With Allen and DJ Moore, the Bears are the only NFL team with two receivers who both compiled at least 1,200 yards last season. Allen finished 11th in the league with 1,243 yards, while Moore was sixth with a career-high 1,364 yards.
Odunze hopes to learn from Allen and Moore.
“They’ve been veterans in the league, been doing well for themselves for a long time, so soak up all the information that I can and learn from them and hopefully go out there and make some plays too,” Odunze said. “I just came from a wide receiver trio that was able to have a lot of success at my college, so I think we can just do the same exact thing, but at the next level.
“When you look at Keenan’s game, how complete it is, when you look at DJ Moore, how he’s able to compete in the league at a high level for a long time now, the possibilities are endless of what I’m able to learn. That’s why I say I’m going to go in there and soak up all the information I can and learn as much as I can from them, because they’re already two very established, very elite receivers in the league.”
Odunze is confident the Bears are on the right track and is eager to help them continue to ascend.
“Chicago has continued to develop, continued to get better as a team and the goal for them I know already is the Super Bowl,” Odunze said. “We’re going to make strides towards that, to have that success, and we’ll build brick-by-brick to go accomplish that.”
Odunze grew up in Las Vegas and was named the Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at Bishop Gorman High School after catching 54 passes for 1,222 yards and 15 TDs. He was also named All-State in track after winning the state title in the 200-meter race.
As a kid, Odunze was a big Devin Hester fan, telling reporters he wore No. 23 when he played youth football.
“He had this tape on YouTube that I played back-to-back,” Odunze said. “I don’t know how I stumbled upon it, but he had this tape to a Lil Wayne track, and I probably watched it over 100 times of him returning kicks, returning kicks in the Super Bowl. That just really inspired me.”
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