Defensive tackle James Lynch, who signed with the Bears this offseason, recorded his first career interception on Monday Night Football against the Seahawks. Lynch has been a key piece of the Bears' D-line this year, appearing in all seven games, starting six, and playing nearly half of the defensive snaps.
Learn more about the six-year veteran and record-setting Baylor alum, including his memories playing high school football in Texas, who his MLB comp would be, what his hidden talent is and more.
What was your welcome to the NFL moment?
Probably when I was in Minnesota and we played Tampa my first or second year. I jog out onto the field and it was Gronkowski, Tom Brady, Antonio Brown, and I'm like, 'I'm out here with some legends right now.' And then, somebody false-started, so I went through the line to make the ref throw the flag, and then Tom Brady was like, 'No, no, no, 92 jumped off,' and I was like, 'Shoot, that's Tom Brady talking about me.' So I'd say that was my first, like, whoa moment.
Who's been the toughest offensive lineman to go against in your career?
Jason Kelce. He was the first person where it felt like his technique was perfect, like, 'whoa, that's a different level. I never felt this level of pull.'
What's your favorite football memory ever?
I have two. My high school was in the playoffs. We were playing a team called Westlake, and we weren't supposed to win. I was a sophomore on varsity, and it was a last-second play to end the game. We all got to the quarterback at the same time and sacked him to end the game. Everyone went crazy, and we were at their stadium.
But my real favorite probably is in college. We beat Texas in 2019 at Baylor. I broke the sack record that game, and at the end of the game, they put on the scoreboard that we clinched the Big 12 championship. And it was like little ole Baylor, and we just beat the team that I grew up right next to to go to the championship game. That was probably the coolest moment of everything coming to fruition. Because my first year we were terrible, second year we were alright, and then third year, we were a good team, we beat UT and I break a record, and then we're going to the championship. I was at home; everyone was there. My family was there. Everyone saw it, and all my boys are UT fans, so I know they all saw it. It was super cool. Looking back, that was a cool one.
You grew up in Round Rock, Texas and played football at Round Rock High School. What was Friday night lights like? Is it everything that it's hyped up to be?
That was the reason I quit baseball. I grew up a left-handed pitcher, a big guy that could throw a little bit. Nothing like I was going to MLB, but I loved baseball. But I got to high school and Friday night lights was — you run out of the tunnel and your whole city's there. The people you grew up with, your boys, the whole city is backing you. It's the purest form of football to me. You're really just playing for your hometown, repping your hometown. And my last year, we went really far, so that was incredible. Nothing beats Friday night lights. At my school, I was one of the only guys who really went to the next level, so it was really just the love of the game. I still get chills thinking about it. It was so much fun.
So is the TV show 'Friday Night Lights' accurate?
Where I grew up, probably a little exaggerated. But that is real for some areas. Because where I was, it was a bigger city. That was a small-town vibe where shops are closed, like, it's game day. That's a real thing.
As a former baseball player, who would you consider your MLB comp?
My brother would like this — he loves baseball. I'd say Evan Gattis. No baseball gloves, designated hitter, just full beard, just letting them go. I only wanted to hit whenever I played baseball. I was the big hitter. I'm the big guy. I'm the clean-up hitter. Let me just hit a home run.
If football had walk-up songs like baseball, what would yours be?
I'd pick a classic. I used to love "Welcome to the Jungle" right before kickoff, when you're looking across the field. That's probably my favorite because it brings back memories of that.
What is a hidden talent that you have?
This could backfire, but I can hit a golf ball super far. Now listen, I cannot play golf. But I can, for some reason, drive a golf ball very far. Every time I've golfed, everyone's like, 'dude, what the — why are you hitting the ball so far?' I don't know. But then the rest of it, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just a natural athlete trying to figure out golf, and it's not working out very well at all.
What's a random fact about you that we can't find on the internet?
I'm left-handed, throw left, bowl left, but I kick right. All my stuff is backward. I write left, throw left. But anything lower body is all right. So in baseball, I throw left, but I bat right.
Who were you role models growing up?
The first were obviously just my parents. That was an easy one for me. If we're going football-specific, my middle name is Husker, so I'm a Nebraska fan, but Ndamukong Suh is my favorite player of all time. I had the Fathead on my wall, everything. He changed the game every time he played, especially in Nebraska, and in the NFL too. But he was the first player where I was like, 'I want to be that.' And I'm playing D-line, like, that's who I want to be. So that was my first football idol. Watching him every game, I just wanted to watch him. The way he affected a game as a D-tackle was not common. So seeing him do that, I was like, 'I want to do that.'
