Tyrique Stevenson Up Nights Thinking About His Debut

Rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is about to play the biggest game of his life and doesn't mind admitting he's up nights thinking about it.

The second-round draft pick will start on the left side of the Bears defense, although he could move depending on where coaches deploy cornerback Jaylon Johnson. His preseason looked like a roller-coaster ride with an interception but a team-high four penalties.

Now he expects the Green Bay Packers will come to his side of the field looking to pick on his inexperience.

"I definitely expect everybody to test my knowledge of the game just because I'm out there and I'm a rookie," Stevenson said. "So just going into this game and every game of the season I know I'm going to get tested.

"My mindset going out there is just go out there and be the best version of Tyrique Stevenson."

Defensive coordinator Alan Williams has the utmost confidence in the rookie to chase away the probing.

"If you play well, they stay away from you," Williams said. "If you don't, they don't.

"Tyrique's been playing. I think you'll like what you see when the lights come on."

Opponent attacking him is one thing. Officials doing it is another. Rookies rarely seem to get the calls.

"I figured that out," Stevenson said. "I figured that out after the Bills game just coming back to the sidelines to hear the coaches. The coaches, they were basically telling me pretty much you're a rookie so they're pretty much looking for everything that you do."

His way of approaching it is basic.

"Just slow it down and make sure you're well prepared when I go out there on the day of the game so the game can be able to slow down for myself," he said. "I just try my best to stay calm, stay where my feet are and slow everything down so I can pretty much process everything."

It could be worse. He could be like Kyler Gordon was last year as a rookie cornerback starter against San Francisco in the opener. Gordon had a rocky first year, before emerging on an upward trend.

Stevenson admits he's thinking a lot about the assignment. How's he handling the nerves?

"Not good," he said. "It's been hard for me to sleep at night just trying to sit up and imagine the plays I want to make.

"I just want to go out there and be the best version of myself. I haven't been doing a good job of containing it. This would be the most (in a) week where I hardly slept just because of all the excitement. I'm up late night watching highlights."

The solution for this is make big plays so the highlights are of his play.

"It's going to be great," Stevenson said. "But, to be honest, I'm going to pretty much have it in my mind to go out there and play every snap, and I'm going to have the next-play mentality and I'll probably celebrate and realize what just happened probably when I get home with my family that night."