Former Broncbuster, Arlington Hambright, taken in the seventh round by the Chicago Bears
By Mike Pilosof
Photo by Adam Shrimplin
Garden City, KS-Arlington Hambright became the third Broncbuster football player in as many years to hear his name called by the Commissioner, as he was taken by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Saturday. He joined the likes of defensive back Lonnie Johnson (2019 second-round pick of the Houston Texans) and defensive back Mike Hughes (2018 first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings).
"It's a blessing," Hambright said.
In 2016, many considered Garden City the biggest reclamation project in the country. After all, the Broncbusters lost seven of their first eight games the previous season. But things turned in a big way that second year under Head Coach Jeff Sims, and a big reason was the play of the offensive line, led by position coach Luke Meadows.
After being bullied for much of the 2015 campaign, the line was resurrected in less than 12 months, led in large part to left tackle, Arlington Hambright, who was a three-star prospect coming out of Belleville High School in Ypsilanti, MI. After watching from the sidelines as a freshman, Hambright cemented himself as one of the best blindside protectors in Junior College football.
"Typically, seventh-round draft choices have a long road to success in the NFL," Sims said. "That's nothing new for Arlington. He knows how to overcome challenges. Don't' count him out."
Garden City ran the table in 2016, winning the program's first National Championship. And Hambright parlayed that success into a scholarship offer from Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State. After redshirting in 2017, he played in five games in 2018 before suffering an injury. He eventually returned for the Liberty Bowl. Once he received his Bachelors' Degree, Hambright transferred to Colorado, where he was named an Honorable Mention All-Pac 12 performer last season as a fifth-year senior.
All of that led to Saturday, when Hambright got a call from Bears' Head Coach, Matt Nagy moments before Chicago selected him with the 226th pick.
"You're about to see your name come up here," Nagy told Hambright. "We're super excited."