New Chicago Bear has Barrington Ties

Peg Blanchard, Barrington’s Economic and Community Development Director, is celebrating her son’s major athletic achievements this week.

Blanchard’s son, Matt Blanchard, was among seven players signed by the Chicago Bears over the weekend. The Lake Zurich High School graduate participated in a rookie minicamp over the weekend, and the Bears liked what they saw. They signed him to a three-year conract.

“We are extremely excited,” Peg Blanchard said. “When we got the text that he got signed, we were like, wow!”

The 23-year-old was a quarterback at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he won 25 games in two seasons, passing for 44 touchdowns to just six interceptions, according to ESPN Chicago.com.

“They (the Chicago Bears)  already have four quarterbacks,” Peg Blanchard said. “He was just there on a try-out basis. He showed them what he could do and they signed him.”

Blanchard won all 25 of his starts at LZHS, throwing for 44 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

“[Blanchard] did some good things,” Lovie Smith told Chicago Now. “Quarterbacks have an opportunity. They know they’re going to get a chance to throw the ball and prove what they can do, and again we did take notice.”

See Patch’s interview with Blanchard from September, 2010.