The road to an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent is never easy, but for former Iowa Hawkeye Hayden Large, the Chicago Bears are already drawing up big plans.

Large, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end/fullback hybrid, went undrafted out of Iowa but quickly caught the attention of Bears head coach Ben Johnson. Known for his relentless blocking and blue-collar work ethic in the Hawkeyes' run-heavy offense, Large may not have the flashiest stat line—just 14 catches in his college career—but he's the kind of player who wins coaches over with consistency and grit.

Earlier this week, Johnson didn't hold back when discussing the undrafted rookie. "He was one of the guys we identified well before the draft... he's a player we really liked," Johnson told reporters. "I called him before the draft and let him know that we had a vision for him. A walk-on at Iowa, earning playing time and going through with the long, hard road—I really appreciate that. I think we got a good one."

That kind of praise from a head coach is rare for an undrafted free agent, and it signals that Large is already making an impression in Chicago. But the competition won't be easy. The Bears' tight end room features established talents like Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland, along with third-round pick Sam Roush out of Stanford. Still, Large's versatility as a blocker and his willingness to do the dirty work could carve out a niche role on special teams or as a situational fullback.

For a player who walked on at Iowa and grinded his way to the NFL, the climb is only getting steeper—but with Johnson in his corner, Large might just be the kind of underdog story Bears fans love to root for.