition back here to Chicago."
Chosen No. 2 overall, Trubisky, who started 13 games at North Carolina, must develop into a franchise passer to justify the Bears' faith in him. Trubisky said he embraces that role, even with its inherent challenges.
"You're the face of the franchise, so everything you do is going to be under a microscope," Trubisky said. "I'm just going to do the right things like I've always done; stay true to myself and you've got to be a leader -- you've got to be the first one in the door and last one out. You've got to be the hardest-working guy. You've got to be the most knowledgeable and you've got to be competitive. I don't think anyone wants to win more than I do. Hopefully I can bring that to this organization."
The Bears tweeted a series of videos and photos Friday of Trubisky's journey to the team's headquarters.
In the short term, Trubisky said he's content to back up veteran Mike Glennon, who will earn $16 million guaranteed in 2017. The two quarterbacks have not spoken since Chicago traded up for Trubisky on Thursday night. Glennon developed the reputation of a strong leader over the course of four years in Tampa, but the dynamic inside the Bears' quarterbacks room is worth watching moving forward.
"No, I haven't talked to Mike yet, but I'm very excited to work with him and the rest of the quarterbacks here," Trubisky said. "Mike is the starting quarterback and I'm very excited to learn from him and the rest of the veterans on the team, and I can't wait to help the team win."
