![]() Discover Ahmad Merritt's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. If you can play, they'll put you on the field.Ahmad Merritt was born on 5 February, 1977 in Chicago, Illinois, United States, is an American football wide receiver. "I'm not the biggest guy out there, so I have to find ways to get open and be smart enough where the defense can lose me in zones and be quick enough to get off man-to-man coverage and run after the catch. He's still in the underdog position and he's going to have to work harder than anyone else to get to where he wants to go." But he still has a real battle in front of him. "We all know him now and he has shown he's capable of making plays. "He's so much further ahead than last year at this time," receivers coach Todd Haley said. And Bears coaches give him a better-than-average chance at making the active roster this time around. Now that he has seen parts of both sides, Merritt has a sound perspective. "We've got the best job in the world, but if you get drafted, sometimes you don't realize that because you've never been on the other side." "Because I didn't get drafted right away, I know how it is to be out there interviewing for jobs," said Merritt, who also spent part of his off-season visiting schools and helping run a football camp at Morgan Park High School. Joseph also encouraged Merritt to take advantage of the NFL's internship program, which set him up this past off-season with Coldwell Banker and culminated with Merritt passing the test required to receive his real estate license. "That was cool because he told me I had to take advantage of my opportunity when I got it." Waiting for him on the sideline was Joseph. "To score and to hear the crowd in Chicago, where I grew up, in the playoffs and at a pivotal moment in the game (to put the Bears ahead 7-6 after quarterback Jim Miller was knocked out of the game by Hugh Douglas), I can't even explain what that meant to me," Merritt said. Merritt caught two passes for 20 yards in the season finale versus Jacksonville before his big moment against the Eagles. "I whispered to him that the great ones come back and play well." "It's tough being an undrafted free agent because you don't usually get to make the mistakes that a draft choice might," Joseph said. He works with each rookie class on various phases of their NFL indoctrination. "I grabbed him on the sideline and said `Keep your head in the game you're a good player, this is part of the process,'" said Dwayne Joseph, a former undrafted Bear and currently the director of player development. 30 game against Detroit, Merritt's NFL debut, where solid special teams play on the coverage unit softened the blow of his three drops. The next season it was back to the practice squad until the Dec. Placed on the practice squad midway through the 2000 season, Merritt was sent by the Bears to NFL Europe the following spring, where he helped lead the Berlin Thunder to the World Bowl title with 39 catches for 582 yards and six touchdowns. But at least it wouldn't kill me for the rest of my life that I never tried." I know life moves on and I had to start my life out of college. ![]() "I knew I was a long shot but that was my motivation," he said. Not coincidentally the Bears were the only team to invite Merritt to mini-camp. ![]() "Everybody else saw me run a 40 and jump." "The Bears were the only team that knew anything about me because they were the only team that worked me out and saw me run routes," Merritt said. Merritt took advantage of the NFL 20-mile radius rule, which allows athletes who live within 20 miles of a league franchise to work out for their home team.
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