Jermon Bushrod is living nothing less than the NFL version of “pay it forward:” Laid up with an injury, the Bears’ left tackle finds himself in that uniquely NFL alternate universe, where the ethos demands that when you’re injured, your job becomes supporting and mentoring your own replacement – because very often that’s exactly what someone once did for you.
Eight years ago Bushrod was a mid-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints, playing in a total of just three games (zero starts) over the span of 2007-08. Then Saints Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown suffered a torn ACL and other injuries in early 2009, and Bushrod was catapulted into the starting lineup.