Speaker 1: The following is a presentation of the Chicago Bears Network
Speaker 1: and Chicago Bears dot Com. Download the Chicago Bears Official
Speaker 1: mobile app for up to the minute Bears content every
Speaker 1: day and now welcome to Bears All Access. You're All
Speaker 1: Access passing to Chicago Bears football. Bears All Access is
Speaker 1: brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by CDW,
Speaker 1: Miller Lite and Khulu. Well, it's a good evening, everybody,
Speaker 1: and welcome in a heavy, heavy top one hundred celebration.
Speaker 1: The centennial scrapbook coming out in June by the Bears
Speaker 1: and written by Damn Pomp paying Down Pearson is certainly
Speaker 1: a big topic around town, around watercoolers, around the city
Speaker 1: and in your own home. If you're a Bears fan,
Speaker 1: you're talking about it, that's for sure. We're going to
Speaker 1: dip into that a little bit tonight. I'm Jeff, Jonny Acolong,
Speaker 1: my broadcast partner, Tom there Down and Maui soaking up
Speaker 1: some su before he heads back home here in short
Speaker 1: order to get ready for the one hundred celebration and
Speaker 1: the summer in Chicago. Now that we actually have one
Speaker 1: big town. It is actually warm and nice out there,
Speaker 1: kind of looking forward to coming home. I know there's
Speaker 1: been a weather change over and that's what everybody looks
Speaker 1: forward to in the summertime. But you know, you mentioned
Speaker 1: that top one hundred of the Chicago Bears. It's unbelievable
Speaker 1: to look at some of the historical pictures of the
Speaker 1: players that have come and gone through the Bears organization,
Speaker 1: and a lot of times you're rereminded of the greatness
Speaker 1: that the Chicago Bears fans have been privileged to over
Speaker 1: the last hundred years. And it's gonna be a blast
Speaker 1: to talk about and it's it's just gonna be a
Speaker 1: lot of fun. Jim Miller joining us as well from
Speaker 1: his home in Michigan after his day on Sirius x
Speaker 1: MNFL radio. I keep looking, you know, I've seen Anthony
Speaker 1: Adams on Twitter having some fun with not being in
Speaker 1: the one hundred. I'm looking for Jim Miller. No, it's
Speaker 1: not there. Congratulations to Tom by the way, and it
Speaker 1: is a great list. I was looking at some of
Speaker 1: those names today, just scrolling through because I say, you see,
Speaker 1: it's made news and obviously all the great players in
Speaker 1: the history of the tradition, and you're right coming up
Speaker 1: a celebrating the hundredth anniversary. It's going to be a
Speaker 1: great weekend the seventh through the ninth, and you know,
Speaker 1: just to catch up with a lot of guys and
Speaker 1: is Tom age. You know, it just brings up great memories.
Speaker 1: You know, it's something special that you're a part of.
Speaker 1: And obviously for Tom to make that that top hundred,
Speaker 1: that says quite a bit about Tom. So congratulations Tom, Yeah,
Speaker 1: Tom is congratulations. And Jay Hilgenberg, You're a good friend.
Speaker 1: Was in the top twenty as of today and I
Speaker 1: spoke to him at length today and what it does,
Speaker 1: it takes you back to your childhood. It really does
Speaker 1: about why you play the game, how you started, how
Speaker 1: you were connected to the game spiritually, professionally, physically, whatever
Speaker 1: the case may be. The love of the game is prevalent.
Speaker 1: And now you know, Tom and Jim when we do
Speaker 1: all these interviews with players, we always talk about today
Speaker 1: and how we often say, hey, listen, you're gonna appreciate
Speaker 1: this one day, and it's when it's in your review mirror.
Speaker 1: This is really big time review mirror material, and it
Speaker 1: makes you think about all those great moments. And Jay
Speaker 1: talks about going to Rigley Field nineteen se I to
Speaker 1: see his uncle Wally play against the Bears, and he
Speaker 1: sees George Hollis, and then in his first practice there's
Speaker 1: George Hallis on the practice field and watching Jay go
Speaker 1: to work. It's just And talking to to Steve McMichael
Speaker 1: today about being in the room negotiating his first contract
Speaker 1: with mister Hollis, it's just, it's great stuff. These stories
Speaker 1: are going to be unbelievable that we keep hearing. You know, Jeff,
Speaker 1: I had an opportunity. I know Stan Jones was one
Speaker 1: above Jay, but Stan Jones had a great career and
Speaker 1: the first time I was exposed to him was out
Speaker 1: of and having an opportunity to meet the greatness of
Speaker 1: Stan Jones. But after I met him, to read about
Speaker 1: him and learn about the type of career he had,
Speaker 1: you know, switching offensive line the defensive line, making multiple
Speaker 1: Pro Bowls and both being one of the guys that
Speaker 1: introduced offseason conditioning and weightlifting to the NFL. When you
Speaker 1: think about those ex Bears in the footprint that they've
Speaker 1: left on the NFL a lot like Charles Tillman has
Speaker 1: talked about today, with the peanut punch, you get to
Speaker 1: meet some of these great guys that again you get
Speaker 1: to learn about because of the history of the game.
Speaker 1: And now we're gonna see him. A lot of these
Speaker 1: guys in the same area, and you know some of
Speaker 1: the young guys that have left their mark on the
Speaker 1: Hall of Fame, Guys as young as her Locker and stuff.
Speaker 1: Jim Walter Payton number one on the list. There is
Speaker 1: no debate, right Um, I would say this, how does
Speaker 1: George Ellis not coming number one? But Walter say he's
Speaker 1: the one we all think about. Like I said, I
Speaker 1: just know how we impacted me as a kid. I
Speaker 1: always bring that story up that I wore those high
Speaker 1: top kangaroos. That's gonna warm because of Walter. That's where
Speaker 1: we wore in My brother and I. I must have
Speaker 1: broke so many bedsprings because my brother would be playing
Speaker 1: defense and I'd have to hurdle over him onto the
Speaker 1: bed for a touchdown. We probably went through about fifteen bedspree.
Speaker 1: We all did that as kids. That's what you wanted
Speaker 1: to do if you're playing in the park. If you
Speaker 1: weren't good enough playing regular football like me, you played
Speaker 1: at the park after school, and you'd want that handoff
Speaker 1: and try to go over the top with no pads,
Speaker 1: no helmet, could say a lot about me right now. Anyway,
Speaker 1: coming up, we're gonna be joined by a team Hicks,
Speaker 1: another member of the Top one hundred four Bears currently
Speaker 1: in that list put together by Dan Pompey and Don Pearson.
Speaker 1: Will talk about that and the twenty nineteen Bears of
Speaker 1: the Keeymicks and coming up later in the program, another
Speaker 1: Top one hundred Bear, Tom's draft classmate wide receiver will
Speaker 1: he got to talk Coming up next on Chicago Sports
Speaker 1: Radio six seventy The Score. Welcome back to Bears All
Speaker 1: Access brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud partner
Speaker 1: of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gas, and home
Speaker 1: warranty products to over one million customers across the country.
Speaker 1: Learn more about IGS Energy at igs dot com. Jeff
Speaker 1: joning Ac along with Tom Thair and Jim Miller breaking
Speaker 1: things down the week that is and was Top one
Speaker 1: hundred major conversation, but also Ota is getting out away
Speaker 1: guys and have an opportunity to be out there yesterday
Speaker 1: talking to the great expectation and anticipation for twenty nineteen.
Speaker 1: Everybody is buying in and ready to roll. Great attendance
Speaker 1: so far during the offseason program, and I expected nothing less,
Speaker 1: he said, expectations And what other word did he use? Anticipation? Anticipation?
Speaker 1: So let me so, when you think about the pieces
Speaker 1: being in place at the start of OTAs, because last
Speaker 1: year this defense was kind of piecemeal together at last moments,
Speaker 1: just what contract holdouts and injuries and young guys coming aboard.
Speaker 1: Are the expectations for this defense to be as good
Speaker 1: as they were at the conclusion of the season or
Speaker 1: is they? Are they going to have some growing pains? Yeah, well,
Speaker 1: you know again, I still go back. You know, you
Speaker 1: got the wrinkles with Chuck Paganos, So you know, I
Speaker 1: think the players got to get a feel for him.
Speaker 1: How he's gonna call a game. Is he going to
Speaker 1: be as aggressive as say what Vic Fangiel was. You know,
Speaker 1: he's going to have certain uh what I want to say,
Speaker 1: things that he believes in in certain situations that he's
Speaker 1: probably gonna call. So I think those players still have
Speaker 1: to get a fuel for him from that standpoint. But expectations,
Speaker 1: I would think they expect that they're going to be better,
Speaker 1: And why shouldn't they younger players have gotten older here.
Speaker 1: We've talked to Balal Nichols this offseason. I gotta believe
Speaker 1: Khalil Max's gonna feel more comfortable not only in his
Speaker 1: leadership role, but what's expected of him. I would think
Speaker 1: Leonard Floyd, he's expected to, you know, take the next
Speaker 1: step forward. And I think for a Roquan Smith, you know,
Speaker 1: how much is he going to grow? Your most growth
Speaker 1: is between your first and second year. How's that relationship
Speaker 1: come along between the Safeties. Now when you look at
Speaker 1: Eddie Jackson working with his old teammate from Alabama, Haha,
Speaker 1: Clinton Dick. So, I mean there's a lot of things that,
Speaker 1: certainly I think need to unfold, But I think the
Speaker 1: expectations overall is they should be better. Well, you believe
Speaker 1: they believe they should be. Yes, they definitely believe, and
Speaker 1: that's really most important. They do believe. They believe in
Speaker 1: this coach. They believe in Matt Naggie. They already have
Speaker 1: said the same about Chuck mcganna. They have his respect,
Speaker 1: Eddie Jack's words, Prince of Mukamara's words. And you just
Speaker 1: mentioned a bunch of guys that really had great years
Speaker 1: a year ago and then you mentioned a bunch of
Speaker 1: guys that you are expecting to continue to grow, and
Speaker 1: I go back to this word. I'm gonna say it
Speaker 1: in nauseum all the way through preseason and the regular
Speaker 1: season until we get to December. Growth. Where's it coming from?
Speaker 1: Where's the biggest growth? Where does it need to come from?
Speaker 1: Because the team still has to grow, but some of
Speaker 1: these guys can develop into big time stars like Roquan
Speaker 1: and Mitch Drabiski. Yeah, you know where I think it
Speaker 1: didn't get reported a lot last year where I think
Speaker 1: Matt Daggie really showed I don't want to say maturity,
Speaker 1: but just experience that he coming from a first year
Speaker 1: head coach, you know, because I think a lot of
Speaker 1: coaches and I certainly would love to get your take
Speaker 1: on this time, there are a lot of coaches when
Speaker 1: a guy's banged up, Oh I can go, I can go,
Speaker 1: I can play. And think about those two games that
Speaker 1: Khalil Mack missed. I think those were some of the
Speaker 1: smartest decisions by Matt Naggie lest year said you wonder
Speaker 1: what he's not a hard percent, Well, this is a marathon.
Speaker 1: Let's get him healthy because I know a lot of
Speaker 1: guys say, you be guys got to tweak tamstring, Hey,
Speaker 1: I can go. They go out there, they end up,
Speaker 1: you know, tweaking it even more and the guy misses
Speaker 1: another four weeks. You know. A couple of times with
Speaker 1: certain a couple of players, he was patient with that
Speaker 1: player to let's just get him healthy and we'll be
Speaker 1: better off and be a better formidable team if we
Speaker 1: just get the player healthy. And I think that was
Speaker 1: a smart decision in the long haul, just by sitting
Speaker 1: Khalil those two games. It's unfortunately tweaked his ankle, but
Speaker 1: ultimately it benefited the team in the long run, and
Speaker 1: I think that's a maturity of the coach. Tom. I
Speaker 1: agree one hundred percent, Yim. You know what also it does,
Speaker 1: it makes sure the guys that are in a backup
Speaker 1: roles that there is important to the success of the
Speaker 1: team as the guy in front of him, and even
Speaker 1: if as he's a big name starter. So they say, Okay,
Speaker 1: we have enough confidence in you whomever it may be,
Speaker 1: that we're gonna sit Khalil Mack or we're gonna sit
Speaker 1: in a guy that we need to get through a
Speaker 1: couple of weeks before he's healthy, but we we count
Speaker 1: on you. We know you can come in, and so
Speaker 1: I think, you know, it's you know, even looking at
Speaker 1: Chase Daniels when he came in for Mitchell Trubisky, it's
Speaker 1: kind of this similarity there as they have faith in Chase,
Speaker 1: they had faith and the guys that we're going to
Speaker 1: come in and play for these guys that they were
Speaker 1: willing to rest. All right about Eddie Jackson in the
Speaker 1: playoff game, you know, he was dressed and we thought
Speaker 1: he might play. But again, they do really appreciate airing
Speaker 1: on the side of caution for the long term benefit
Speaker 1: of each player on the team, and that worked in
Speaker 1: twenty eighteen. Will they be able to do that and
Speaker 1: it worked that way in twenty nineteen. This is Bears
Speaker 1: All Access. It's brought to you by IGS Energy. A
Speaker 1: couple of nuggets. Over the course of the OTA, the
Speaker 1: roster came out for the first time in the off season,
Speaker 1: and you had some numerical changes based on position changes.
Speaker 1: So Bradley Swell and that's how his name is going
Speaker 1: to be pronounced from now on, like Powell, It's Swell.
Speaker 1: Mark Rody tipped me off to that Bradley saying fellas
Speaker 1: his stage name was Soul. Everybody was calling him Soul,
Speaker 1: but it actually is sal. But he's now a tight end,
Speaker 1: a why tight end, and he's gonna work at that
Speaker 1: all the way through training cap and see where it falls.
Speaker 1: He's a super talented athlete. They would not even consider
Speaker 1: this change because he's a really good long snapper. He's
Speaker 1: a really good balanced offensive lineman that can play up
Speaker 1: and down the line. But when you're making a position chat,
Speaker 1: that's kind of a fantasy of every offensive lineman that's
Speaker 1: played in the National Football League. Just think if I
Speaker 1: was good enough to score a touchdown, to catch a
Speaker 1: couple passes, to block some outside linebackers and DB's downfield,
Speaker 1: it's gonna be fun to watch. And I hope Bradley,
Speaker 1: I hope he flourishes at it. Hey, I can't believe
Speaker 1: he wouldn't go with so well as because he caught
Speaker 1: that touchdown so well. Yea, Hey, and Jim, you know,
Speaker 1: if you had the opportunity to watch him in pregame,
Speaker 1: he throws one of the prettier balls you'll ever see.
Speaker 1: This guy was a great pitcher back in the day.
Speaker 1: He's got a great arm. Yeah. I knew a couple
Speaker 1: of teams that he was on prior and they said
Speaker 1: they would have a really good athlete he is. You know,
Speaker 1: we've seen a lot of teams. You know, who's the
Speaker 1: young manner just got cut for Buffalo Fisher who was
Speaker 1: drafted as a tackle out of organ by Cincinnati. He
Speaker 1: was trying to make the full blown transition to tight end.
Speaker 1: But Bradley is one He's really gifted, and I think
Speaker 1: if you want an inline blocking tight end, he definitely
Speaker 1: can be brought in in those situations, especially goal line situations,
Speaker 1: and it would benefit the Bears from that standpoint to
Speaker 1: really hammer it in there. But he impressed me with
Speaker 1: how good of an athlete he is, so it doesn't
Speaker 1: shock me at all that they're making that move. But
Speaker 1: I'd still consider more of a six offensive lineman so
Speaker 1: to speak, coming in and those types of sitis. The
Speaker 1: big question is, would you know, can a three hundred
Speaker 1: and twelve pounds that's what he's listened anyway players shift
Speaker 1: to tight end at that weight. I'm certain that he's
Speaker 1: probably going to have to shed a few pounds but
Speaker 1: still be in that range where you can still fill
Speaker 1: in because I was a valuable very much. Yeah, I
Speaker 1: wouldn't want him to shed too much because you know,
Speaker 1: push comes to shoves. We've seen it where tight ends
Speaker 1: have had to come into play tackle. It actually happened
Speaker 1: in Minnesota last year where they lost so many offensive lineman.
Speaker 1: That is not a situation you want to be in.
Speaker 1: And a guy like is really could be counted on
Speaker 1: if you know, we've called upon in a pitch to
Speaker 1: play that role if need be, and then taking could
Speaker 1: It could change terminology a little bit too, because when
Speaker 1: all you know, Jeff, when you're broadcasting a game, he said, okay,
Speaker 1: that got a big package in. That means that there
Speaker 1: are six offensive linemen out there. Now you could call
Speaker 1: it a mobile big package because you have a guy
Speaker 1: that's as big as an offensive tackle, but he's good
Speaker 1: on his feet, and I think defenses are going to
Speaker 1: have to have different terminology for it with his size
Speaker 1: and his ability. That's Tom there, Jim Miller, I'm Jeff
Speaker 1: joni Ac and this is Bears All Access with Adams
Speaker 1: Zinsky turning his dials here for us helping us out
Speaker 1: along with Shane Ridden and the fellas. They do a
Speaker 1: great job here at the Score. This is Chicago Sports
Speaker 1: Radio six seventy The Score. The Chicago Bears Network presents
Speaker 1: Inside the Bears, brought to you by Verizon. Anthony Adams
Speaker 1: and Lauren Screeden cover the world of Bears football on
Speaker 1: and off the field every Sunday night at ten thirty
Speaker 1: five pm on Fox thirty two Sago, or watch anytime
Speaker 1: at Chicago Bears dot Com or on the Bears official app.
Speaker 1: Jeff Joni acc along with Tom Thare Jim Met are
Speaker 1: good enough to be joined by a Keem Hicks, the
Speaker 1: Bears Pro Bowl defensive lineman number seventy five of the
Speaker 1: Bears Top one hundred. I think it's pretty cool, Keen.
Speaker 1: We talked yesterday briefly at the OTA, and thanks for
Speaker 1: taking the time tonight. Just how crazy it is to
Speaker 1: be on that list when you consider how many players
Speaker 1: have come through this Bears organization in a century. Yeah, man,
Speaker 1: it's it's an extreme honor. It's an extreme honor to
Speaker 1: even be considered as one of the best Bears that
Speaker 1: have been here in this long history. When I saw it,
Speaker 1: I didn't I saw it coming out and I didn't
Speaker 1: think that I would be on the list. But when
Speaker 1: it came up. Man, there was nothing but smiles over here.
Speaker 1: I'll called my mom, told her about it. But you
Speaker 1: know what, Kim, you got to look at the mark
Speaker 1: that you've left on the Chicago Bears in the process
Speaker 1: of maker getting this team from where it was to
Speaker 1: how good it is now. So it's it's it's the
Speaker 1: significance of what you've been able to do with your
Speaker 1: teammates and for your teammates. The reason that you're on
Speaker 1: that list. It was amazing, man. And you know what,
Speaker 1: we got a couple of guys and I'm sure will
Speaker 1: be on that list in the coming years. Right. You
Speaker 1: think about guys like Danny Trevathan, you know, somebody that's
Speaker 1: been here just as long as I have, and it's
Speaker 1: been you know, contributing a lot throughout the time here.
Speaker 1: So you know, look forward to seeing that. Yeah, now,
Speaker 1: keep congratulations Jim Miller. And you know, I always it
Speaker 1: strikes me going back you say I signed with the
Speaker 1: Bears to build something here. I wanted to be a
Speaker 1: part of building something and you know it is being
Speaker 1: built right now as we speak, but it's not quite done.
Speaker 1: I think it's got to be your assessment. I mean,
Speaker 1: just talk about that because you have been instrumental in
Speaker 1: starting to build something for the Chicago Bears. Isn't that
Speaker 1: beautiful though? Man, to like be a part of something
Speaker 1: and watch it go grow from the ground up. You know,
Speaker 1: we had two tough seasons three and thirteen, five and eleven,
Speaker 1: and then we come out and we have a twelve
Speaker 1: win season. You know, something that a lot of players
Speaker 1: that come in the NFL and leave before they ever
Speaker 1: get a chance to see as season like that, you know,
Speaker 1: and so it's a blessing. And what I say is this,
Speaker 1: you're completely right and saying that we're not done yet.
Speaker 1: You know, once you get a taste of success, if
Speaker 1: you're a real competitor, you're gonna want more. And I
Speaker 1: think with the performance that we had last year, I
Speaker 1: feel like a lot of guys feel like we're chomping
Speaker 1: at the bid and we're right there and we're one
Speaker 1: we're one play away from being in that big game.
Speaker 1: A Kim Hicks oar guest here on Bears All Access
Speaker 1: on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score, and I
Speaker 1: gotta give this to you because even when things appeared
Speaker 1: to not be going well or in the end, the
Speaker 1: record wasn't what you thought it should be. This team
Speaker 1: was still trying to build. You were always you were in.
Speaker 1: You were all in about what was being built, even
Speaker 1: with past administration with John Fox here. You you were
Speaker 1: very positive and you do speak your mind. You're not
Speaker 1: one to just throw smoke out there. What was it
Speaker 1: about what was starting? I mean, maybe you just looked
Speaker 1: in the mirror yourself say hey, I'm a big piece
Speaker 1: of this, so I know where we're going. I don't know.
Speaker 1: That may be it, but why did you feel so
Speaker 1: strongly about it even before last year. I'm gonna give
Speaker 1: a lot of credit to Pace. I just have a
Speaker 1: lot of relief that he's going to bring the right
Speaker 1: type of guys in because I watched him do it
Speaker 1: when he added pieces like myself, Darell Freeman, Danny Travaisan,
Speaker 1: you know guys that were, you know, really good players
Speaker 1: around the league and needed to be together in order
Speaker 1: to have the type of success that we wanted to have.
Speaker 1: And just watching him build a roster or something that's
Speaker 1: it's really special. And I know it's my GM and
Speaker 1: I know like I'm sounds like I'm brown noses, But
Speaker 1: if you really see the culture that we have in
Speaker 1: our locker room, there's just a it's a great group
Speaker 1: of guys, and it goes past our locker room when
Speaker 1: it goes to you know, upstairs, in the scouting department
Speaker 1: and in the cafeteria. We have so many people in
Speaker 1: our building that just want the best from this organization
Speaker 1: that I think that that's what makes us successful, Hey Kim.
Speaker 1: In nineteen eighty four, the Bears lose the NFC championship
Speaker 1: game in San Francisco, and there's a lot of talk
Speaker 1: about the legendary speeches that Dan Hampton gave to his
Speaker 1: teammates on the ride home about what they were going
Speaker 1: to accomplish next year. Going back to the end of
Speaker 1: that the last game this last season, was there any
Speaker 1: messages that you took away from the locker room that
Speaker 1: maybe you and your teammates share together about what the
Speaker 1: future is gonna bring as far as the end of
Speaker 1: this year. Yeah, at the end of this year, like
Speaker 1: maybe a conversation from that that losing locker room that
Speaker 1: guys talked about what you guys are going to accomplish
Speaker 1: going forward. It was painful, man, it was painful. It
Speaker 1: hurt a lot. It was You really can't explain that
Speaker 1: feeling unless you're in it, you know, and you see
Speaker 1: that we have um what we wanted out of the
Speaker 1: season and what we were prepared for. And then we
Speaker 1: find ourselves sitting in the locker room after a misfield
Speaker 1: goal a wall, looking at each other like what happened?
Speaker 1: You know? And this is this is not a blame
Speaker 1: towards any one, but it's it's a heck of a
Speaker 1: way to walk off the fields and that pay that
Speaker 1: feeling and that hurt. You really look at each other
Speaker 1: and you say, man, we want better for ourselves. We
Speaker 1: want to we know what type of talent we have
Speaker 1: and we know what type of team we can be,
Speaker 1: and there's no reason that we should have to lose
Speaker 1: the game that way. So I think that we just
Speaker 1: use that as motivation. There wasn't a specific conversation. It
Speaker 1: was more so everybody recognizing the hurt and recognizing that
Speaker 1: we wanted more for ourselves and saying we're gonna go
Speaker 1: get it. Well, just getting a feel for your defensive cordinare,
Speaker 1: I know he's getting a feel. He's getting to know
Speaker 1: you guys, developing relationships. We've talked about that before. Too
Speaker 1: a team. But you know, it's one thing trying to
Speaker 1: talk things out and meeting say hey, in these situations,
Speaker 1: maybe expect me to blitz, but and then going to
Speaker 1: the game setting and really getting a feel how a
Speaker 1: coach calls the game. Do you think you're starting to
Speaker 1: get a feel of what of how Chuck pagana One
Speaker 1: is presenting the material and really how he he expects
Speaker 1: to call and as letting you know how he's going
Speaker 1: to call a game as an approaches, well, I'm not
Speaker 1: going to tell you how we're gonna call the game, right,
Speaker 1: but what I will say is this man coaches. He's
Speaker 1: just he's a different type of coach. Right. I would
Speaker 1: say that him and Vic have a lot of similarities,
Speaker 1: but they also have just as many differences. I would
Speaker 1: say this about Chuck. Chuck is very Chucky is a
Speaker 1: people person man. He just he understands you and he
Speaker 1: wants you to understand him. And he thinks that the
Speaker 1: best way for us to be a successful team is
Speaker 1: that we have that exactly that a good understanding of
Speaker 1: what we want from one another. Right. He knows that
Speaker 1: he came into a situation with a great locker room
Speaker 1: with a great group of guys that are are are
Speaker 1: self motivated, focus, determined, all those things, and all he
Speaker 1: has to do is put us in the right position
Speaker 1: and watch his flourish. And I think that's the way
Speaker 1: that he's approaching it. This is Skim Hicks, Pro Bowl
Speaker 1: defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears, joining us here on
Speaker 1: Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy, Ali Golf,
Speaker 1: the former Bears first rouder. We join I guess as well.
Speaker 1: Looking ahead to the one hundred celebration in Rosemont coming
Speaker 1: up in June, A Kim will be there. You'll be
Speaker 1: on a panel with some other great players. I talked
Speaker 1: to one of them today, Richard dent Uh and it's
Speaker 1: interesting what motivates people, right, and you you just said
Speaker 1: it though I was just gonna bring this up. You
Speaker 1: use the word self motivated. Pocanto's learning that there's a
Speaker 1: bunch of self emotivate guys in that room. You know,
Speaker 1: you're self made player. I mean, you came in with talent.
Speaker 1: They just weren't weren't using you in the right way
Speaker 1: in other spots. And look at what you've become and
Speaker 1: look at where you're going. You still are you still
Speaker 1: haven't tapped all of your own potential. And I know
Speaker 1: you feel that way, m No question, No question. Man.
Speaker 1: When I got here and I was under Vic and
Speaker 1: Coach Fox and Pace, one of the things that I
Speaker 1: appreciated about this organization was that they let you be you.
Speaker 1: And I think that that's I played the best that
Speaker 1: way when you let me go in there a great havoc,
Speaker 1: tear stuff up. It's just it's kind of what I
Speaker 1: was made to do, you know, and I appreciate it
Speaker 1: every day. Sometimes I wake up and my girlfriend asked
Speaker 1: me sometimes, like why do I love being a part
Speaker 1: of the Bears? Because they let you play how you
Speaker 1: need to play and learner to be successful. They use
Speaker 1: you to your strength and I don't think that's going
Speaker 1: to stop here with Chuck. You are the general. You
Speaker 1: are the who tears things up with You're also the
Speaker 1: general giant and a real gentleman. We appreciate your time.
Speaker 1: Thank you anytime, Bears Defensive Taggle, Bears Pro Bowl, or
Speaker 1: a chem Hicks looking for big things here in twenty nineteen.
Speaker 1: As we move forward here on Bears All Access, brought
Speaker 1: to you by IGS Energy, join us for the PNC
Speaker 1: Chicago Bears five K on Saturday, July thirteenth and finish
Speaker 1: on Historic Soldier Field Register now at Chicago Bears dot
Speaker 1: com slash five k before prices increase. Always love talking
Speaker 1: to a chem and great to get reconnected with former
Speaker 1: Bears wide receiver, the Speedster, the guy who's he's a
Speaker 1: renaissance man. He does just about everything and he's still
Speaker 1: a young young man. Willie Gults joining the program. Willy,
Speaker 1: good to talk to you again. You're on with your
Speaker 1: former classmate Tom there and Jim Miller, Bears quarterback. Good
Speaker 1: to have you on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score. Uh,
Speaker 1: you certainly don't sit still, and at this point in
Speaker 1: your life, are you still the same guy? Not sitting still? Absolutely?
Speaker 1: Never at Tom, Tom did not see you in Hawaii.
Speaker 1: Did you play together in the boat? You know? I,
Speaker 1: you know, after us being teammates with the Bears, I
Speaker 1: had to introduce myself to you and tell you that
Speaker 1: you and I were teammates in the ball. But you
Speaker 1: know you were. Listen, you were a world class at
Speaker 1: that time, Willie. You are the world class track athlete,
Speaker 1: You're the world class speedster in the draft so I'm
Speaker 1: even a press that you still remember me. I think,
Speaker 1: Oh no, you're my guy, Tom for sure. Hey, Willie, um,
Speaker 1: you know how you know? I always it seems like
Speaker 1: a lot of people talk to you about track in football.
Speaker 1: What was what was more important to each other? Or
Speaker 1: did the track help you become a better football player
Speaker 1: or did football help you become a more of a
Speaker 1: trainable track star. I think they both coupling to each
Speaker 1: other so well. Football gave me the toughness and track
Speaker 1: because I was a hurdler and a sprinter so and
Speaker 1: it gave me the toughness to be able to compete. Therefore,
Speaker 1: in football, track gave me the speed to know how
Speaker 1: to run and know how to get away from someone
Speaker 1: when I needed to, and also to train. I mean,
Speaker 1: I proud of myself and being in better shape to
Speaker 1: anyone on the field. And I worked hard and I
Speaker 1: try to get the best out of my abilities and
Speaker 1: also enjoy the game and the way it was meant
Speaker 1: to be as far as I was concerned. Willie Jim
Speaker 1: Miller here in one, congratulations to you. And you look
Speaker 1: at that track background, just you know, when you talk
Speaker 1: about that nineteen eighty Olympic team, and you've mentioned to
Speaker 1: carry over, you know, and how you had to train
Speaker 1: just for those events, and you get kind of one
Speaker 1: time that's it, and kind of football, it's on to
Speaker 1: the next rep. It's always about that rep, that play.
Speaker 1: I mean that probably that mentality really carried over for
Speaker 1: you as well. I gotta believe, oh, absolutely, From a
Speaker 1: toughness standpoint, it's nothing like a sport like football, football, hockey.
Speaker 1: Those stores are really tough because you really get down
Speaker 1: in your physical even though I mean I wasn't considered
Speaker 1: one of the toughest receivers, No, that wasn't my game.
Speaker 1: I was more of a finesse receiver. And speed. I
Speaker 1: think I scared guys by my speed because they didn't
Speaker 1: know when I was running fast and when I wasn't.
Speaker 1: Because what I tried to do was run the same
Speaker 1: way every time, whether I was full speed or half speed,
Speaker 1: and they didn't know until I was passed him whether
Speaker 1: or not I was full speed or not. And from
Speaker 1: overall commitment standpoint, Tritton was amazing because I knew how
Speaker 1: to train, I knew how to get myself ready, I
Speaker 1: knew how to be tough and physical in football when
Speaker 1: I had to be and look, guys my size, I
Speaker 1: was okay, but guys bigger than me, you know, it
Speaker 1: didn't make sense for me to try to overpower them.
Speaker 1: It just makes sense for me to go round him
Speaker 1: and through them. So Bombar Bears first rounder. What he
Speaker 1: got you out of the program? Number fifty four on
Speaker 1: the list of one hundred Greatest Bears of All time
Speaker 1: the Bears Centennial scrapbook, featuring a list of those top
Speaker 1: one hundred in franchise history, ranked by the Hall of
Speaker 1: Fame writers Dan Pompey and Don Pearson. Are you comfortable
Speaker 1: with your seating on the list of one hundred fifty?
Speaker 1: Am I eighty three or fifty four? Well, I mean
Speaker 1: the ironic thing about that is I'm number nine seven
Speaker 1: or nine all time in NFL history as the greatest athlete.
Speaker 1: So but I guess I'm own up to be in
Speaker 1: the top hundred of the Bears. And I don't know
Speaker 1: it's okay. I mean, I don't know, I have no idea.
Speaker 1: I don't know you know how they calculated, But you
Speaker 1: know it's okay. I mean we have some great players,
Speaker 1: I mean Walter Payton and you know, Jeff ga Sayers
Speaker 1: and Mike Singletary, all those guys are amazing players. I mean,
Speaker 1: we have a rich tradition, rich history, and that's good
Speaker 1: because we're actually one of the first teams, all the
Speaker 1: first teams ever to play in the National Football League.
Speaker 1: So I'm honored to be a Bear, and I remember
Speaker 1: my games, my teammates. It was a time to reflect
Speaker 1: and memories that I'll have with me forever. So I'm
Speaker 1: really pleased and really proud to be known as a Bear.
Speaker 1: And in the top one hundred, I could be able
Speaker 1: to toping hundred, So that's a good thing. Hey, Willie,
Speaker 1: we always fantasize about if we still play the game today,
Speaker 1: how much different would be. But if you imagine yourself,
Speaker 1: you got Walter in the backfield, they know we're gonna
Speaker 1: run the ball, then they and then they got third down,
Speaker 1: they know that we're gonna throw the ball to you
Speaker 1: or get you down there. If you had the offenses
Speaker 1: of today, with all that RPO deception at the line
Speaker 1: of scrimmage, do you think your speed would even be
Speaker 1: more of an asset When you see guys like the
Speaker 1: Sean Jackson their ability to get you know, on the
Speaker 1: other side, of defenders. You think this modern day offense
Speaker 1: would your speed would be more of an asset. Oh. Absolutely.
Speaker 1: I mean you look at Kansas City and Tick Heel
Speaker 1: the way they use him, and O'Dell Beckham Junior where
Speaker 1: he's used. I'm trying your Brown the way he's used
Speaker 1: at Pittsburgh, and I'm sure the Raiders are using in
Speaker 1: the same way. And it's just become a more a
Speaker 1: wide open offense because of the rules. The rules are different.
Speaker 1: Now you can't touch guys like it could me with me.
Speaker 1: You could touch me on way down the field, you
Speaker 1: can hit me in the head, you hit me wherever.
Speaker 1: But now you can't do those things, so it makes
Speaker 1: it more Luca jay bar are available at passing and
Speaker 1: guys are catching sixty seventy eighty one hundred pat If
Speaker 1: you don't catch eighty one hundred passes, you didn't do anything.
Speaker 1: And you know, Tom we as the Bears, we had
Speaker 1: a guy named Walter Payton, so he was a runner
Speaker 1: and he was a great runner for the best ever
Speaker 1: in my opinion, So we didn't get that men to passes.
Speaker 1: But you know, I still feel really and blessed. I
Speaker 1: let my team meets you I was there for five
Speaker 1: years and receiving even though it was thirty or forty catches,
Speaker 1: but still, I was really pleased to be able to
Speaker 1: help my team in that way. It was a team offense.
Speaker 1: It wasn't individuals. I mean, the good thing about our
Speaker 1: team is that we didn't have a bunch of individuals
Speaker 1: who were just all about themselves. We had a real team.
Speaker 1: Guys played together, Guys knew their roles. I mean, my
Speaker 1: role was I'm gonna run fast almost every play, and
Speaker 1: I'm gonna hit the ball maybe two or three times
Speaker 1: a game. That's okay. But I'm a clear out for Walter,
Speaker 1: cleared out, put Janis McKinnon for Emmy moorehead and some
Speaker 1: of the other guys. And that was okay because that
Speaker 1: was my role and we all had roles to play it.
Speaker 1: And the end result is that we won a super Bowl,
Speaker 1: and that's something that we'll always be Super Bowl champions.
Speaker 1: No one can ever take that away from us. I'll
Speaker 1: take it further, Willie. I mean, you think about your speed.
Speaker 1: You look at these Jets sweeps today or these shovel passes.
Speaker 1: I mean, your number would be called a lot, my friend.
Speaker 1: I mean it's did you ever have a reverse for
Speaker 1: a score? Did they ever call reverse that you you took?
Speaker 1: I didn't have a couple reverses, and I loved it
Speaker 1: because I ran punch saying kickoff back too. So I
Speaker 1: really enjoyed that type of stuff because of the game,
Speaker 1: the opportunity to use my speed and to stretch the
Speaker 1: defenses and to keep them off ballance. I mean, the
Speaker 1: thing when I came to the Raiders, even Al David said,
Speaker 1: let's just throw the ball deep the first play of
Speaker 1: the game. I don't care if I would complete it,
Speaker 1: but what it does, it relaxes the defense and makes
Speaker 1: him worry about it, makes him think about it. And
Speaker 1: I mean, I knew I was the fastest guy in
Speaker 1: the field, like anytime I was on there, so I
Speaker 1: knew I had that advantage. And even when we played
Speaker 1: you know, Washing rescuing day, I Green, who was really fast, also,
Speaker 1: I knew I could beat him because when you're that fast,
Speaker 1: like Dal was just as fast as I would but
Speaker 1: he would take any move because he thought he could recover.
Speaker 1: But for me, it wouldn't be able to recover. And
Speaker 1: those are the things that made me really relish in
Speaker 1: the speed part and knowing how to run, knowing how
Speaker 1: to you know, make guys think of and when him not.
Speaker 1: Willie called our guest here on Bears All Access on
Speaker 1: Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score, Jeff Jony Act,
Speaker 1: Tom There, Jim Miller, and Willie. I beg your pardon.
Speaker 1: You are correct. You are eighty three typo on my part,
Speaker 1: just ahead of your buddy Tom there, number eighty four.
Speaker 1: So I apologize about that. But so you mentioned Darryl Green.
Speaker 1: Two things. If you can compartmentalize these two things. One
Speaker 1: one of the iconic plays in that Super Bowl year
Speaker 1: obviously was Jim mcmahn coming off the bench Minnesota. Walter
Speaker 1: Payton makes the key blitz block and right Willie got
Speaker 1: loping down. And I remember it so clearly because back then,
Speaker 1: you know, that was the first year I was covering
Speaker 1: sports in town, and I covered training camp, but I
Speaker 1: didn't get to go to all these big games. I
Speaker 1: was just young reporter. But I remember we always had
Speaker 1: we always had Bears viewing parties, and I just remember
Speaker 1: that one the place erupted. Needless to say, it was
Speaker 1: a rough morning. The next morning, everybody had a great time,
Speaker 1: so talk about that play. But second, you mentioned Darryl Green.
Speaker 1: What were your matchups like with him? Who won more
Speaker 1: of those? Because you were considered the two fastest guys
Speaker 1: in the league along with Ron Brown. Well, always Daryl Green.
Speaker 1: When I played him, I worked extra, probably two or
Speaker 1: three weeks before the game. I worked extractor practice. I
Speaker 1: ran extra because I knew he would be ready and
Speaker 1: I wanted to be ready. So the good thing about it,
Speaker 1: I think I had three or four touchdowns against Daryl Green,
Speaker 1: most of them long ones because I was able to
Speaker 1: beat him. And then of course the kickoff return that
Speaker 1: year the Super Bowl against them. So I mean, we
Speaker 1: had our moments. And Daryl in my opinion, was the
Speaker 1: second greatest cornerback I've played against. Mike Hans was the greatest,
Speaker 1: and Dale Green was a close second. And he was
Speaker 1: a great guy, great guy on and up to feel.
Speaker 1: I actually spoke with him about three weeks ago. We
Speaker 1: had a conversation just sell low and catch up guy.
Speaker 1: Really respect the tremendous amount he actually helped make me
Speaker 1: the receiver that I was and help and influenced me
Speaker 1: and the things that I did. So a great, great
Speaker 1: defensive act. How about the Minnesota game. Oh, the Minnesota
Speaker 1: game was I mean, I mean, I remember that the
Speaker 1: play like it was yesterday. It was a play that
Speaker 1: was a you know, a call play the God's blitz
Speaker 1: and the middle was wide open and I go, oh,
Speaker 1: my gosh, and then I ran and by the time
Speaker 1: I looked up us on the ball coming, I said, great,
Speaker 1: just catch the ball. And it was it. It was
Speaker 1: I mean, it was over before it started. You know
Speaker 1: what's funny about that. Also that game, in that specific play,
Speaker 1: I got inserted into that game after Kurt Becker had
Speaker 1: hurt his knee, and so I was in my stance
Speaker 1: and I didn't have a lot of time to work
Speaker 1: blitz pick up with Walter Payton, and depending on the
Speaker 1: depth of that blitzer, sometime it could be my guy
Speaker 1: or and then Walter would take take my guy. But
Speaker 1: I'm going I pray to God and in my stance,
Speaker 1: like the snap count was a half hour long, I
Speaker 1: hope I make the right decision, and I stayed with
Speaker 1: my guy and Walter lit up Joey Browner. If if
Speaker 1: we would have not better thinking on the same page,
Speaker 1: Jim would have got hit. It might have fumbled the ball,
Speaker 1: and that play would have never happened, but faint for
Speaker 1: Walter Payton being as as intelligent as he was about
Speaker 1: his assignment in relation to the offensive line. Well also,
Speaker 1: I mean the offensive a lot to you. The thing
Speaker 1: about being a receiver that I mean, it's no secret
Speaker 1: you gotta get the play called. A line has to block,
Speaker 1: the quarterback has to throw the ball, the defense has
Speaker 1: to have the right defense. All those things have to
Speaker 1: play in the part before you could be successful. So
Speaker 1: that play, everyone did their job and it was right
Speaker 1: and I called the ball and then that was it.
Speaker 1: So that was a great play and it was called
Speaker 1: on Monday Night Football a gift by well the Dan
Speaker 1: dear Offen, O J. Simpson was O J. Simpson and
Speaker 1: someone else it was. But yeah, it was a great call.
Speaker 1: It was Monday Night Football when Monday Night Football was
Speaker 1: really Monday night football. It was on ABC and the
Speaker 1: world was watching. It was great then, And uh, that
Speaker 1: was a great time, Willy, were gonna see here when
Speaker 1: you grew up, When you grew up as a kid
Speaker 1: and you watch Monday night Football, you always think, I
Speaker 1: want to be on Monday Night Football making a big touchdown.
Speaker 1: And that was my opportunity. You had a lot of
Speaker 1: prime time opportunities, and we'll be seeing you shortly in
Speaker 1: Chicagoland for the one hundred celebration weekend. You're looking forward
Speaker 1: to it, Yes, looking forward to it. That's gonna be
Speaker 1: great to see out my friends and family and friends,
Speaker 1: and I can't wait to see that the guys so
Speaker 1: I consider my family. So some of the guys I
Speaker 1: haven't seen in a little while. But some of the
Speaker 1: guys i'll see three foot like Richard Dan and Oldis
Speaker 1: and Jim McMahon. Saw Jim a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 1: We played golf together, so I'm looking forward to seeing
Speaker 1: the game again. It'll be a good storytelling weekend, that's
Speaker 1: for sure. Willie galled our guest and join us for
Speaker 1: Bears one hundred Celebration weekend in Rosemont, June seven through
Speaker 1: the ninth. Player autographs, photo ops, football panels, activities for
Speaker 1: all ages. You get your tickets today at Chicago Bears
Speaker 1: dot com. You heard just some of the many stories
Speaker 1: we're gonna be thrown at you when you come out
Speaker 1: out to the convention. Let's say good break here on
Speaker 1: Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The score join us for
Speaker 1: the PNC Chicago Bears five K Saturday July thirteenth, and
Speaker 1: you'll finish on historic Soldier Fields now at Chicago Bears
Speaker 1: dot com Slash five K four prices increase. Jeff, Joni Act,
Speaker 1: Tom there, Jim Miller here on Chicago Sports Radio six
Speaker 1: seventy to score, brought to you by IGS Energy. Just
Speaker 1: heard from McKey, Hicks and Willie got back to back
Speaker 1: to a very good conversation on those fellas and they
Speaker 1: get you excited about the game of football. I honestly, yeah, Tom,
Speaker 1: we're going to be involved with this one hundred and
Speaker 1: it's going to be back to back to back some
Speaker 1: great panel discussions. But the research that you're doing, the
Speaker 1: research I'm doing, just there's so many stories that you
Speaker 1: want told. Some you want to learn more about. Some
Speaker 1: have been told fifty times over, but you want to
Speaker 1: hear them again. It's just going to be it's just
Speaker 1: fun learning more about the journeys of everybody involved here.
Speaker 1: You know, Jeff, some of them are going to be
Speaker 1: like starting a lawn more and letting that engine run.
Speaker 1: Because as soon as you introduce a topic, a sentence,
Speaker 1: or are just an experience you had on the field.
Speaker 1: There's ten different sidebars that go with each one of
Speaker 1: them throughout my career, throughout Jim's career, and all the
Speaker 1: times we've been able to watch football. And I think
Speaker 1: that's the neat thing about it, because players when they're
Speaker 1: play are active players. They're a little bit deserve about storytelling.
Speaker 1: Then they get the opportunity to draw back. I know,
Speaker 1: these examples of fun, camaraderie, teamwork, and even some of
Speaker 1: the examples that we talk about losing the eighty four
Speaker 1: and championship game and then this year's experience. You know,
Speaker 1: not everything is great, but every experience molds you in
Speaker 1: one way or another. Yeah, it's true, and a lot
Speaker 1: of it is sometimes off the field, as Tom mentioned,
Speaker 1: whether it's just locker room humor or training room humor
Speaker 1: or you know, in the cold tub humor where you're
Speaker 1: kind of bonding at at training camp. You know, I
Speaker 1: just can never forget some of those days up at
Speaker 1: Platteville when training camp was in Platteville, and just some
Speaker 1: of the stories that would happen in an unfold and
Speaker 1: it did. It made our team stronger, I really believe.
Speaker 1: But you know, it's the stuff like that that you
Speaker 1: remember that I think really bond a team that Tom's
Speaker 1: talking about and really solidifies those relationships going into the season.
Speaker 1: Tom an talk with S McMichael today. You can imagine
Speaker 1: what that was like. That was awesome today. He was George.
Speaker 1: You know, it wasn't a conversation he was telling you.
Speaker 1: He was he was telling you. But but a couple
Speaker 1: of nuggets about this and the realization that he's in
Speaker 1: the top twenty of all time Bears played so many games,
Speaker 1: obviously before Patrick Manneley broke that games record, but you
Speaker 1: were the one that always brought it to my attention
Speaker 1: just how impactful player he was. Forget about stats and everything,
Speaker 1: just how smart he was and how he played off
Speaker 1: of everybody and how everybody played off of him. And
Speaker 1: in the realization that when you break it all down,
Speaker 1: he's the number one defensive tackle in Bears history. He's
Speaker 1: the highest ranking on that list, in the top one hundred.
Speaker 1: He brought that to my attention as I had him
Speaker 1: broken it down that way. Obviously, Dan Hampton played some
Speaker 1: defensive tackle too, but defensive tack and it meant a
Speaker 1: lot too. It means a lot to him, you know.
Speaker 1: Jeff guys like Steve McMichael and Dan Hampton inspired me
Speaker 1: because I was fans of those guys before I ever
Speaker 1: had a chance to be a teammate of them. But
Speaker 1: then I saw how dedicated they were to the life
Speaker 1: of being a great Chicago Bear. And I think it
Speaker 1: inspired a lot of guys on the football team, and
Speaker 1: I know that I was one of them. All Right,
Speaker 1: we're gonna take a break. I'm out of here. Guys,
Speaker 1: who're gonna send the baton to you and Tom Jim Miller,
Speaker 1: you guys are gonna take him the rest of the way.
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, everybody, stay with us. One more segment
Speaker 1: to go here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports
Speaker 1: Radio six seventy The Score. Welcome back everybody to Chicago
Speaker 1: Bears All Access here on the Score along with Jim Miller,
Speaker 1: I am Tom there and we're having a chance to
Speaker 1: catch up with Willie gall Akeem Hicks looking for the
Speaker 1: Bears one hundred years celebration anniversary. It's gonna be a
Speaker 1: great time. But you know, Jim, we've been talking to
Speaker 1: a lot of players, active players and ex players with
Speaker 1: the Bears, but you know, this offseason, we really haven't
Speaker 1: talked about Mitchell Traubisky very much and what he can
Speaker 1: accomplish in OTAs because it's not only timing with his receivers.
Speaker 1: What does he have to continue to develop from just
Speaker 1: the quarterback position that's going to help him in the future. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think it's just overall everything. You know, it's kind
Speaker 1: of a deep dive here. He's going into year three now.
Speaker 1: Normally year one you're kind of, you know, just learning
Speaker 1: your position and your offense and what your offensive players
Speaker 1: are doing. And then year two you understand what defenses
Speaker 1: are doing a little bit more. And I think he
Speaker 1: definitely made that jump last year and I always bring
Speaker 1: that up about that last game against Minnesota. In Minnesota,
Speaker 1: he beat the Blitz twice that so, you know, what's
Speaker 1: starting to register what he's seeing defensively, and now here
Speaker 1: going into year three, you kind of put him all together,
Speaker 1: who understand looks a lot better in reading coverages, diagnosing him,
Speaker 1: know exactly what they're trying to do, and now how
Speaker 1: to attack him. So I think you're going to see
Speaker 1: advancement there from Mitchell Trubisky. I think an expanded playbook
Speaker 1: because more is going to be introduced from from Matt Nagy.
Speaker 1: He's got the base stuff down and they've added a
Speaker 1: little bit more, so he feels comfortable with all that
Speaker 1: at now they're going to add more and it's getting
Speaker 1: comfortable with the new concepts that he's going to be doing.
Speaker 1: And then of course the players that around him. You know,
Speaker 1: he's gonna get to know Ridley really, you know, new
Speaker 1: players that are there, Hey, Bradley Soul, the guy's playing
Speaker 1: tight end. Get to know how he runs routes, how
Speaker 1: we you know, option routes, things like that, has new
Speaker 1: running backs in the in the backfield. When you look
Speaker 1: at David Montgomery, hey number one, how does he even
Speaker 1: run routes out of the backfield that you're going to
Speaker 1: feel with just his body language, but you know, even handing,
Speaker 1: handing the football off to a mesh points from that standpoint.
Speaker 1: So you know, overall, it's just you know, it's continued growth,
Speaker 1: but it's you know, it's more elevated now because he
Speaker 1: is gaining more experience every single day and more comfortability
Speaker 1: in the offense. And you know, I think it's gonna
Speaker 1: be all good because this is what I love about him, Tom.
Speaker 1: He's not afraid to work. You know that, and I
Speaker 1: know that this guy will put in the work necessary
Speaker 1: because he wants to be great, and that's that's a positive.
Speaker 1: It definitely is a positive. You know, you talk about
Speaker 1: the players that were there last year and you kind
Speaker 1: of kind have conversations from examples that you've already lived through.
Speaker 1: But now when you're trying to learn some of these
Speaker 1: new receivers that are going to join the Bears throughout
Speaker 1: OTAs and training camp and stuff, that information. Does that
Speaker 1: come from the receivers coach exclusively or does Mitch have
Speaker 1: a hand in having conversations about the way he sees
Speaker 1: around or the way he sees the defender's pre snap positioning. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think he'll be able to give some feedback. Certainly.
Speaker 1: A lot obviously first comes back from the receiver's coach,
Speaker 1: and then Mitch say, hey, you know, maybe versus this
Speaker 1: man to man coverage, I'm expecting you to cross the
Speaker 1: defensive backs face even harder, or you know this is
Speaker 1: you know, this is what I see and what I
Speaker 1: need you to do. Say, against this zone coverage, I'd
Speaker 1: like you to throttle it down just a little bit more.
Speaker 1: When say you see a cover two and you're coming
Speaker 1: in on a deep incut or something like that and say, hey,
Speaker 1: maybe expect the ball raid around the hash marks or
Speaker 1: something like that. Is where I'm looking to drill it
Speaker 1: on this particular play versus this particular coverage. So I
Speaker 1: think that all those things are all good. It gets
Speaker 1: everybody on the same page of what to expect, because
Speaker 1: when it happens again, you should be able to nail it,
Speaker 1: because it really should only take one time now, because
Speaker 1: he's an experienced player, he's played a lot of football. Now,
Speaker 1: it should only take one time and that should be
Speaker 1: put to bed, and then you're onto something else that
Speaker 1: you're trying to correct and get on the same page.
Speaker 1: You know. I was looking, it's kind of a go
Speaker 1: off the road here a little bit. I was, look,
Speaker 1: you're reading a little bit about Dak Prescott and they
Speaker 1: said one of hindrances to his future negotiations is long
Speaker 1: ball accuracy. And I think that's the same thing for
Speaker 1: all quarterbacks that come into the league. Is that something
Speaker 1: you repetitiously work on just by throwing passes over twenty
Speaker 1: yards or is there a specific technique that can take
Speaker 1: these young quarterbacks that are early in their career and
Speaker 1: you can turn that into one of your strengths rather
Speaker 1: than something that they're you know, that's holding you back. Yeah, well,
Speaker 1: you definitely can work at it. There's no doubt about that.
Speaker 1: And you know, some guys they throw too flat of
Speaker 1: a long ball. You know, there is depending on the
Speaker 1: coverage and things like that. You've got to be able
Speaker 1: to sometimes drop it in the bucket where it just
Speaker 1: makes it easier on the receiver because too flat of
Speaker 1: a throw can become difficult and plus the defender has
Speaker 1: the ability to knock down of too flat of a football.
Speaker 1: I'll give you the guy this year who came out
Speaker 1: in this year's draft who kind of throws a flat
Speaker 1: long ball. Is Drew Lock the guy or excuse me,
Speaker 1: the Denver Broncos drafted. If you watch a couple of
Speaker 1: his long ball throws, it's too flat. Like I watched
Speaker 1: the game versus Florida, the Florida cornerback banded down like
Speaker 1: three of his long balls just because he didn't have
Speaker 1: the proper you know, the proper elevation on the ball
Speaker 1: and in terms of the height and the trajectory of
Speaker 1: what it could come in at. But yeah, just working
Speaker 1: on it. You just at the end of every practice.
Speaker 1: Plus it's working on your arm strength. You know, you
Speaker 1: go out there, you throw, hey, you know, five down
Speaker 1: the middle, five down the left side line, five down
Speaker 1: the right sideline, and and try to manipulate that football
Speaker 1: and you know, predicting against different looks of how you
Speaker 1: want the trajectory to really you know, get more accurate
Speaker 1: and better at throwing the long ball. You know, too,
Speaker 1: is this is when coaches always tell you that you
Speaker 1: have the ability to make mistakes in these types of
Speaker 1: practices because if you can make a mistake, that may
Speaker 1: be a strength later when that same opportunity it returns itself.
Speaker 1: So you know, it's kind of the mindset you have
Speaker 1: to go out there no matter what position you play,
Speaker 1: that if you're going to try something new, if you're
Speaker 1: going to try to develop a technique as a defensive
Speaker 1: lineman or something different as an offensive lineman, linebacker, whatever,
Speaker 1: this is the only time in the luxury of your
Speaker 1: career you have a chance to make a mistake. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and hey, and try and simulate it. Like you said,
Speaker 1: if you're working on all those things, simulate how it's
Speaker 1: going to be in a game, because that's when you
Speaker 1: really got to react, and you know when you have
Speaker 1: to pull the trigger. If you've kind of there done
Speaker 1: that and have kind of prepped for it and prepared
Speaker 1: yourself for that moment, that's when you're going to have
Speaker 1: the success. But if you if you fail the first time,
Speaker 1: you know, hopefully next time you're you're better prepared to
Speaker 1: really make the play. What it matters the most, Well,
Speaker 1: it's been a fun show. It's been a nice series
Speaker 1: of shows. Or we have a chance to talk to
Speaker 1: the active players and the retired players, and again talking
Speaker 1: of a lot about one hundred years celebration for the
Speaker 1: Chicago Bears. I really think the best is yet to come,
Speaker 1: whether it's being able to see a teammate behind closed
Speaker 1: doors or being up on the stage and have some
Speaker 1: of the great stories. Really looking forward to it, Looking
Speaker 1: forward to the show next week, Jim and I know
Speaker 1: I'll see you soon, and good to talk to you.
Speaker 1: Happy Memorial Day, everybody, have a safe weekend. Good to
Speaker 1: be with you, Tom, you two. Thank you everybody for
Speaker 1: listening to Chicago Bears All Access. We'll talk to you
Speaker 1: next week. Thanks for listening to this Chicago Bears Network
Speaker 1: presentation of Bears All Access Podcasts are available on Chicago
Speaker 1: bears dot Com and on iTunes, or download the official
Speaker 1: Bears mobile app. Bears All Access has been brought to
Speaker 1: you by IGS Energy and sponsored by CDW, Athletico Physical
Speaker 1: Therapy and Forward