Chicago Bears rookie Tyler Scott made fun of by teammates after a lavish dinner… which scared the freshman receiver into thinking he was on the hook for a $20,000 bill!
- Scott stared at the bill in horror as his teammates all laughed at their joke
- The bill didn’t cost that much and a fellow WR said Scott didn’t have to pay it
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The NFL’s longstanding tradition of the “rookie dinner”—which straddles the line between team bonding and hazing—almost reared its ugly head for Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Tyler Scott.
Scott, a fourth round pick for Chicago from this year’s draft, dated several of his fellow pass catchers – but he was sweating when they left him with the bill.
That’s because the bill for this dinner at an unknown restaurant totaled $20,501.81 — before the tip was included.
Scott stared blankly at the bill as his fellow receiver Daurice Fountain captured the moment as his teammates laughed at him.
Luckily for Scott, he didn’t have to pay the whole bill, as Fountain confirmed on his Twitter account.
Chicago Bears rookie receiver Tyler Scott left worried during his ‘rookie dinner’
The Bears’ receiving corps fooled the first year into thinking the bill was over $20,000
Scott stared at the bill, stunned as his teammates laughed at their joke
A Bears receiver assured the audience that the bill was not that expensive and that Scott was not paying it
“Before everyone starts tripping, it was a joke, the bill was NOT 20,000 and he didn’t have to pay. We just wanted to scare him a little, S/O little Ty Ty,” Fountain tweeted.
The tradition of the “rookie dinner”—where veterans collect hefty bills and leave them for handsome freshmen—has come under scrutiny in recent years.
An article from the New York Times highlighted the concerns of some players after Jets rookie Garrett Wilson went on a podcast and mentioned how expensive the meals were.
Channing Crowder and Ryan Clark – hosts of “The Pivot” podcast that Wilson appeared on – said the tabs are often offered to be split by veterans and that one dinner “puts no one in the workhouse.”
But not all NFL stars think these dinners should be this lavish. Retired NFL star Torrey Smith told the Times, “This dinner sets a precedent for a lifestyle that the majority of players can’t afford and shouldn’t be living anyway.”
Smith also tweeted last year about players “come into the league with no financial savvy and real problems, but people think dinners of 50,000 are cool.”
Scott was recently drafted with the 133rd overall pick in the fourth round of April’s draft from the University of Cincinnati.
As a member of the Bearcats, Scott amassed a career total of 1,439 yards and 14 touchdowns in three seasons.