Conneaut grad, Slippery Rock star Henry Litwin aims for spot with Chicago Bears
The caller represented the Chicago Bears.
Henry Litwin was sure of that. The 2016 Conneaut Area Senior High graduate answered April 30, minutes after the conclusion of the 2022 NFL draft.
Litwin, a former all-state wide receiver for the Eagles who also starred at that same position for Slippery Rock University, was informed the Bears sought to sign him as an undrafted free agent.
It was a moment he dreamed about for a long time.
It also was why his brain reverted to autopilot for the rest of the conversation.
“(The caller) said his name,” Litwin said. “But I'm not going to lie. I heard 'Chicago Bears' and that was about it. I still can't figure out who I spoke to.”
Litwin had the chance to learn who it was this weekend at Halas Hall, Chicago's headquarters and practice complex. From Friday through Sunday, he's set to take part in the Bears' rookie minicamp, their first official team activity with new coach Matt Eberflus.
Litwin went into the draft with the expectation he wouldn't be picked. However, he did anticipate being a high-priority free agent.
The Bears proved him right.
“Ever since I was a kid, I never dreamed about being drafted,” Litwin said. “I just dreamed about playing in the NFL, so I didn't take (not being drafted) personally. I've always told my family that I just want the opportunity, so that's why I'm very fortunate the Bears contacted me.”
Litwin's journey:Conneaut grad Henry Litwin was once a walk-on at Slippery Rock; now he's an All-American
Litwin and quarterback Hunter Merritt were the catalysts for Conneaut's 2014 and 2015 football teams.
The 2014 Eagles, in only their third season since the merger of Conneaut Lake, Conneaut Valley and Linesville high schools, upset Cathedral Prep 14-7 in District 10's Class 3A championship game. Litwin caught the decisive 9-yard touchdown pass from Merritt with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Litwin was a district record-setter as a Conneaut senior. His 1,371 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns established single-season standards.
Such standards, though, didn't warrant true interest from the region's college football programs.
Heading West:Former Mercyhurst Prep star, PSU linebacker Jesse Luketa drafted by Arizona in 7th round
Undaunted, Litwin opted to walk on at Slippery Rock, a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference power. He developed enough during his redshirt season that coach Shawn Lutz offered him a scholarship.
Litwin more than reciprocated. He evolved into a record-setting wide receiver and an All-America selection for The Rock.
Over the past three seasons, the 6-foot 1-inch, 195-pound Litwin led NCAA Division II with with 221 receptions for 3,392 yards and 42 TDs. Litwin's 2021 numbers (67 catches for 1,042 yards and 13 touchdowns), combined with Slippery Rock's appearance in the Division II playoffs, left him a finalist for Harlon Hill Trophy. (Quarterback Tyson Bagent of West Virginia's Shepherd University was voted the winner.)
Despite that accolade, Litwin anticipated Chicago's coaching staff using him in various roles on special teams during this weekend's camp.
To which he'd have zero issues.
“Look, I've already been through this at Slippery Rock,” Litwin said. “You've got to start from the bottom up. Special teams, or wherever I'm needed (this weekend), that's where I'm going to go. I have no problem with that.”
Crawford County's NFL history
The Bears will learn who they'll face in their 2022 season opener when the NFL announces its full schedule this Thursday.
Should Litwin still be on their roster by then, he would be the fifth player in league history with Crawford County roots according to pro-football-reference.com.
Meadville's Bill Daddio was a receiver for the 1941 and 1942 Chicago Cardinals. Upon return from World War II, he played for the 1946 Buffalo Bills during former All-American Football Conference's inaugural season.
Wade Manning, also from Meadville, suited up for the 1979 Dallas Cowboys and the 1981 and 1982 Denver Broncos. He was a return specialist over those three seasons.
Titusville native Ray Tesser played for the 1933 and 1934 Pittsburgh Pirates, now known as the Steelers, during the franchise's first two seasons. His 282 receiving yards were the second in the league for 1933.
Jim Romaniszyn is Crawford County's most recent NFL participant. The former Titusville star was a linebacker and special teams player for the 1973 and 1974 Cleveland Browns, and then the 1976 New England Patriots.
Romaniszyn also is familiar to Erie County's veteran sports fans. He was an Edinboro University football player at the start of the 1970s and coached McDowell's boys basketball team at the decade's end.
Litwin said he's received texts and emails from various people throughout the Linesville area, but only had the chance to personally speak with a select few since his call from the Bears.
“But I think they all know that I care about them,” Litwin said. “I want to be able to represent our community in a great way.”
Former Scot set for Steelers camp
The Pittsburgh Steelers have offered Vitaliy Gurman, a former Edinboro University offensive lineman, a chance to play for them this fall.
The Steelers invited Gurman, who transferred to the University of Toledo after two seasons with the Fighting Scots, to participate in the team's rookie minicamp next weekend. The Rochester, New York, native appeared in six games for the 2021 Rockets, a member of the Division I Mid-American Conference.
Gurman was Edinboro's starting center in all but one game over its 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Conneaut grad, SRU star Henry Litwin aims for spot with Chicago Bears
