The Chicago Bears have a storied history of great linebacker play. One of those linebackers has greatly influenced Bears fourth-round draft pick Ruben Hyppolite II and how he plays.

The University of Maryland product joined “The Sick Podcast with Adam Rank” on Sunday and mentioned his style being impacted by Hall of Famer Mike Singletary.

RELATED BEARS CONTENT
• Bears depth chart: How Ben Johnson, Ryan Poles’ roster looks after NFL draft
• How Grady Jarrett quickly earned Bears leadership role after signing
• Todd McShay sees Ben Johnson’s fingerprints on Bears’ 2025 NFL Draft class

“Mike Singletary, I’ve been watching interviews and highlights of him since I can remember,” Hyppolite told Rank. “He always had the big eyes in the helmet. So, I kind of credit a lot of the way I play the game to just watching him and hearing him speak.”

Hyppolite’s game is influenced by Singletary, but three-time Pro Bowl linebacker NaVorro Bowman passed it on to him. Bowman, who was a defensive analyst for Maryland in 2023, played his rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers when Singletary was their head coach.

“NaVorro Bowman, he was an analyst at Maryland in ’23, so he coached me up a little bit,” Hyppolite told Rank, “and a lot of his drills and things that he taught me came from Coach Singletary. So, there’s a lot of those things that I still take in and apply to this day.”

Singletary and Hyppolite’s size are eerily similar. Singletary played at roughly 6 feet and 230 pounds, and Hyppolite stands 6 feet and weighs 232. 

Marquee Sports Network Bears insider Scott Bair had this to say about Hyppolite after he was drafted:

“The Bears obviously were looking for speed at linebacker, which makes sense, considering how Dennis Allen prefers the position to play. Chicago’s new defensive coordinator likes guys who can go sideline-to-sideline and occasionally blitz through the interior for quick quarterback pressures. Hyppolite has speed and isn’t afraid to mix it up.”

Hyppolite joins a Bears linebacker group led by established veterans Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. If Hyppolite can provide anything close to what Samurai Mike did during his Chicago tenure, he could be the steal of the 2025 NFL Draft.