In his whirlwind first few weeks as a NFL player, former Florida defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr. confronted and dealt with all of the usual challenges that come with making the transition from the collegiate to professional level.
The Chicago Bears, looking to revamp one of the worst defenses in the league, made Dexter their second-round pick in the 2023 draft on April 28. When a franchise makes that kind of investment – the 53rd overall and sixth d-lineman selected – it is counting on the player to be heard from as a rookie. With that in mind, Dexter went into this brave new world with his eyes wide open.
"When everything is new, you don't know what's coming next," Dexter said. "When I was [at UF], I knew exactly what to expect every day at practice. When I got to Chicago, I knew I had to learn how to practice as a Bear."
Former UF defensive tackleGervon Dexter Sr. (98) now wears the (burnt) orange and (Navy) blue of the Chicago Bears.
What Dexter, the 6-foot-6, 312-pounder from Lake Wales, Fla., soon found out, though, was that much of the way things were being done by the Bears under Coach Matt Eberflus had a lot in common with what the Gators were doing last season in Year 1 under Coach Billy Napier.
No, the transition wasn't seamless (how could it be?), but Dexter found he already had an element of familiarity with regard to the schedule, the drills, tempo and attitude of his first taste of NFL organize team activities (OTA) and mini-camp because of how Napier operated his shop.
"I think Coach Napier runs his program a lot like Coach Flus, with the way he expects leadership and the way young guys are expected to follow that leadership," said Dexter, who is back in town and working out at the Heavener Football Training Center in advance of leaving for training camp late next month. "Honestly, some of it seem exactly the same, with the individual periods on the field and also the stuff off the field. Coach Flus preaches about being a good guy and good teammate, like Coach Napier, and doing it not just for your team and your brothers but for yourself. The standard is more than just being a good football player."
The on-field standard for the NFL is more than just being a good football player, also.
It's about being a great one, at least in their eyes. UF co-defensive coordinator Sean Spencer
UF co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Sean Spencer knows that. Now in his 27th season in the profession, Spencer spent two years as defensive line coach of the New York Giants. .
"I've been on the other side and, clearly, I know what the picture looks like. I know what they're looking for," Spencer said. "I try to prepare them as much as I can to be the most dominant college football player they can be. If you do that, the NFL will come."
Dexter did some things on tape that made the Bears take notice. When it came to his one-on-one meeting with the club he obviously demonstrated some of the high-IQ traits that Spencer witnessed in the classroom – "He's always asking questions, and I'm talking about 300- and 400-level questions," Spencer said. – and coaxed out of his player on the field last fall.
In 2022, Chicago ranked 29th in the NFL in total defense, including 131st against the run after allowing 157.3 yards per game. There's a reason, starting with Dexter, that seven of the Bears' 10 picks in the '23 draft were on the defensive side of the ball, including selections in third (Miami defensive back Tyrique Stevenson) and fourth (South Carolina lineman Zacch Pickens) rounds. In proceeding those two players, Dexter became the highest-drafted defensive lineman taken by the Bears in eight years.
The team went 3-14 last season, so there's plenty of room for improvement. And with it, plenty of opportunity.
"Even though I wasn't on that team, I feel like I was a part of that," Dexter said. "I want to come in and help the team win. I would say a small individual goal for me is to do whatever I can to make this team better. If I can do that, some bigger individual goals may come alive for me."
Dexter is right in that he had nothing to do with his current team's record, but he was knee-deep in UF's 6-7 mark during his junior 2022 season when he started all 13 games and finished with 55 tackles, four for loss, four quarterback hurries, two sacks, an interception and a pass breakup. Whatever individual satisfaction Dexter got from his final season as a Gator – it obviously was good enough to make the pros taken notice – was dampened by a second straight losing record.
But Dexter sees better things on the horizon for the Gators.
"It didn't show in the record, but it showed in the locker room and with the type of players we had, and now the type of players that will be coming into the program," Dexter said. "Coach Napier came in and changed so many things that you would not have noticed unless you were on the inside; on the team. He taught us how to prepare ourselves as men. There's only so much you can do as a coach, but now he's getting the kind of players Florida should have. That's going to show up in the record."
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The Chicago Bears, looking to revamp one of the worst defenses in the league, made Dexter their second-round pick in the 2023 draft on April 28. When a franchise makes that kind of investment – the 53rd overall and sixth d-lineman selected – it is counting on the player to be heard from as a rookie. With that in mind, Dexter went into this brave new world with his eyes wide open. 
