Famous athletes who are fathers of NFL players are usually former NFL players themselves, but that’s not the case for Travis Bagent, the dad of Chicago Bears second-year QB Tyson Bagent.
The father of one of the 2023 season’s biggest rookie surprises is an accomplished athlete, but not on the gridiron. Travis is one of the world’s best professional arm wrestlers. That’s right — professional arm wrestlers.
Tyson Bagent’s Father: Travis ‘The Beast’ Bagent
Travis is an entertainer and professional arm wrestler, known in arm wrestling circles as “The Beast.” His son, Tyson, racked up a litany of awards during his time as a DII college football star with the Shepherd University Rams.
Travis, for his part, has piled up accomplishments in his sport of choice as well — his list of accolades features nearly 30 arm wrestling titles.
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You could have seen @TomPelissero attempt to arm wrestle 28-time world champion @TravisBagent.
It went as expected. pic.twitter.com/oadWt8b69l
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) February 2, 2023
Travis achieved greater fame during his son’s lead-up to the 2023 NFL Draft and surprising rookie season. In 2023, Tyson participated in both the NFL Combine and the Senior Bowl, events that his father attended.
Travis had a spotlight moment with NFL Network, arm wrestling Tom Pelissero, and became a media favorite from then on, often being highlighted during Tyson’s games during the 2023 season.
The attention on Tyson and his family was well-deserved. The rookie QB fought his way from undrafted free agent out of a DII school to QB2 of the Bears. After Tyson signed with Chicago following the 2023 NFL Draft, he secured a spot on the 53-man roster before overtaking veteran Nathan Peterman for the backup role behind then-starter Justin Fields.
After Fields was injured during a Week 6 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, the younger Bagent played meaningful snaps in a handful of games and performed better than even the most diehard Shepherd football fan (if such a thing exists) could’ve expected.
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Tyson went 2-2 in four starts, including a terrific performance in a 30-12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. In that game, he completed 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards, one touchdown, and zero turnovers. He also added three rushes for 24 yards on the ground.
Heading into the 2024 season, Bagent is competing with veteran Brett Rypien and undrafted rookie Austin Reed for the QB2 spot behind first-overall draft pick Caleb Williams.
