WEBVTT - Gerald Everett talks relationship with Shane Waldron | Bears Weekly Podcast 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:05.000 Welcome in Tom Bears Weekly powered by IGS Energy, a 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:09.200 Chicago Bears Network production. Bears Weekly is brought you by 0:00:09.360 --> 0:00:16.439 Advocate Healthcare, Athletico Physical efferently, cd Gwady, Connie's Pizza, IGS Energy, 0:00:16.760 --> 0:00:21.120 and Mener Liked. Here are your hosts, Jeff Chilliac aka 0:00:21.280 --> 0:00:25.480 the Mayor of Bearsville and his sidekick, Tom the Surfmaster Thayer. 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:29.840 All right, a lot of great stuff happened over the 0:00:29.880 --> 0:00:34.160 course of the last three or four days about your Bears, man. 0:00:34.240 --> 0:00:37.360 They took care of business against the Bengals in the 0:00:37.400 --> 0:00:40.440 preseason home opener, and now I'll wrap up a rapid 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:44.199 preseason as they take on the two time defending champion 0:00:44.600 --> 0:00:47.560 Kansas City Chiefs coming up on Thursday. You'll hear that game, 0:00:48.040 --> 0:00:50.000 I believe the kick off at seven to twenty five 0:00:50.000 --> 0:00:52.640 from Kansas City right here on AM one thousand and 0:00:52.720 --> 0:00:55.480 the Bears Radio Network. Jeff Joniak along with Tom Fair. 0:00:55.840 --> 0:00:58.440 I'll have a special guest today. It'll be Gerald Everett, 0:00:58.440 --> 0:01:00.240 the veteran tight end. I want to thank you our 0:01:00.320 --> 0:01:04.440 crew of producers that always help us out. Justin Pottinger 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:07.800 handle them to work here today as well as we 0:01:07.840 --> 0:01:11.920 got Dan Brilly and Jordan tread Up, and our executive 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:14.679 producer of the Bears Radio Network is Eric Oestrusk. You'd 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:17.399 be welcome in the Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Thayer. 0:01:17.480 --> 0:01:20.720 I know you enjoyed that performance and a Bears team 0:01:20.760 --> 0:01:24.520 that really is shutting the door defensively. Yeah, Caleb Williams 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:26.560 and the offense getting a lot of attention and rightly so. 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:29.560 But that defense, Tommy, has been real good. I think 0:01:29.600 --> 0:01:32.600 outscoring opponents sixty to three or sixty to ten in 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:33.840 the last couple games. 0:01:34.200 --> 0:01:37.360 Yeah, you know, they haven't allowed the opponent's running game 0:01:37.400 --> 0:01:40.960 to be very productive. They've really challenged their pass protection. 0:01:41.560 --> 0:01:43.959 They've kind of shown to the other teams around the 0:01:44.000 --> 0:01:47.600 league what they're capable of doing, not only on the 0:01:47.600 --> 0:01:50.280 front end, but from the back end to help the 0:01:50.320 --> 0:01:53.320 front end. And I think that's going to open the 0:01:53.320 --> 0:01:57.800 eyes of a lot of early season offensive coordinators because 0:01:58.840 --> 0:02:00.640 the Bears have a lot of peace is yet to 0:02:00.680 --> 0:02:01.360 be in place. 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:02.080 When you look at. 0:02:02.040 --> 0:02:05.960 Kevin Bayern and Jakwan Brisker and Kyler Gordon just coming 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:10.280 back in the fold, uh Tyreek Stevenson getting healthier, and 0:02:10.639 --> 0:02:13.560 you know Montes Whatt hasn't played very much. 0:02:13.639 --> 0:02:14.799 So there's a. 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:20.840 Lot more building that this team can do defensively, and 0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:23.840 then they got exposed a little bit what this offense 0:02:23.960 --> 0:02:27.320 is capable of and where it's going and what's happening. 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:30.799 So there's a lot of exciting things that I think 0:02:30.800 --> 0:02:34.359 to look at to watch and pay it and anticipate. 0:02:34.040 --> 0:02:38.640 Today practice just get the week underwage. Coone Brisker is back. 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:40.399 So that's the first time in a couple of weeks, 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:43.280 and I think we both agree that is a major 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:46.560 development because just to get as many reps as possible 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:50.800 for that opener together. Buyer not able to go just yet, 0:02:50.800 --> 0:02:52.880 but if he comes back here in the short term, 0:02:53.320 --> 0:02:56.440 using those couple of weeks after this preseason wraps up 0:02:56.480 --> 0:02:58.240 to get ready for the opener will be critical. 0:02:58.680 --> 0:02:58.880 Yeah. 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:00.880 Well, you know, we set up in the booth Saturday 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:04.840 and watch Jakwan Brisker go through a pretty extensive pregame 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:07.799 workout and making sure that everything. 0:03:07.440 --> 0:03:09.200 From running around is stretching out. 0:03:09.520 --> 0:03:12.400 They're having a little hand eye coordination drills with a 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:13.520 coach John Hope. 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:16.880 So I think that's a step in the right direction. 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:19.240 So it's not like you're just going to the stadium 0:03:20.120 --> 0:03:21.560 watching them play the game. 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:24.440 You're making shoe sure that you're doing your due. 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:28.240 Diligence and getting to work and putting some stress in 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:31.680 and on your body to get an evaluation of where you're. 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:34.280 At all right, that defense, by the way, nine consecutive 0:03:34.360 --> 0:03:37.080 quarters since the defense is allowed a touchdown here in 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:40.760 the preseason, and the interceptions and the takeaways starting to 0:03:40.800 --> 0:03:43.320 pile up as well. At a series of people here 0:03:43.360 --> 0:03:45.600 at Hallis today go to the podium. We like to 0:03:45.600 --> 0:03:48.640 play that for you each and every week of our show. Today, 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:52.640 offensive coordinator Shane Waldron took the mic to talk about 0:03:53.000 --> 0:03:56.840 Caleb Williams, the offense and how things worked against the 0:03:56.880 --> 0:03:58.560 Cincinnati Bengals and what he's learning. 0:03:59.040 --> 0:04:02.600 Yeah, the daily improved, the daily recognition of all the 0:04:02.640 --> 0:04:06.840 different fronts, coverages, defensive structures that we'll see. Obviously, it 0:04:06.880 --> 0:04:09.040 was great to go against Cincinnati for a couple of 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:10.840 days there where you get a little bit more of 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:13.360 that three four structure and their base defensive looks. So 0:04:13.680 --> 0:04:15.680 you know every one of these reps. I think he's 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:17.760 used as a learning op and he keeps banking them 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:20.960 and understanding some of the space, the spatial differences maybe 0:04:20.960 --> 0:04:23.560 from you know, the hash marks in college to the pros. 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:27.640 So he's constantly learning and understanding. And it's our job 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:29.800 to keep doing a great job with with Carrie and 0:04:29.839 --> 0:04:32.840 myself of you know, putting him in the where can 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:35.159 his eyes go fast so he can read it and 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:37.880 play fast every single snap from him. 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:40.880 In terms of adapting to the speed, in terms of 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:45.240 specifically throwing windows that they just close so much faster. 0:04:45.440 --> 0:04:47.400 Yeah, I think, you know, part of that, you know 0:04:47.520 --> 0:04:49.960 is just seeing concepts for the first time sometimes in 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:52.640 those live game actions. But you know, he had a 0:04:52.760 --> 0:04:54.719 great you know, the ball out to call the ball 0:04:54.720 --> 0:04:57.200 out to Simba. You know some of those where he's 0:04:57.360 --> 0:04:59.560 showing that he plays in rhythm. He can play in rhythm, 0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:02.679 find those throws and then you know what, what's what's 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:05.880 uh pretty cool to watch is when the play breaks down, 0:05:06.279 --> 0:05:08.120 you know, it almost seems like it's in slow motion 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:10.200 for him, and he can find the different rush lanes, 0:05:10.640 --> 0:05:12.880 being smart with the ball, you know, break and contain 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:15.800 and creating some explosives down the field. So you know, 0:05:15.880 --> 0:05:17.880 for us with him, you know, it's about finding the 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:19.680 balance of those two things. And I think he's doing 0:05:19.680 --> 0:05:22.080 a good job of progressing with that, and like you mentioned, 0:05:22.120 --> 0:05:23.880 you know, feeling out what are those windows, what are 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:26.000 the windows that are too tight to to fit it in, 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:28.000 or what are the windows that are uh that are 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:31.320 legit completions before getting into potential scrambling, how do. 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:33.440 You sort of describe his ability to not only understand 0:05:33.440 --> 0:05:35.080 what he sees, but to explain it in a way 0:05:35.120 --> 0:05:37.240 that's productive for you and then the guys around him. 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:40.000 Yeah, I think it's a great trait that he has. 0:05:40.000 --> 0:05:42.000 Like we get over the sideline and you look at 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:44.360 the surface, but before you even look at the surface, 0:05:44.640 --> 0:05:46.719 you know, he can already tell you know why the 0:05:46.760 --> 0:05:48.919 why behind each read And I think that's to me 0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:51.360 that's the most important part. You know, if he if 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:53.080 he's not seeing it clearly or something like that, that's 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:54.919 where you really need to, you know, go back and 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:57.000 go through it. But you know he sees it clearly, 0:05:57.120 --> 0:05:59.920 can can really talk about uh, you know, different windows. 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:03.000 And also from the quarterback's lens is totally different than 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:05.320 what you see from the you know, the stands lens 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:06.880 or the coach on the sideline lens. 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:08.760 You know that ground level, where. 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:10.680 Was the defender exactly at when you hit the top 0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:13.279 of your drop and he's so you know, he easily 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:16.279 can clearly articulate every one of those points in regards 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:17.760 to the space or what happened on a play. 0:06:17.960 --> 0:06:19.920 Caleb talked about the scramble rules on the forty five 0:06:20.000 --> 0:06:22.240 yard or to Rome, but we need to know just 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:24.640 where to stay in range for Rome to know where 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:26.480 he needed to be and that. I know the play 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:29.440 looks effortless and all the thing, but how difficult was 0:06:29.480 --> 0:06:31.960 the execution of that and just showing how they did 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:33.560 the two of them as rookies had been able. 0:06:33.480 --> 0:06:34.160 To master that. 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:36.919 Yeah, I think for those guys, the effort, you know, 0:06:37.080 --> 0:06:39.599 was starting with Rome with his instant reaction when he 0:06:39.600 --> 0:06:42.600 feels the play going off schedule. Chris Bady, he's done 0:06:42.600 --> 0:06:44.440 a great job with the receivers, coaching them up on 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:47.160 what are some of the scrambled response rules and where 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:49.520 to get to, But starts with that hustle and that effort, 0:06:49.760 --> 0:06:51.680 you know, anytime a play breaks down, and then for 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:54.640 the line up front as well, understanding you know, those 0:06:54.640 --> 0:06:57.239 would be the tempting times to maybe grab the defensive 0:06:57.279 --> 0:06:59.680 lineman or you know, hold right there. But they did 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:02.800 a great job saying clean hands, clean feet, and then 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:04.920 you know the rest of it like that that they're 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:07.040 always making roll into his left. You know, I'd love 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:09.560 to say that we drilled that forever and magically we 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:12.160 made that happen. But man, he's he's got that ability, 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:15.200 and to me, that's where he finds that balance of 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:17.000 you know, when's the right time, and that was obviously 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:19.840 a great time to create something off schedule right there 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:22.200 when he didn't feel his initial reads were they're in rhythm, 0:07:22.400 --> 0:07:24.760 and then he's also clean with the ball to get 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:26.440 through the line of scrimmage and fine roam down the 0:07:26.440 --> 0:07:28.160 field and activated. 0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:30.920 What are you looking forward to seeing from him in 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:34.640 practice and how what kind of timeline could. 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:36.720 Be to try to get him up to speed. 0:07:36.920 --> 0:07:39.680 Sure, I think you know, Chris Morgan and Haas, they've 0:07:39.720 --> 0:07:41.560 done a really good job where he's been on the side, 0:07:41.560 --> 0:07:43.880 hasn't been able to participate in the live work right there, 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:47.640 but from a meeting standpoint, from a being locked in 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:50.320 and any chance he's on the field and he's in earshot. 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:52.200 You know, I've talked to Coron a lot and he 0:07:52.240 --> 0:07:54.080 does a great job of taking a mental rep every 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:57.000 time he hears the play, So looking forward to him 0:07:57.040 --> 0:07:59.360 and a smart guy, smart, tough and reliable that can 0:07:59.400 --> 0:08:02.480 start off, you know, with a good bass already, but 0:08:02.560 --> 0:08:04.760 there's no substitute for getting out there and doing it. So, 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:06.880 you know, that's the biggest thing. I think, like a 0:08:06.880 --> 0:08:08.560 lot of these stuff, I know, I talked about it 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:11.040 a lot, but the you know, each one of these 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:14.200 situations are all just individually based, you know, and and 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:16.960 there might be different things that you can recall from 0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:19.280 the past that might lead you to the hope one 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:21.320 way or another, but that's just hoping because you don't 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:22.840 know until that individual does it. 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:24.360 But he's put himself in. 0:08:24.360 --> 0:08:26.920 All the you know, in the best position possible, knowing 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:29.520 he's dealing with injuries, knowing he's you know, worked his 0:08:29.560 --> 0:08:32.160 way and done a great job with the the training 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:34.320 staff and the strength conditioning staff to put himself in 0:08:34.360 --> 0:08:36.720 position to get out on the field. And then you know, 0:08:36.840 --> 0:08:39.319 from a mental standpoint, he stayed so locked in every 0:08:39.360 --> 0:08:41.439 opportunity's had. So now it's just about going out there 0:08:41.480 --> 0:08:42.440 and doing it. 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:45.760 With your interpretation of Tyson's performance on Saturdays, it relates 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:47.240 to his continued development as well. 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:48.560 Yeah, I love Tyson's poise. 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:51.480 You know, he played with that calm, cool and collected, 0:08:52.280 --> 0:08:54.880 you know, demeanor at the line of scrimmage, was able 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:57.760 to get right through, whether it was right through a 0:08:57.800 --> 0:09:01.480 progression to a second or third read or number ones there, 0:09:01.480 --> 0:09:03.480 and he played in great rhythm right there. So he 0:09:03.600 --> 0:09:05.960 just showed that poise poison the running game, you know, 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:08.480 the ownership of the offense. So it was great to 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:10.760 see and talk about a guy that hard work pays 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:13.280 off man. No one's going to outwork him, and so 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:15.280 it's great to see that out on the field. 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:19.800 That's our offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron. A bunch of topics 0:09:19.800 --> 0:09:22.240 that probably sparks some thought, Tom, I'd like to start 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:26.800 with just the football intelligence and the acuity of Caleb Williams. 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:31.199 It's showing he's digesting this playbook. He knows a lot 0:09:31.320 --> 0:09:37.720 about what's going on on the football field based on coverages, progressions, correction, whatever. 0:09:37.920 --> 0:09:40.520 And again this is just the infancy of his career, 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:43.400 but it seems like he's way ahead of the game. 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:47.040 Yeah, he's a lot of encouraging work in the games itself. 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:49.960 We've seen a lot of encouraging work in practice and 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:53.240 his development through the time that he's been in Lake 0:09:53.320 --> 0:09:57.280 Forest at Hallis Hall since the rookie mini camp into 0:09:57.320 --> 0:10:00.040 where he's at right now. The one thing that I 0:09:59.840 --> 0:10:02.200 like that Shane kind of addressed a little bit is 0:10:02.240 --> 0:10:06.680 the understanding of protection conditioning. And what I mean by 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:10.880 that is when you're run blocking, that's not as exhausting 0:10:11.040 --> 0:10:14.080 as protection is. So if you're in a two minute drill, 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:16.360 if you're throwing the ball a lot more, you have 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:19.079 to understand that you're going to be fighting on your feet. 0:10:18.840 --> 0:10:20.640 For a lot longer than a run play. 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:23.200 And so Shane to make a point that when he 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:27.080 did scramble outside the pocket for that long connection to 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:31.040 Roma Dunees, the offensive line didn't get sloppy. And the 0:10:31.160 --> 0:10:34.440 conditioning of protection is a mindset that an offensive line 0:10:34.520 --> 0:10:38.760 has to develop because in the past, in the past 0:10:38.800 --> 0:10:42.240 with the quarterbacks, they've done more scrambling beyond the line 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:45.679 of scrimmage, where Caleb doesn't do that. Caleb stays behind 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:48.640 the line of scrimmage and looks for open targets. So 0:10:48.760 --> 0:10:52.520 now you've got to do that. You know, that conditioning 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:54.320 work that keeps you in shape, that keeps you on 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:56.560 your feet, that keeps your feet moving, that you don't 0:10:56.600 --> 0:11:01.120 become susceptible to any type of a penalty or any 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:02.960 types of calls that could hurt you. 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:05.679 The thing about that too, you didn't have to do 0:11:05.720 --> 0:11:07.720 that much. You guys ran the ball, so you were 0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:10.040 doing the mashing racking your day. 0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:12.560 But when you did get into a two minute drill 0:11:12.760 --> 0:11:15.800 or you got into a ketchup scenario, or even that 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:18.640 game that we lost against the Miami Dolphins in eighty 0:11:18.679 --> 0:11:21.400 five when it was so hot down there and we 0:11:21.440 --> 0:11:23.840 had to play a brand of ketchup football at the end, 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:24.800 and we are throwing the. 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:25.600 Ball a lot more. 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:29.720 It is more exhausting the pass block repeatedly than it 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:30.559 is the run block. 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:31.959 All right, won more on the old line. 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:36.320 So I think we're all excited to see A'magaji get 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:39.400 out there. A lot of prospect, hope there a third 0:11:39.480 --> 0:11:43.920 round pick invested. Yale Hinsdale Central and so torn quad 0:11:43.960 --> 0:11:47.680 in October start of the season on the NFI list. 0:11:47.720 --> 0:11:50.880 But now he's back. What's your optimism on him? 0:11:51.640 --> 0:11:51.800 You know? 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:54.079 I like he's got really good balance. I've seen him 0:11:54.080 --> 0:11:55.920 work out of a right handed stance. In the left 0:11:55.920 --> 0:11:58.840 handed stance, he makes the adjustment in his feet. He's 0:11:58.880 --> 0:12:01.760 got an understanding of how you retreat off the line 0:12:01.760 --> 0:12:05.520 of scrimmage if you have a pass blocking responsibility. He 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:08.160 knows how to get off the ball with good leverage 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:11.319 if he's got a run blocking responsibility. But now it's 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:14.880 about putting shoulder pads on in helmet, getting in your pants, 0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:18.640 getting back in a stance that a meaningful stance since 0:12:18.720 --> 0:12:21.640 last October. And then listen, I have all the faith 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:23.600 in the world and Chris Morgan, because he does a 0:12:23.640 --> 0:12:27.920 great job of does the hard investigative work of what 0:12:28.040 --> 0:12:31.280 position best fits the talent that he's looking at. And 0:12:31.360 --> 0:12:36.800 so I think it's a perfect matchup between Chris Morgan 0:12:36.920 --> 0:12:41.120 and Amagaji. And then we'll see in a matter of days, 0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:45.199 weeks and months of how Karn fits in this offense best. 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:47.120 All right, time for our first break and on the 0:12:47.160 --> 0:12:50.240 other side will be joined by tight end Gerald Everett, 0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:53.000 the newest Chicago Bear on that Bears offense that's coming 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:55.000 up next here on Bears Weekly on a ESPN one 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:56.960 thousand and the Bears Radio Network. 0:12:58.520 --> 0:13:02.520 Bears Weekly Voice of the Bears for twenty four years, 0:13:03.000 --> 0:13:06.480 Jeff Chef, the Bears Radio. 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:12.160 Network, Welcome back to Bears Weekly on ESBN one downson 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:13.480 of the Bears Radio Network. 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:15.160 This segment of Bears Weekly is. 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:18.760 Sponsored by IGS Energy, with Tom Theer, Jeff Joniac, and 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:21.920 welcoming in veteran tight end Gerald Ever to the program. 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:25.640 Thanks for joining us tonight and appreciate your time. I'm 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:28.800 going back because Caleb's twenty two and you just got 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:32.199 off the podium here at Hallis Hall earlier today. Everybody's 0:13:32.240 --> 0:13:35.200 asking a ton of questions about Caleb, so that's always 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:36.040 the topic nowadays. 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:38.280 But he's all twenty two. You entered the league at 0:13:38.280 --> 0:13:38.719 twenty two. 0:13:39.240 --> 0:13:42.360 Yeah, so give us your experience at twenty two and 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:45.280 then kind of overlay it to what he's going through 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:49.160 at twenty two. Granted different positions tight end, quarterback, but 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:52.120 just the maturity level that you see from him or 0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:54.320 where you were at a twenty two Can you look 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:55.600 back now at thirty. 0:13:55.840 --> 0:13:58.719 Yeah, I was definitely a young kid coming into the 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:01.720 city of Los Angeles at twenty two, obviously going to 0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:04.679 the Rams and just trying to find my feet in 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:07.160 the organization, my role on the team and what will 0:14:07.200 --> 0:14:07.800 be acts to me. 0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:09.120 And obviously you have. 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:11.160 Your own expectations and yourself and then you have what 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:12.719 the team wants you to do or who they want 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:14.719 you to be on the field. So I can only 0:14:14.720 --> 0:14:18.120 imagine what Caleb's going through. But for myself, just wanting 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:20.520 to compete and perform to my best capabilities, make my 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:23.440 family proud, make the guys back at college proud, and 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.760 just be as best I could be, really complete player, 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:29.280 and obviously just staying healthy throughout the whole season. 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:33.040 Kind of mission accomplished, You're still going You're still going strong, 0:14:33.160 --> 0:14:35.640 So you feel that way, do you feel mission accomplished? 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:37.240 But still some goals to be for sure? 0:14:37.240 --> 0:14:40.320 A team, I think just being in this business as 0:14:40.360 --> 0:14:42.320 long as I have been, going into year eight, I 0:14:42.320 --> 0:14:45.160 think the work speaks for yourself. But obviously still wanting 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:49.880 to eclipse myself each year and my productivity and everything 0:14:49.920 --> 0:14:52.320 that I've put up for the team. But with Caleb 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:54.480 in mind, I think that he'll have a different set 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:57.120 of tools, and he'll have a lot more pressure on 0:14:57.160 --> 0:14:59.680 his back just being quarterback and you know, number one 0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:01.920 pig in the Heisman winner. Obviously he's going to have 0:15:02.000 --> 0:15:04.200 his own set of goals and aspirations to. 0:15:04.160 --> 0:15:07.080 Achieve and a lot of money, right right, Yeah, I 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:10.160 can't forget that yeah, you Gerald. 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:12.320 I always asked this question because I was a fourth 0:15:12.400 --> 0:15:14.400 rounder and I thought I should have been picked higher. 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:17.120 And when I look at your journey of being a 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:20.280 high school basketball player, going to a couple of different colleges, 0:15:20.360 --> 0:15:23.480 and then you have a relationship with Waldron and then 0:15:23.560 --> 0:15:26.600 you're a second rounder, were you surprised that you were 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:28.920 a second rounder or did you expect that? 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:30.280 I was expecting it. 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:33.240 Honestly, I had a first second round grade, so I 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:35.560 could have really left my junior year, but I wanted 0:15:35.600 --> 0:15:37.360 to make sure I got my degree first and then 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:41.600 pursued football after that. But the Rams actually didn't have 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:43.640 a first round pick my year because they traded up 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:46.040 to get golf, so I probably would have went first 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.680 round if they had that pick available. However, going second 0:15:49.760 --> 0:15:52.200 round is still a blessing into the city of Los Angeles. 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:55.600 So yeah, I think that I had a great journey 0:15:55.640 --> 0:15:57.840 through college and now the NFL. 0:15:58.960 --> 0:16:01.880 So when you played basket ball, did football become natural 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:03.760 to you with because you look at all the job 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:07.200 requirements of a tight end nowadays, an online blocker, a 0:16:07.240 --> 0:16:10.280 backside blocker, an h back, a movement tight end, even 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:13.680 split out some wide receiver was there anything that was 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:17.760 attachable from your basketball life to introduce you into the 0:16:17.760 --> 0:16:18.600 football life. 0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:20.720 Well, I started off playing football at a young age, 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:22.800 just kind of took a hiatus away from it and 0:16:22.840 --> 0:16:25.120 picked up basketball and ran track and baseball and all 0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:27.480 that good stuff. But I would say, for one, the 0:16:27.560 --> 0:16:31.120 lateral quickness and the agility drills probably translated the most 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:33.960 for me. And at the end of the day, I 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:36.400 was all around sport athlete. So I think that all 0:16:36.440 --> 0:16:39.240 of that helped me in my translation to football field again. 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:42.040 Gerald everdar guest here on ESPN one thousand of the 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:44.400 Bears Radio Network getting ready to wrap the preseason. 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:45.880 Tom and I were just talking about it. 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:47.360 You know, you wait, you wait, you wait for that 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:50.120 first snap in the preseason and boom, it's gone. 0:16:50.440 --> 0:16:52.360 It went fast, it did you know? 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:54.680 And there's still work to be done obviously before the opener, 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:57.520 But did you feel things have gone fast? And is 0:16:57.560 --> 0:17:00.800 it partly because it's new for you you're a new 0:17:00.880 --> 0:17:03.920 young quarterback, or is it just a different heartbeat of 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:06.600 the preseason nowadays. I don't quite get it myself. 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:09.800 There's a lot of rules that's changing right now, but preseason, 0:17:09.840 --> 0:17:11.800 I mean, I think it's used for young guys to 0:17:11.800 --> 0:17:14.080 come out and showcase their talents and get some good 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:16.560 tape out, whether it be for this team or the next. 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:19.440 But for me, it definitely came around fast, just wanting 0:17:19.480 --> 0:17:21.320 to see the speed of the game at the professional 0:17:21.440 --> 0:17:24.080 level and get used to my teammates. Obviously, you grow 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:25.640 up watching a lot of these guys and then you're 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:27.520 booming in the locker room playing with them. Like you said, 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:30.600 so it definitely rose around fast. But Week one can't 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:31.439 get here any sooner. 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:35.040 Yeah, I'll tell you, not only is it the cliche, 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:37.560 which is also a fact you get tired of facing 0:17:37.560 --> 0:17:40.560 the same guys every day. That being said, the way 0:17:40.600 --> 0:17:43.320 the defense is buzzing around, especially that secondary, I mean 0:17:43.359 --> 0:17:45.359 there's a bad men at every I mean on the 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:47.760 depth chart, Tom and I have a hard time figuring out, 0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:50.400 like how you gonna make these decisions for the fifty three? 0:17:50.640 --> 0:17:52.840 But what are you learning about this defense that you 0:17:52.880 --> 0:17:56.920 didn't know before? You guys played the Chargers last year, 0:17:56.920 --> 0:17:58.920 but you weren't available for that game, so you missed 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:01.280 the Bears defense. But what are you learning about this 0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:03.760 defense and how fast it plays and what they're up to? 0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:05.960 They're fast. They're very fast and physical. 0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:08.080 I would say one thing that I've learned about them 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:10.399 is just their ability to attack to the ball. 0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:12.480 A lot of guys on a D line don't really 0:18:12.520 --> 0:18:13.280 get out much. 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:15.600 When you an NFL, I guess when you're talented, but 0:18:15.680 --> 0:18:17.600