Quarterback J.J. McCarthy faked a handoff to a receiver in motion before launching a 45-yard pass that Loveland caught over his left shoulder. After sprinting into the end zone, the freshman turned to the crowd of 106,787 and put his finger to his lips.

Two days before the Bears would draft him and change his life forever, Loveland helped brand cattle back home in Gooding, Idaho.

The three Loveland brothers sat in a row on the couch at their aunt and uncle’s house in Gooding, Idaho. A crowd of friends and family sat behind them. Everyone zeroed in on the TV. Overlooking it all from the back wall were two giant elk heads.