Tyson Bagent's journey to the NFL is an inspiring story of perseverance, hard work, and the influence of a champion-minded household. Growing up in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Bagent was surrounded by competition and sporting success, largely due to his father, Travis "The Beast" Bagent, a 17-time world arm wrestling champion.
This article delves into the background of Tyson Bagent, exploring his family dynamics, his rise through the ranks of football, and his eventual entry into the National Football League (NFL).
The Influence of a Champion Father
Travis Bagent, Tyson's father, is a legend in the world of arm wrestling. He showed his decisive victory and enduring strength in earning his 17th world arm-wrestling championship on ESPN. He is the only super heavyweight (males over 226 pounds) in the world to win the world championship with both his left and right arms.
Travis Bagent's arm wrestling career began after graduating from Shepherd University in 1999, following in the footsteps of his father, Jerry Boyd, a local arm wrestling legend and the owner of Billy Jack's Bar and Grill. In the world of wrist-wrestling, most athletes compete with one arm, but the Mohammed Ali-esque Bagent can truly back up his taunts to competitors to “Tell me I’m the greatest,” because he actually is. His first world title came in 2002, when he also won with both arms. He’s competed most years since, earning 11 titles left-handed and another six with the right. He’s also snagged approximately 35 national titles, competing in his first nationals at age 19.
Travis introduced Tyson to football at an early age and was committed to his son playing quarterback. So much, in fact, that he coached Travis’ youth football teams up to high school and “made sure to throw the ball at a high rate,” as he told The Athletic in December.
Read also: Mike Tyson vs. Brock Lesnar?
Describing his father, Tyson said, "Super hands-on and super competitive." He added that he and his father always believed that his athletic career would lead him to the NFL. "Yeah, oddly I always thought it was gonna happen," Bagent said. "I think really me and my dad were the only ones who thought this was gonna happen."
Travis Bagent commands respect for not only his strength, but for putting the sport of arm-wrestling on a world stage. And he’s not quitting anytime soon.
According to Tyson, the lack of having a father in his life, he really overcompensated and the life children, he thinks the world of himself. So he thinks that since we came from him that we are all just without a doubt have that same thing.
Before you even walk into Billy Jack’s Bar and Grill, you’re alerted to entering the arm-wrestling capital of West Virginia. A sign proclaims, “the glory of all young men is their strength” and in the world of arm-wrestling, that may very well be true. Once you’re inside, you can almost smell the adrenaline. This is the place where you’re going to find big guys, big arms and big matches at the six tables front and center. Billy Jack’s is owned by former national arm-wrestling champion Jerry Boyd, the father of current world arm-wrestling champion Travis Bagent.
Early Football Career
As quarterback at Martinsburg High School, Tyson led his team to back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017. Despite his high school success, Tyson received limited interest from Division I programs. He was recruited by no Division I programs outside of Albany and Robert Morris, leading him to commit to Division II school Shepherd University, his parents’ alma mater.
Read also: Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul
Some may view Bagent’s decision to turn down Division I programs for Shepherd as questionable, yet his decision paid off quickly, as he earned the starting quarterback job as a true freshman and shone immediately, receiving first-team all-MEC honors for the 2018 season.
He finished his career with over 7,800 yards passing and 112 touchdowns, while earning the West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year award his senior year.
Collegiate Career at Shepherd University
Bagent became the starting quarterback for the Shepherd Rams as a freshman in 2018 and made his debut on September 1, 2018, against the Notre Dame Falcons, throwing for 518 yards on 36 completions and 54 attempts with three touchdowns in the 35-33 loss. Following the end of the season, Bagent earned First-team All-MEC honors.
He continued this dominance throughout his next four years (2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), finishing his collegiate career with over 17,000 pass yards and an all-division NCAA record 159 touchdowns on 68.9 percent completion while breaking almost every quarterback record in Shepherd History.
Bagent broke the Division II record for completions (1,400) and passing yards (17,034), as well as the NCAA record for passing touchdowns (159). He broke the record for touchdown passes across all NCAA divisions with 159, in Shepherd's 48-13 win over IUP during their quarterfinal game.
Read also: A Look at Tyson Sausage Patties' Nutritional Value
In 2021, Bagent led Division II in completions (391), pass attempts (579), passing yards (5,000), and passing touchdowns (53). This would be the ninth time, fourth time in Division II, that a player has thrown a 5,000-yard, 50-touchdown season.
In 2021, Bagent won the Harlon Hill Trophy and the Hardman Award as the top amateur athlete in West Virginia. He was named DII Offensive Player of the Year by almost every outlet.
To this day, Bagent attributes his success to experience. “I feel like I’ve played a million games at quarterback… I was able to win the job at high school in my sophomore year and then started every game through my senior year at college, so that’s seven years of understanding what the week of preparation looks like,” Bagent told Sky Sports in an interview in October.
It was this unprecedented dominance that led Bagent to receive an invite to the premier collegiate showcase game, the Senior Bowl, after the 2022 season, something almost unheard of for a Division II quarterback. Yet despite the week being his first exposure to Division I level play in his career, Bagent outplayed the other two American team quarterbacks - Max Duggan, fresh off a College Football Playoff final appearance with Texas Christian; and University of Houston quarterback Clayton Tune, who went on to be drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft.
NFL Career with the Chicago Bears
Following his college career, Bagent participated in the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine and Senior Bowl. He was one of three Division II players invited to the Combine and the only such player at the latter.
After not being selected in the 2023 NFL draft, Bagent signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent. Following his signing, Bagent was viewed as a developmental player with low chances of making the 53-man roster as the fourth-string quarterback on the Bears' depth chart behind starter Justin Fields and veterans P. J. Walker and Nathan Peterman.
Despite the high unlikelihood of making the final roster, an impressive performance in the preseason earned him a spot for the regular season as the backup quarterback. Bagent continued to impress in practice, and by Week 4, was announced as the team’s second-string quarterback, with Peterman relegated to the practice squad.
Bagent continued to impress in practice, and by Week 4, was announced as the team’s second-string quarterback, with Peterman relegated to the practice squad. The Shepherd product’s upward trajectory continued, and in Week 6, as starting quarterback Justin Fields struggled to get up from a hard hit against the Minnesota Vikings, Bagent came in for relief.
With Justin Fields week to week with a thumb injury, head coach Matt Eberflus announced Bagent as the interim starter prior to the Bears’ Week 7 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. He became the first Division II quarterback to start an NFL game in 14 years, and led the Bears to only their fifth win since the start of the 2022 season, finishing a respectable 21-for-29 with 162 yards and a touchdown.
Bagent struggled the following week in primetime against the Los Angeles Chargers, throwing for two interceptions and finishing with a passer rating of 62, although that’s to be expected - he is a rookie quarterback learning to play at NFL speed.
Fields returned to the starting role in Week 11 and Bagent reverted to being the backup.
On August 20, 2025, Bagent signed a two-year, $10 million contract extension with the Bears. He was in tears after signing the contract and expressed gratitude for the extension, saying that it was a weight off his shoulders as well as his family's shoulders.
Bagent's Mindset
Tyson, now a backup quarterback for the Chicago Bears, takes his father's mentality with him on the field.
He admitted if he didn't get his shot in the NFL, he had a somewhat similar backup plan as his dad's career path. "Yeah, I was basically just going to Crossfit my life away," Bagent said. "Basically, just get as ripped and jacked as I possibly could and be a teacher at Martinsburg High School."
Achievements and Records
Bagent has achieved numerous records and accolades throughout his football career:
- Broke the Division II record for completions (1,400) and passing yards (17,034).
- Broke the NCAA record for passing touchdowns (159).
- Won the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2021.
- Won the Hardman Award in 2021.
- Named DII Offensive Player of the Year by almost every outlet in 2021.
Here is a summary of some of his records in single games:
| Record | Statistic | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most passing yards, game | 518 | Notre Dame Falcons | September 1, 2018 |
| Most Completions, game | 42 | Kutztown | September 25, 2021 |
| Most touchdown passes, game | 7 | West Virginia Wesleyan | October 27, 2018 |
Bagent was also invited to participate in the 2023 NFL Combine, and while he went on to be undrafted, he was picked up as a priority undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears, who gave him a shot to earn a roster spot during training camp.
Overall, Bagent may not be the Bears’ future, or even be on the roster next year, yet his journey up to this point is a testament to his tremendous dedication and hard work - only 1.4 percent of collegiate football players make it to the NFL, and Tyson Bagent did it on the DII route. And with his decent performance to this point, he’s on track to cement himself as a professional quarterback for years to come.
“Don’t ever let anybody’s opinion stop you from chasing what you want. That’s really what it boils down to for me - just the work,” he told Bears reporters in a press conference earlier this month. “Tirelessly working day in and day out and never stopping.