‘‘We came out to support our friend’s kid, and that’s exciting,’’ said Joel Hudik, an arm wrestler from Toledo, Ohio. ‘‘[It’s the] first start in the NFL, so, hell, yeah, I drove 3 1/2 hours just to hang out with the family and watch him play.’’
Family friend Joel Hudik wasn’t surprised by Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent’s performance Sunday against the Raiders.
‘‘It’s awesome,’’ Hudik said after watching the game. ‘‘None of us are surprised by it. We know what this kid’s capable of: He’s got great genetics and great pedigree. We’re just waiting for the city to catch on.’’
Bagent had around 50 people in attendance for his first NFL start, a 30-12 victory at Soldier Field. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown, helping the Bears win their first home game in more than a year.
The former Division II quarterback from Shepherd University also ran three times for 24 yards. He looked confident and poised playing in place of injured Justin Fields.
With 5:25 left in the first quarter, Bagent scrambled right and pump-faked as he ran for a first down in Raiders territory. After getting the first down, he urged the crowd to make noise.
‘‘I had the team [and] my family really rally behind me,’’ Bagent said. ‘‘[They] gave me a lot of support this week, which I think gave me all the confidence in the world to go do what we did today.’’
Hudik, a professional arm wrestler from Toledo, Ohio, met Bagent’s dad, 17-time world arm-wrestling champion Travis Bagent, in 2014. He said arm wrestlers are drawn to Travis as a leader and as a person.
‘‘We came out to support our friend’s kid, and that’s exciting,’’ Hudik said. ‘‘[It’s the] first start in the NFL, so, hell, yeah, I drove 3 1/2 hours just to hang out with the family and watch him play.’’
Hudik said he has attended occasional Bears games in the last 20 years but hasn’t experienced anything like this.
‘‘It was great seeing how his family and friends were reacting,’’ Hudik said. ‘‘His dad probably shed a tear over what he saw. I have a 7-year-old daughter who plays volleyball, and I get excited watching her hit a volleyball. I couldn’t imagine watching my kid play in the NFL, so that’s why we all come out and support our friends.’’
