Imagine having to cover the likes of super freaks Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle… in practice as a rookie.
The Woodlands alum Ethan Bonner was signed as a free agent out of Stanford during the NFL Draft and now heads to the Miami Dolphins after a solid Organized Team Activities (OTA) showing leading up the training camp.
“It’s pretty surreal,” he laughed. “Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey definitely gave me some tips as a defensive back. It’s not a negative culture at all. They definitely are there to help and that was a big attraction of signing with Miami… to learn from some of the best.
“My biggest asset is my speed and learning to run with the fastest in the game in Tyreek and Jaylen is also a big test. I have to show I can run with these guys.”
This is the story of Ethan “Burner”.
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The 6-foot-1 DB has always been able to run dating back to his little league days at South County Football League, where he won a Super Bowl in his last year as a Bronco.
As a junior in high school, Bonner anchored the defensive backfield for the Highlanders as they made a run to the State Final against Lake Travis. He then went on to help lead The Woodlands to a State Championship in track and field in 2017.
The offers started to roll in for the academic stalwart. He took some trips and committed to the Stanford Cardinal.
Then… he suffered a knee injury, which led to him missing his senior year, but returned with a vengeance months later to help lead The Woodlands to a track and field State Championship again in 2018. He won gold in the 4x100 relay and helped set the national record in the 4x200 relay.
If you know anything about high school track and field in the state of Texas, it’s the best in the country.
“Beating Allen in the football playoffs in the University of Texas stadium and coming back and winning State on the UT campus in track were some of the best memories I’ve ever had in sports.”
And just like that he was off to Stanford.
“Culturally, it was very different than Texas,” he said. “The people I met were amazing. At Stanford, they put you with a freshman roommate that is pretty random. I roomed a guy from South Korea… he as brilliant and so many ways. We may not have every met if we didn’t room together, but it was an amazing experience.
“There were some ups and downs at Stanford, you know with COVID and some injuries. I just battled through the challenges and it was a special time.”
He started to see consistent action his junior year and played a fifth year due to COVID.
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In Stanford’s October 15th game at Norte Dame, Bonner had THAT game. In an upset with over the Fighting Irish, Bonner has five tackles and a TFL in the win.
“That was the game that propelled me to have this opportunity,” he said. “That was the tape that got me here.”
He earned the Stanford Defensive Player of the Week, showcased his speed and the rest is history.
“After the season, I had a couple of agents hitting me up, but I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I signed with OSMG in Houston and started working out with Derrick Jonkins to get ready for my Pro Day. I just didn’t have enough ball production and tape to get drafted.”
What he did have was speed. He also had a tentative job at a technology company waiting for him in data analytics, where he interned the previous year.
So, it came down he, 40 yards of turf and a timer.
“Running the 40 (yard dash) at our Pro Day was important. I was ready and did will with a 4.39,” he said. “I started hearing from teams and thought that, ‘I really have a shot at this’. That was the moment of realization. It’s been a really exciting time since and I’m very grateful.”
During the sixth round of the draft, he got the call from Miami, who showed the most interest along with the Seahawks, Colts and Cowboys. He signed with the Dolphins during the draft, who offered the most guaranteed money and best opportunity.
“I started with the playbook and it was pretty similar to what we did at Stanford,” he said. “I got comfortable with it. I got great reps with some great players during OTAs and started to catch up to the speed of the game. I got the most reps at cornerback, but played safety and in some dime packages as well. The more things you can do on the field, the more chances you have to make a team. I know that getting off the line and being a ‘gunner’ on special teams is really where I can really contribute quickly. I want to solidify myself as a good special teams player first and then work for more opportunities.
“I know when camp starts there won’t be a lot of downtime to over think,” he laughed. “It’s time to really lock in. But it’s cool to think back to the time playing with my friends at SCFL. I was obsessed with football back them, and now I really have a shot to make the NFL.”