On June 2 at the Bears' annual media day, safety Kevin Byard III, while donning his navy No. 31 jersey in full pads, wrote his goals for the 2025 season on a notecard.
Among those he has already achieved are "Pro Bowl" and "5 plus INTs," the latter of which Byard had accomplished just 11 weeks into the season. He proceeded to rack up seven total interceptions, his final pick of the regular season coming last Sunday at Soldier Field against the Lions.
For the second time in his 10-year career, that meant earning the NFL interceptions leader title — a personal accolade that ranks right at the top of his list alongside three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro honors.
"When I came into this league, that's something that I've always told myself is, 'you came into this league and you were drafted as high as you were because of your ability to take the ball away, so be that person your entire career,'" Byard told ChicagoBears.com. "So, it's been awesome. I've been blessed to be able to continue to do it at a high level."
A third-round selection by the Titans in 2016, Byard first established a reputation as a ball hawk in his four seasons at Middle Tennessee State, where he still holds school records for interceptions (19), interception return yards (377) and interception return touchdowns (four).
"It's either in you or it's on you," Byard told reporters Tuesday. "I think it's just a skill that I've mastered. You're either a ball hawk or you're not."
During his sophomore season in 2017, Byard set a high bar for the remainder of his career, recording a league-best eight interceptions — the most in a season by a Titans player — while also adding two fumble recoveries.
Almost a decade later, Byard has upheld that reputation. The Philadelphia native has posted at least four interceptions in six of his 10 seasons and, at 32 years old, leads a Bears defense that took the ball away a NFL-leading 33 times. In a league known for its unpredictable nature, Byard believes those stats speak the truth about who he is as a player.
"As consistent as they come," Byard affirmed. "It's something that I've been doing my entire career from college to NFL. [I'm] just super proud about that.
"Anytime you can lead the league in any type of statistical category, especially when you talk about taking the ball away at the safety position, is something that I'm just super proud about."
With 36 career interceptions, Byard ranks second among active players just behind longtime Vikings safety Harrison Smith (39). Since entering the NFL, Byard has never missed a game — appearing in 164 contests with 155 starts.
"He's just a true pro," defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said Dec. 4. "He's seen a lot of football. I think he's done a really good job for us in a leadership role, being the voice for the back end of the defense in particular. He understands what his strengths are, and understands where he's got to work to try to continue to improve.
"He's got great ball skills, and he has got really good instincts. So he's searching out opportunities to go make plays, and when they've presented themselves, he's made them."
Byard's consistency and dependability are rarities in the NFL, yet unsurprising when given the type of players he idolized while growing up. His "Holy Trinity" of safeties in the modern era consists of Brian Dawkins, Troy Polamalu and, at the top, Ed Reed.
Both Reed and Polamalu played 12 NFL seasons and appeared in 174 and 158 games, respectively, while Dawkins spent 16 years in the league, totaling 224 games played. The tenacity and intensity with which all three safeties competed, along with their knack for taking the ball away, impressed Byard at a young age and provided a blueprint of the caliber of player he has strived to be.
"Ed Reed is my all-time favorite safety," Byard said. "I mean, his ability to be a ball hawk, the energy level that he brought every single week, I watched his film when I was in college, I still watch his film now. He was a special talent."
While Byard always possessed the playmaking abilities of a locker room leader, the two-time Bears captain didn't grow into a vocal leader until 2019.
Heading into his fourth season after signing his contract extension in Tennessee, Byard remembers asking veteran defensive tackle Jurrell Casey if he could break down the huddle a few times. The following year, he took over the role alongside DT Jeffrey Simmons.
"I always felt like, to be able to be a great leader, you had to be a great follower first," Byard shared. "I just had great examples early in my career to watch in Tennessee and understand how it is to lead, and sometimes when you're called to be in that position, sometimes you've gotta go take it over. I just take a lot of pride in being able to motivate the guys, inspire the guys, but also do it with my play on the field as well."
Byard now delivers pregame speeches for the Bears before each game and provides constant support to teammates in-game or throughout the week of preparation, elevating his status as a quintessential team captain.
"He's incredible," coach Ben Johnson said Dec. 2. "I had a lot of respect for him from afar prior to coming into the building and it's nothing but grown from there. He's done a tremendous job taking care of his own business first and foremost.
"He's playing at a really high level on that back end, picking up a new scheme. And he is really leading the charge, not just for the defense, for the entire team. I lean into him heavily for just feeling the pulse for the locker room. He knows what winning looks like, and so his voice really carries a lot of weight for everybody in the building."
With preparation for the playoffs well underway, Byard's leadership will be necessary inside Halas Hall. Since Sunday, Johnson has been preaching a "new season" mentality when it comes to the postseason. Byard — who has been a part of multiple postseason runs, including the Titans' run to the 2019 AFC Championship game — has embodied that mindset.
That started Tuesday just before noon, when Byard brought a Week 1-type of energy to his press conference following a morning session in the weight room. He spoke to the media for nearly 12 minutes, expressing his readiness for the week, his belief in the team and an understanding of what it will take to secure the Bears' first playoff victory since 2011.
"I'm extremely excited, extremely motivated," Byard said. "My energy is up right now. Because at the end of the day, we've obviously had a really good season, division wins, all that other stuff, but everything is zero-zero right now. Even the playoff stats reset.
"We have a great opportunity to go on a run, and it's all about [doing] the best things we can do as far as film study, recovery, everything, and just come in with a great attitude because at the end of the day, we have a special opportunity in front of us and it starts with the Green Bay game."
