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BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — For a split-second, it looked like Harold Jones-Quartey forgot he wasn’t wearing pads.

Right as the ball was snapped in Friday’s practice, “HJQ” — as he’s been known since high school — flew through a gap and stopped running back Jeremy Langford cold at the line of scrimmage. It was enough to knock Langford to the ground, but truthfully, had Jones-Quartey been wearing his pads, Langford would have received a much bigger blow.

“I want to tackle every time,” Jones-Quartey said after Friday’s practice. “Even in walk-throughs, man. I just like to practice fast so the game becomes slow.”

It’s that kind of attitude that has endeared HJQ to the Bears’ coaching staff, earning the second-year safety a shot to start this season. He’s been running with the first-team defense since the offseason program and the starting job is his to lose.

“You guys know my background and all that comes with it. I want this job more than I want anything,” Jones-Quartey said.

That background includes living in Ghana until he was nine years old. He didn’t play high school football because his school didn’t have a team. He had to settle for a club team just to earn a Division-II scholarship to the University of Findlay. From there he had to settle for a no-name college all-star game and overcome not receiving an invite to the NFL Combine. It took a tryout with the Arizona Cardinals just to earn a training camp job last summer.

“I feel disrespected,” Jones-Quartey told WGN Radio last December. “I feel like people don’t give us D-II guys a shot because of where we came from. And I think that drives me.”

That “disrespect” drove Jones-Quartey hard as a rookie. He caught the eye of the Bears’ pro scouting staff during the preseason and when the Cardinals let him go during final cut-downs, general manager Ryan Pace pounced, claiming HJQ on waivers.

Suddenly, by Week 5, Jones-Quartey was forced into the starting lineup. It only lasted two games, however, as he was benched after a long completion to Calvin Johnson in overtime allowed the Lions to beat the Bears in Week 6.

More disrespect, in his mind. It drove him for weeks until he finally got another shot in Tampa against the Buccaneers in Week 16.

One interception. One forced fumble. Two pass breakups. It was the kind of performance the Bears hadn’t received from their safeties all season. In fact, his interception was the first by a Bears safety all year.

“The Tampa game was definitely huge,” Jones-Quartey said. “I’ve been busting my butt the whole year and I finally got an opportunity and made some plays in Tampa. That helped me a lot.”

It helped put him in a position for more success in Year 2. Having dropped 15 pounds in the offseason, Jones-Quartey believes he’ll be able to get in-and-out of his breaks quicker, allowing him to cover not just tight ends, but slot receivers too.

“I’m a little smaller, but I’m still strong,” he said.

That’s good, because Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is defining his safeties a little more this year.

“We’re changing it more to a little bit of a free and strong because me and Amos are familiar with the playbook,” Jones-Quartey said. “Amos is playing the free, I’m playing the strong.”

Adrian Amos is also entering his second season and like HJQ, he enters training camp with a job that is his to lose. But neither player will be handed anything, as the Bears drafted two safeties in April when they added Deon Bush from Miami and DeAndre Houston-Carson from William & Mary.

“I’ve never been afraid of competition,” Jones-Quartey said. “I don’t care if it was a first-round pick … At the end of the day, we could get a second-round pick next year. Who cares? I don’t. I’m going to go out there and compete.”

It’s that kind of mentality that represents the on-going culture change in John Fox’s second season in Chicago. HJQ fits right in.

“I have to bring that attitude and that work ethic every day and try to lead and try to set a standard on how we’re going to practice, and hopefully everybody else can follow and we can all just be a wild, crazy defense making plays,” he added.

Now the question is: can HJQ really play? It’s been a long time since the Bears had an impactful safety on the back end of their defense. That much was evident when Jones-Quartey was asked if he was familiar with the Bears’ history at that position.

“I have not heard of a lot of the safeties,” Jones-Quartey responded. “I know Mike Brown. Mike Brown was pretty good.”

Yes, Mike Brown was pretty good. And since Brown retired in 2009? Well, it’s been a struggle.

“We’re on the right track,” Jones-Quartey insisted. “I think Vic Fangio and (defensive backs coach) Ed Dontatell and (assistant defensive backs coach) Sam Garnes are just fantastic. They’re coaching us up so well and we’re listening and it’s going to come together.”

Of course, that’s a familiar claim around Bourbonnais this time of year. Just know HJQ is looking to change the narrative.

“I just try to be myself out there and try to be the best ‘H’ that I can be,” he said.

So far, it’s working.

Adam Hoge covers the Chicago Bears for WGN Radio and WGNRadio.com. He also co-hosts The Beat, weekends on 720 WGN. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamHoge.