A newly selected Chicago Bears draft pick is under fire after images of him killing big game on a hunt in Africa have gone viral.
Background on Jordan van den Berg
Jordan van den Berg, a defensive tackle from Georgia Tech, was selected with the 213th overall pick in the sixth-round of this year's draft. The native of South Africa was heralded as a strong late-round pick-up. But images later revealed his 'prizes' on a hunting trip.
Photos Spark Controversy
Photos showed a smiling van den Berg with a hunting rifle as he posed next to two animals he hunted: a common eland and an impala. Fans on social media were split over the images - with many upset over his actions and his choice to pose for photos.
'Posing with animals you just killed will always be twisted,' wrote one user on X. Another said, 'Ugh. This is disappointing. I loathe big game hunters. Absolutely loathe them.' A third comment read, 'what a f***ing weirdo, who poses with animals like that.' 'Nothing says "bad a**" like gunning down an animal with a weapon loaded with attachments,' said another user.
Defense of His Actions
But there were many others who pointed out van den Berg's South African heritage as a defense of his actions. 'He's South African. He wasn't some tourist on a trip it's part of the culture there,' read one comment. One fan said, 'This is the equivalent of deer hunting. I'm not a hunter, but who cares?' 'So hunting, which has been done for centuries, goes viral. It's all exhausting,' wrote another user.
Last season, van den Berg finished with 42 total tackles and three sacks on the campaign.
