One day after defensive coordinator Alan Williams invoked cornerback Kyler Gordon’s nickname, Gordon walked into Halas Hall in character.
He was wearing a red Spider-Man mask that he said — seriously, we think — he bought at a nearby Party City store.
‘‘It would feel a little bigger if it wasn’t a kid’s size,’’ Gordon said.
Coach Matt Eberflus gave him the nickname last year, and it stuck.
‘‘Yeah, I feel like it’s similar to how I play,’’ Gordon said after practice Saturday. ‘‘Aggressive. I just like using my abilities and instincts.’’
The Bears want him to use them at slot cornerback, even though he’s capable of bouncing outside. Rookies Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith have been sharing first-team reps at the outside cornerback spot opposite veteran Jaylon Johnson.
The Bears drafted Gordon in the second round last year and praised his fancy footwork — for good reason: He was a competitive dancer as a child.
Coaches noticed his growth during the second half of last season, when Gordon said the game slowed down for him. He learned the nuances of what to watch for at the line of scrimmage and after the snap.
‘‘He’s so quick, he’s so agile, he is instinctive,’’ Williams said Friday. ‘‘He’s got Spidey senses. He makes a play, and you go, ‘Wow, how did he make that?’ Ding-ding-ding, the Spidey senses are going off.
‘‘[The senses are] saying, ‘Hey, it’s not this play, it’s this play.’ All those things — the quickness, the instincts, they’ve been showing up in a big way.’’
Gordon likes the moniker. He grew up watching the movies, and those starring Tobey Maguire were his favorite.
‘‘I got to see the whole evolution of him,’’ Gordon said. ‘‘Brings me back to my childhood.’’
