Former Bethel Park football standout Nick Kwiatkoski’s dreams became a reality on Saturday, April 30 as the Chicago Bears traded up to take Nick in the fourth round with the 113th overall pick.

Nick had the following to say to the Post-Gazette:

“It’s just a great feeling. You really can’t describe it. I’m just happy that it happened, honestly.”

While at BPHS, Kwiatkoski, on the defensive side of the ball, played primarily safety. Kwiatkoski moved on to play college ball at West Virginia University. After getting a little bigger, the Mountaineers shifted him to linebacker.

Nick Kwiatkoski was a force for the West Virginia defense leading them in tackles the past three seasons. Over those three years at West Virginia, Nick amassed 267 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and six interceptions.

A big thing for Nick was his versatility as a Mountaineer. Even after he made the transition to linebacker, Nick played three different linebacker positions, the Will, the Mike, and the Sam. This showed high football IQ, as he had to master the different responsibilities each of the possessions possesses.

Kwiatkoski is expected to play one of the inside linebacker spots for the Bears.

The Bears have a history of producing great linebackers including Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher just to name a few.

“The list goes on with their great linebackers. To be a part of that group, just to be on that team, it’s just an honor,” Kwiatkoski said.