LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Israel Idonije knows that he may never have completed his long and unique journey to the NFL if it weren’t for Sunday’s opponent, the Cleveland Browns.

When the Bears defensive lineman was a senior at the University of Manitoba in 2002, NFL teams showed little interest in crossing the Canadian border to scout him.

Defensive lineman Israel Idonije has appeared in 77 games with eight starts in six years with the Bears.

Not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine the next spring, Idonije spent an entire day outside the RCA Dome at the annual event in Indianapolis reaching into a brown grocery bag and handing out VHS highlight tapes from his college career to NFL personnel.

Desperate to show what he could do, Idonije was excited to learn that nine NFL teams were planning to attend his pro day workout in Manitoba. But eight of the clubs ultimately canceled due to fears related to the global outbreak of a potentially-fatal respiratory disease known as SARS.

Phil Banko, who was the Browns’ defensive line coach at the time, was the NFL’s lone representative at the workout. He made the trip at the urging of Yogi Jones, a player personnel assistant with Cleveland at the time who had previously scouted Idonije at the University of Manitoba.

“Those two gentlemen are a big part of why I’m in the NFL,” Idonije said. “Yogi Jones was a big believer in my ability and my potential. He flew up to Canada, he sat in his car on our practice field in a blizzard while we practiced and he came back to Cleveland and said, ‘Hey, I think this kid can play.’”

Idonije signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He felt that he had a good chance to make the 53-man roster as a rookie, but he fractured his ankle in training camp.

“I was working my butt off,” Idonije said. “I was in great shape, just running all over the place. I was moving up the depth chart as far as special teams, which is really the inroad to getting on the team. We had some great d-linemen. But I was hungry, and it was looking like I was going to make it.”

Idonije was waived by the Browns a few weeks into the regular season after agreeing to an injury settlement. The 6-6, 270-pounder joined the Bears’ practice squad a few months later after recovering from his injury, and then made Chicago’s 53-man roster the following season.

Idonije has since developed into a versatile contributor on both defense and special teams. He has appeared in 77 games with eight starts in six seasons with the Bears, registering 106 tackles, 6½ sacks and 10 pass breakups as well as 33 special-teams tackles. 

Idonije often thinks about the difficult trek he made to the NFL, an unusual path that began in Cleveland.

“Everybody’s road has been tough. The NFL is such an exclusive club to be in,” Idonije said. “Mine’s been a little unique. It’s been full of some character builders.

“I stood outside the Combine. They didn’t let me in, so I handed out VHS tapes all day. I only played two years in college and no one thought I’d make it. A lot of the Canadian scouts and coaches—people you’d think would be rooting for me—would say, ‘Don’t worry, he’ll be back in the [Canadian Football League].’

“It was a lot of hard work, being in the right place at the right time and taking advantage of my opportunities. It’s been a long road, but a good one.”