CB Majors nets 3-year contract from Chicago

Following in the footsteps of former teammates Tracy Porter and James Hardy, former IU cornerback Leslie Majors signed a free-agent contract to play for the Chicago Bears.\nThe South Holland, Ill. native will hope to play for the team he grew up watching as he was one of 10 free-agent rookies to sign a contract with the Bears. Majors signed a three-year contract worth $310,000, the NFL league minimum for a rookie.\n“It’s a great experience,” said Majors, who feels Chicago is the best situation for him. “It’s like a dream come true. It’s just like a movie where it ends in a happy ending.”\nMajors’ agent, Keith Conrad, said he was not solely looking at the Bears. The Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Detroit Lions all expressed interest in the cornerback.\n“I was more concerned with getting him into a cover-2 defensive scheme where he could come in and support the run,” Conrad said.\nConrad said he expected a team to draft Majors in one of the late rounds of the draft. With nearly every pick in the seventh round he got a call. But at the end of the day, no team picked up the former Hoosier and Majors had to sign a free-agent contract instead.\n“Undrafted is a hard way to go, the odds are against you,”Conrad said. “But I’ll play the hand dealt with Leslie Majors any day.”\nLast year, Majors recorded 62 tackles and picked off two passes including a spectacular grab against Minnesota on Oct. 6. For his career, he intercepted three passes and played all four years at cornerback, starting opposite of Porter last year.\nMajors will have to compete for a spot in an accomplished backfield on the Bears, including players such as Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman. Currently, Chicago has eight cornerbacks competing to make the roster.\n“At this point, there’s always going to be eight or nine that come into camp,” Conrad said. “The facts are that he’s going to have to beat somebody out of the job, but we were confident that he’s going to get a shot.”\nConrad also said the Bears like Majors’ speed, possibly keeping him as a compliment to wide receiver Devin Hester on kickoff returns.\n“I just want to get on the field,” Majors said. “Wherever they need me, that’s where I want to be.”\nAside from Majors, several other former Hoosiers are attempting to make the jump to the NFL. Fullback Josiah Sears is also trying out for the Bears, while long snapper Tim Bugg will try out with the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Giants. Neither player has signed a contract.\nBugg, the No. 1 rated long snapper in the NFL Draft, had a possibility of being selected in the late rounds but none of the 32 teams took a chance on him.\nAlongside Porter, Sears was one of IU’s two captains last year. The 257-pound fullback played in all 13 games and recorded 261 all-purpose yards and scored six touchdowns.