Although he's only been in it for one season, Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland was fully entrenched in the team's bitter rivalry with the Green Bay Packers, and he already had prior experience in college with a high-level rivalry.
Loveland is a former Michigan Wolverine standout who played in college's football biggest rivalry between his alma mater and Ohio State, so the intensity of a rivalry is not new to the Bears tight end.
Throwing gasoline on the fire of the Bears-Packers rivalry, head coach Ben Johnson made it clear from the moment he got hired that beating Green Bay was a top goal of his as he took over in Chicago. The Bears defeated the Packers two out of three matchups last season, including the wild card round, where Loveland
had eight receptions for 137 yards to knock their rival out of the playoffs.
Recently, Loveland was a guest on "The Pivot" show and discussed how Johnson has ignited the rivalry between the two teams, and his experience in high-level grudge matchups.
"100%. Especially when Coach Johnson has been really about that, too," Loveland said Johnson's intensity towards Green Bay. "Like, No, this is how it's supposed to be. We should hate each other. This is what a rivalry is about. So definitely. I would compare it to Michigan-Ohio State. Obviously, it's a different level, but that's all anyone talks about. The owners, the GM, it's like, We got to beat Green Bay. We must beat Green Bay, too."
That rivalry has ignited the fanbase and franchise in Chicago, and it also raised the entertainment value between two of the most historic NFL teams. The Bears currently have an opportunity to pick up their first three-game winning streak over the Packers since the 1987 season, if they are able to pick up a win on the road in Green Bay in Week 5 of the regular season.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Colston Loveland credits Ben Johnson for intense Bears-Packers rivalry
