Safety Dillon Thieneman, the Bears' first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, talks with ChicagoBears.com about who he's most excited to play beside in Chicago, his favorite football memory ever, his go-to pregame song and more.
Describe your draft night in three words.
Emotional. Passionate. Electric.
How many unread texts do you still have?
100. I mean, you'll be responding to people, and then and then they respond back so it just adds more.
Who are you most excited to play with in Chicago?
Coby Bryant. Honestly, I don't know too much about him yet, so I'm excited to learn more.
Who were your sports idols as a kid?
Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed.
What's your go-to pregame song?
I keep changing it, but right now it's Ain't It Fun by Paramore the Smash Mode Remix. It's really good.
What's your hidden talent?
I used to be a real good artist. Drawing, painting — as a kid, I used to do all of it.
Do you have any pregame superstitions?
I mean, I have a routine that I do. I guess one is I normally have a sleeve on my left arm.
What's your favorite football memory ever?
Ever? It would probably be that first interception versus Fresno State in my first game freshman year.
What do you remember about that moment?
I didn't know what to do, so I just started running. You look back at the video and it's like, "all right, this dude looks stupid."
What are you most excited to see or do in Chicago?
Probably go to a Cubs game. I haven't been to Wrigley before.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
My brother said this one time when I was younger: "However long you work with the team is how long you have to work outside of the team." My oldest brother Jake said that.
What's your guilty pleasure movie or show?
You ever heard of the movie Land of the Lost? It's a really stupid movie, but it is hilarious.
You have two older brothers — Jake and Brennan — what is something your brothers are better at than you?
They both know how to play instruments and I don't.
What are you better at than them?
Everything else.
