Chicago Bears recruit an elite South African athlete

Forum » Rugby » Chicago Bears recruit an elite South African athlete

May 01, 2026, 22:25

The Chicago Bears selected South African-born defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg (Georgia Tech) with the No. 213 overall pick (6th round) in the 2026 NFL Draft. Known as a "freak athlete," van den Berg recorded a perfect 10.00 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) and impressed with 35 bench press reps and a 1.61-second 10-yard split at his pro day. Chicago Bears Official Website +4

Key Details of Jordan van den Berg's Testing & Profile:

  1. Background: Hails from Johannesburg, South Africa, and moved to the Atlanta area at age 10.
  2. Athletic Testing: Scored a perfect 10.00 out of 10.00 on Platte's RAS, ranking second all-time among defensive tackle prospects tested since 1987.
  3. Pro Day Highlights: Registered 35 reps on the bench press (225 pounds), clocked a 4.90 in the 40-yard dash, and a 1.61-second 10-yard split. Chicago Official Website +1
  4. Physical Traits: Stands 6-3 and 310 pounds, demonstrating elite explosiveness and quickness off the ball. Yahoo Sports Canada +2
  5. Draft Note: He is reported as the first South African-born player to be drafted in the NFL.
  6. Collegiate Success: Spent his final seasons at Georgia Tech after starting at Iowa Western Community College and Penn State, registering 11 tackles-for-loss and 3 sacks in his last season. 2


May 01, 2026, 22:29

This kid is grounded in the game unlike Rees-Zammit and given his physical attributes, could be a future great. If that happens players like the young Etzebeth and Venter could find a lucrative alternative to rugby.

May 02, 2026, 16:47

X

May 02, 2026, 17:53

Smart by the 10…terrific try

May 02, 2026, 18:02

Looked him up, seems a proper chunky lad. Good for him.


Nice to see you also succumbing to the random thread match commenting, Moz. The club is growing.

May 02, 2026, 19:31

The really humiliating thing is I had already eliminated a ‘wrong string’ once before on this thread. Is this the future? Hahaha!

May 02, 2026, 20:04

Yes, that is called "showing off" in the club, and it IS frowned upon, so reign it in.

May 17, 2026, 16:29

Great to read about his selection with the Bears.

Trust he will have a very successful and an injury free career in the NFL.


Well done.

 
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