Chicago is home for new Bears WR Rome Odunze

Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze is settling in nicely in the Upper Midwest and with his new team, the Chicago Bears. And with star rookie quarterback Caleb Williams on board, the franchise seems to be in a good spot.

After training camp and a successful, undefeated 4-0 NFL preseason, Odunze Last week he brought his talent from the pitch to the stands as part of a partnership with Levy Restaurants.

Training with longtime Chicago stadium salesman Chris Hummel, known as “Coach Chris,” Odunze landed a video ad promoting Levy’s Chicago-style hot dogs. Through the Bears’ new hospitality partner at Soldier Field, Odunze was trained and given “off-the-field training” to hype the city’s traditional game-day favorites.

“It was a lot of fun,” Odunze said during our one-on-one Zoom interview session last Tuesday. “Coach Chris, my mentor (with Levy), has been doing this as a salesman for a few years. He showed me the ropes, I got my calling and my skills, and I’m ready.”

Beginning Sept. 8, when the Bears host the Tennessee Titans, fans will be able to enjoy Levy’s “Odunze Dog,” a Chicago-style hot dog combo with a few special toppings.

Odunze described the hot dog that earned his name as a standard, savory Chicago-style hot dog topped with jalapeño cheddar cheese, spicy Italian giardiniera ham, and the shredded beef you’d find in a classic Chicago beef sandwich.

Levy Restaurants operates franchises in the NFL, NCAA College Football and nearly every professional team sports league, as well as motorsports, tennis, skiing and horse racing venues. In Chicago, Levy is known for its flagship fine-dining restaurant, Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse.

VIDEO: Odunze trains with ‘Coach Chris’ to attract hot dogs.

Odunze, who is from Las Vegas and played college football at the University of Washington in Seattle, said he was given a tutorial on how Chicagoans prepare food for the game.

“Chicago-style pizza, deep dish — it’s different, but I like it. Definitely filling.” Odunze said he’s also a fan of Chicago’s signature sandwich, the Italian beef.

“And I know it’s hot dogs, no ketchup. I’ve been putting ketchup on hot dogs my whole life,” Odunze said. “But out of respect for Chicago, I won’t do it here,” he joked.

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Odunze wowed college football fans last season while playing for the Washington Huskies, forming a spectacular quarterback-receiver duo with Michael Penix Jr. under Coach of the Year Kalen DeBoer.

After a perfect 12-0 season and the Huskies beating archrival Oregon twice, both in the regular season and in the PAC-12 championship game, DeBoer led his team and the Odunze-Penix backcourt partnership to the FBS championship.

On January 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston, the Huskies lost to Michigan 34–13 after a long stalemate followed by a late fourth-quarter rally by the Michigan Wolverines. However, both Penix and Odunze became highly coveted NFL draft picks, while DeBoer won the open head coaching job at Alabama, replacing Nick Saban.

So what does Odunze think the 2024 NFL season looks like? Odunze describes the Bears locker room this way.

“Honestly, I think it’s super exciting. Everyone’s excited about the season, and we know Chicago’s defense has always been star-studded. But with the draft picks we got, (the Bears offense) wants to cut our own style, make plays, and we’re becoming a well-balanced team.”

Odunze wants Bears fans to also be optimistic about the future.

“There’s excitement in the air. We want to go out and get wins for the city and show Chicago what we’re all about. We’re energized and hungry.”

Odunze is also excited about the opportunity to join an offense led by USC’s Caleb Williams, his former PAC-12 rival and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“It was great. Caleb is a quarterback. He can do everything you need a quarterback to do on the field.”

Odunze points to Williams’ pace, rhythm and ability to improvise: “He can run the ball, he’s good at directing the offense and he’s a leader for all of us. He just makes it easy for us to run our routes. Our chemistry and our relationship is still developing.

Read Frye’s interviews with Michael Penix Jr.and John Cena.

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