Chicago Bears Countdown to Kickoff: 20 Days with Mark Carrier

The start of the regular season is approaching rapidly, and with just 20 days until the first Sunday of the season, Chicago Bears Countdown to Kickoff continues today by examining the life and career of the best player in franchise history to don the number 20, safety Mark Carrier.

Mark Carrier goes from Southern Cal star to Chicago Bears rookie

Hailing originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, Mark Carrier spent the majority of his childhood in southern California, and would eventually attend Long Beach Polytechnic High School. Carrier promptly joined the school's football team, a program that consistently produces NFL talent such as DeSean Jackson, Willie McGinest, current Chicago Bear Marcedes Lewis, and even the Bears' all-time leading receiver Johnny Morris.

At Long Beach Polytechnic, Carrier quickly became a dominant force at the safety position and would end up starting in each of his final three high school seasons. His best year came as a senior when he was named an All-USA defensive back following the season. Following a successful high school career as both an individual and a team player, Carrier elected to remain close to his southern California roots and accepted an offer from the USC Trojans.

In his first year of college, Carrier would spend the season as a red-shirt player, but even by his debut 1987 season, the safety was a force in the Trojans' defensive backfield. Carrier finished the season with four total interceptions en route to helping the team post an 8-4 record. Following the regular season, USC qualified for the Rose Bowl, although they would, unfortunately, lose a close contest to the number eight Michigan State Spartans.

The following year brought a similar fate for both Carrier and the team. With two interceptions on the season, the safety helped the team reach the Rose Bowl again, where they would again lose to the Big-10 opponent, the Michigan Wolverines.

Carrier undoubtedly had his best college season in 1989. Finishing the year with a career-high of seven interceptions alongside 107 tackles and three fumble recoveries, Carrier would receive several post-season accolades, including being nominated as the year's Jim Thorpe Award winner, a trophy given to the nation's premier defensive back. A huge honor for Carrier, he also became the first player in USC's storied history to win the award. Carrier was also selected as a Consensus All-American after leading the conference in interceptions.

Perhaps more important than Carrier's success during the year was that of the team. After finishing the season with an impressive 9-2-1 record, the Trojans qualified for their third consecutive Rose Bowl. As they say, the third try is the charm, and USC claimed victory over the Michigan Wolverines, their Pasadena opponent from the year prior.

Rightfully so, Carrier, one of the best defensive backs in school history, was able to end his career with a meaningful win, but his football journey was only just beginning. With the 1990 NFL Draft around the corner, Carrier was considered not just a top defensive back prospect, but a top prospect of the class in general. Accordingly, Carrier did not have to wait long to find out where he would be moving, with the Chicago Bears using the sixth overall pick to add the Pac-10 standout. He became the first defensive back drafted in his year and was just the fourth overall defensive pick of the draft.