Gervon Dexter’s circuitous trip to the National Football League mirrored a scene straight out of the central casting of a Hollywood movie.

Dexter, one of the rising stars on the Chicago Bears’ rapidly improving defensive line, wasn’t playing football during the spring of 2018 at Lake Wales High School, located about 50 miles south of sun-splashed Orlando, Florida. In fact, according to Dexter, 23, football was never going to be part of his future.

“I was all about that hoop life,” Dexter told the Mirror U.S. Sports in an exclusive interview from Chicago’s training facility in Lake Forest, Illinois. “In my mind, I saw myself playing college basketball and playing in the NBA. Football was never part of my plan.”

Fate intervenes, circumstances change and life-altering blessings – disguised as dedicated mentors who double as high school football coaches – enter the scene as encouragers, guardians and protectors of the greater good.

Dexter’s protector – someone who had been charting and monitoring his athletic progress since middle school – was Tavaris Johnson, head football coach at Lake Wales High School, affectionately known as “Coach T” to his players past and present.

Dexter’s plan was all laid out. His ticket to a better life involved playing on one of Nike’s top AAU national high school basketball circuits, a year or two at a Division I basketball powerhouse before earning a trip to New York City to shake hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver seconds after his name was called in the first round of the NBA Draft.

All was in motion until Dexter, who was 6-foot-6 inches tall by his sophomore year in high school, stopped growing.

“Coach T always keeps it real with you,” Dexter said. “I figured that I was going to grow to at least 6-9, 6-10. I had my heart set on playing college basketball and then playing in the NBA until Coach T convinced me that my future was in football – not basketball.”

Gervon Dexter

Gervon Dexter is improving the Chicago Bears

Johnson, who has been coaching and mentoring young people for nearly 25 years including the last 11 seasons as head football coach at Lake Wales, says he vividly remembers the first time he saw Dexter in action on the basketball court.

“He reminded me of a player on a video game,” Thomas told the Mirror U.S. Sports. “His ability to move, his athleticism. You saw raw athletic ability. He could rebound, he could post up and he could jump out of the gym. He was a guy who had a big frame and played with explosiveness and violence. I wondered. What would all that raw talent and athleticism look like on the football field.”

Dexter’s transition from the hardwood to the gridiron began one week before spring football practice commenced at Lake Wales in 2018.

“He dropped by the football facility and asked me if he could try on a football uniform,” Johnson said. “I laughed at him and told him this isn’t a Hollywood movie set where we try on costumes. This isn’t Halloween where you wear costumes. This is football…the uniforms are reserved for football players. After a little more conversation, I told him he could try on a uniform if he agreed to come out for spring football.”

That invitation, coupled with Dexter’s trust and belief in Coach Johnson, changed the trajectory of both of their lives. But if you think Dexter instantly and immediately got his mind in gear and took Johnson’s sage advice and dropped his hoop dreams overnight, think again, because the initial transition didn’t look or feel like a warm and inviting Hallmark holiday movie.

“I told him, man…’I ain’t playing no football’,” Dexter said. “And if I do change my mind, I want to be a guy who touches the football and plays on offense. So, I got out there and played tight end and halfback, but neither one of those positions worked out for me.”

Over time, Thomas said Dexter’s willingness to listen and take counsel allowed him to successfully transition to the defensive side of the ball which brought about a frenetic sense of him wanting to learn as much as he could about the position as fast as he could.

“Football equipment is always an issue for us,” Johnson said. “So, one day, I’m driving Gervon home when I noticed one of our brand-new tackling dummies – that had been missing from the practice field – was sitting in his front yard. I was like, ‘Gervon…is that our dummy?’ He said, ‘Yeah, coach…I kind of borrowed it because I wanted to get some extra pass rush work in over the weekend so I would be ready for next week’s game’.

Gervon Dexter

Gervon Dexter excelled with th Gators

“That’s the kind of kid he is. Being good at his job means something to him. He was always wanting to get more reps in the weight room or do more work on the whiteboard. He was in a hurry to get better because he wanted to secure scholarship offers from Division I schools.”

According to Thomas, Dexter went from a guy with no game film and no real exposure to big-time high school football to a guy in the span of about three months who fielded more than 45 Division I college football scholarship offers from schools like Florida State, Miami, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Michigan, Georgia and Clemson before signing a letter of intent with the University of Florida, where he played in 38 games from 2020 to 2022 for the Gators in Gainesville, Florida.

Dexter, selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft by Chicago, currently leads his team in sacks (4.0) and is also one of his team’s top tacklers (24 total tackles, 13 solo stops) from his defensive tackle position. His four sacks are tied for fifth-most in the NFL amongst interior linemen and he is the first Bears defensive lineman to record one sack in four of his club’s first five games since former Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack did it in 2021.

“This young man works as hard as anyone I’ve seen in practice,” said Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington. “He comes out every single day and he’s focused on what we’re emphasizing, the situations that we’re working on. He’s working on what he’s going to do in the game during practice. I can’t say enough good things about his commitment and his preparation.”

Dexter’s dedication paid off handsomely in 2023 when he signed a four-year contract with Chicago worth north of $6.7 million dollars, including a signing bonus just shy of $2 million dollars.

“I’m in a good spot right now,” Dexter said. “I’m on a good team with great players and I love the city of Chicago. I live in Lake Forest because it’s where the complex is, but I really enjoy getting down to the city. It’s an amazing place and I really enjoy my time every time I go downtown.”

The Bears (4-4) look to snap a two-game losing streak on Sunday when they host the New England Patriots (2-7) at Soldier Field at 1 pm (CST). Bears head coach Brad Eberflus says he loves Dexter’s mentality when it comes to practice, preparation and the physical conditioning it takes to play at a high level in the NFL.

“He’s done really well for us,” Eberflus said. “His execution and production is no surprise to me. I really believe he is going to take some bigger strides here because he continues to work with great determination every single day.”