CHICAGO, Ill. - Former University of Manitoba all-star Israel Idonije will start the season with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL).

A 2002 J.P. Metras Trophy recipient as CIS lineman of the year and two-time CIS all-Canadian, the 23-year-old Idonije, a 6-foot-7, 290-pound defensive end/tackle learned he had made the final roster on Sunday when NFL teams had to cut down to 53 players.

Here is what was posted on Sunday on the Bears website regarding Idonije.

Defensive lineman Israel Idonije, a first-year player who once was a long shot to make the final roster, was relieved after surviving Sunday's cuts.

"I'm happy and excited," said Idonije, a Canadian native who played collegiately at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. "I'm ready to go to work and ready to just keep getting better and show that I belong here and that they made a good decision."

Idonije gained experience playing for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe this spring. He impressed coaches with his play at defensive end and cinched a roster spot when he proved he could also contribute at tackle, the position he played last summer in training camp with the Cleveland Browns.

"Things have been happening quickly and I'm excited about what's going on right now," Idonije said. "The season's coming up, but it's just the beginning. There's still a lot of work for me to do and there's still a lot going on. Nothing's set in stone, so I've still got to keep progressing and show that I can kee