There are few better ways to establish yourself as a tough guy in an NFL locker room than playing through a broken bone.
But it was never about that for Bears defensive tackle Bilal Nichols when he broke his right hand. He was secure in his grit without having to prove it to anyone. He just wanted to play.
“I’m not doing it for respect,” he said. “I’m doing it to help my team.
“Missing those games hurt. I felt like I was leaving them out there by themselves to battle. So whenever I felt comfortable to go out there and the trainers felt comfortable with me going out there, I was ready to go.