The last six weeks have been a dream for Bears rookie linebacker John Timu.
From his arrival to training camp in late July up until Thursday's preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns, Timu has done everything he could to ensure his lifelong dream won't come to a dashing end when the Bears finalize their 53-man roster by Saturday's deadline.
Timu joined the Bears back in May as an undrafted free agent after a productive career at the University of Washington. Despite being a two-time team captain, four-year starter with an honorable mention All-Pac 12 honor and having 328 tackles in 51 career collegiate games under his belt, Timu was knocked for having the ideal size (6-foot-1) to play inside linebacker at the NFL level.
Instead of being a roster lock like several of his Huskies teammates that were selected in the 2015 NFL Draft, Timu was left fighting for his job on a roster that is overstocked at linebacker (14 players).
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Turning a negative into a positive, Timu has continued to impress the Bears coaching staff since since his arrival to Chicago, showing why he deserved to hear his name called in the draft last May.
And like he did in the team's first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins where he showed his athleticism with a diving interception, Timu played like a man possessed against the Browns as he collected three tackles (1 TFL), a sack and a quarterback hit in his first extended action in a Bears jersey.
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If the roster cuts were weighing on his mind, he clearly didn't show it.
"Honestly, I'm not even thinking about whether I will make the team or not," Timu said emphatically. "I still try to prepare the same way. Go in and try to execute when I'm out there. Coach talked about the little opportunities we get in this league and I'm trying to take advantage of it."
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Buried on the depth chart at the start of camp, Timu's arrow has been trending up. Entering Thursday's game, he was listed as a third-string inside linebacker behind starters Shea McClellin and Christian Jones (neither dressed against the Browns) and reserves Mason Foster and Jonathan Bostic.
Once a longshot to make the roster, the Long Beach, Calif. native has made the decision extremely difficulty on the coaching staff.
But regardless if he makes the team or not, Timu doesn't have any regrets on his time in Chicago.
"I don't know," Timu said. "Honestly, that's not up to me. I have no idea, I don't know how things work. I left it all on the field that's all I can say."