Danny Trevathan Says He Wants to Leave a Lasting Legacy in Chicago

Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan is healthy again after missing seven games with an elbow injury in 2019. He's also hungry. The ninth-year pro told reporters on Friday that he wants his name to be mentioned among the list of historic inside linebackers who've donned a Bears uniform.

"I want to be remembered," Trevathan said. "Legacy lives forever. ... There's such a great tradition of linebackers the Bears have. I want to be up there."

Dick Butkus. Mike Singeltary. Brian Urlacher.

Danny Trevathan?

The reality is Trevathan probably won't be remembered in the same way those other three are. Let's face it, they're Hall-of-Famers. And while Trevathan has yearly Pro Bowl potential, he won't be getting a bust in Canton.

But that's not the point here. Instead, it's the focus and approach Trevathan is bringing to the 2020 season that should rub off on his teammates (say, Roquan Smith?) and bring the best possible version of the 2020 Bears to the field.

The best possible version of Trevathan, according to the linebacker, was nearly on display last season.

"I was just getting started (in 2019, pre-injury). … I'm being serious. I was just touching the tip of the ‘berg," Trevathan said. "How do I get back to that? I never lost it, in my mind and how I feel. How I'm showing right now, I never lost it."

Trevathan's return to health is just one key variable favoring the Bears this fall. Akiem Hicks will make his return, too, after appearing in just five games last year. Add free-agent addition Robert Quinn to the mix, and that's three studs added to the front-seven who weren't with the defense for nearly half the season or longer (in the case of Quinn, not at all) last year. It's going to be fun to watch.

Trevathan has the right mindset. Now the rest of the team has to follow his lead.