Countdown to Kickoff… 64 Days Until Chicago Bears Season Opener

May 10, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bear offensive lineman Derek Dennis (64) warms up during the rookie minicamp on Friday. Mandatory Credit: Reid Compton-USA TODAY Sports

I decided to do a countdown to the Chicago Bears season opener on September 8th versus the Cincinnati Bengals.  Thanks to one of my Twitter followers, I decided to combine the countdown with a roster preview of sorts.

We’re Derek Dennis days away from the start of the Bears season.  Or we’re Christian Tupou days away, if you’re more defensively oriented.  Let’s get to know these Chicago Bears newcomers.

No disrespect intended to either of the 64’s on the Bears roster, but both are longshots to make the 2013 squad.  Derek Dennis is a 6’3″ 315 pound guard out of Temple.   He had a brief stints with the Dolphins and Patriots as an undrafted free agent before catching on with the Bears as a practice squad player.  He’ll compete in camp for a backup spot.

The other 64 on the roster is Christian Tupou, an undrafted rookie defensive tackle out of USC.  He last played in 2011 and didn’t play last season.  The Bears brought him in on a tryout basis to their rookie minicamp and decided to keep him around.  Since the Bears are a little thin at DT, he could have a chance to stick around.

Notable Bears to wear #64 include offensive linemen Rex Tucker and Andy Heck.

We’re 64 days until kickoff.  Are you ready???