Why Terry Bradshaw sees himself in Mitchell Trubisky

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Could the Bears benching Mitchell Trubisky actually have revitalized the young quarterback’s career? Terry Bradshaw thinks that may be the case.

“Sometimes being sat down, then coming back in, wakes you up,” Bradshaw said on Fox’s halftime show midway between Sunday’s Bears - Vikings game.

Bradshaw understands the possible value of a benching better than most, since it happened to him early in his career. Bradshaw was benched midway through his rookie season in 1970, and was named the backup at the outset of the 1974 season. After that second benching however, Bradshaw turned things around and led the Steelers to a Super Bowl win. Of course, Bradshaw won three more Super Bowls in Pittsburgh after that, too.

Bradshaw said the terrible feeling of being benched motivated him to live up to his potential.

“You have to find out if you can refocus," Bradshaw said. "You have to find out what you’re made of on the inside. I used it and turned it into anger and disappointment on myself. Then I said, I’m not going to be a failure: I was the first pick in the draft. Then I fought back mentally and emotionally. When I got a chance to play again, I wasn’t going to fail.”

Now, Bradshaw sees some of those same qualities in the Bears QB.

“To me, it looks like Trubisky is saying, ‘Fine, say all these bad things about me, but give me a second shot.’ And he’s taking advantage.”

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