WEBVTT - All Access: Iyiegbuniwe on defensive improvement 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.680 Hey, pleasant, good, even everybody, and welcome into Bears All 0:00:02.759 --> 0:00:05.640 Access here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score 0:00:05.720 --> 0:00:08.680 with Tom Thayer, Jeff Joniac and Paul's ranger engineering Dan 0:00:08.720 --> 0:00:12.080 Ba really our producer and boss of the show. Really, 0:00:12.080 --> 0:00:13.560 when you get right down to it, he's the man 0:00:13.600 --> 0:00:15.480 that make things happen. Good to have you with us 0:00:15.680 --> 0:00:18.440 as we approach week eight of the NFL season. Bears 0:00:18.440 --> 0:00:20.520 and Gents coming up Sunday at Soldier Field, and we're 0:00:20.520 --> 0:00:23.360 pleased to be joined by Bears rookie linebacker and special 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:27.040 team's ace Joel Ea boontey Way. Joel, you got your 0:00:27.080 --> 0:00:29.760 first special teams tackle in the NFL last week? How 0:00:29.880 --> 0:00:32.680 Jack were man? It was great? It was great after 0:00:33.960 --> 0:00:36.680 it took six games, but um, you know, hey, I 0:00:36.800 --> 0:00:39.760 was excited and it felt great. As long as it's 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:42.000 been since you guys been here, rookies coming in way 0:00:42.040 --> 0:00:44.600 before the Hall of Fame game, has it seemed like 0:00:44.640 --> 0:00:47.080 a long time to you? Because it's almost the length 0:00:47.080 --> 0:00:49.840 of a full college NFL our full college season you've 0:00:49.840 --> 0:00:53.000 been through already. Where's your mind at right now? Fresh? 0:00:53.120 --> 0:00:55.400 Or yeah, no, my mind is fresh. We had a 0:00:55.440 --> 0:00:59.200 bye week, you know, two weeks ago. So but yeah, 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:01.800 coming in from any camp. Um, and people told me 0:01:01.960 --> 0:01:04.760 before as a rookie, it'd be your your your rookie, 0:01:04.800 --> 0:01:07.280 it would be your longest year and and everything. So 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:09.479 I was ready for that. And um, you know, like 0:01:09.480 --> 0:01:12.840 you said, college, you know it's almost over, the season's 0:01:13.040 --> 0:01:15.720 getting close to being almost over. But um no, it's 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:19.479 been good. I've been staying fresh, um, and I feel great. 0:01:19.600 --> 0:01:24.520 Western Kentucky Hilltopper. What's your definition of a hilltopper? Um? 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:27.600 A hilltopper? Because all right, the reason I ask you 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:30.160 that because I'm from the Jolia Catholic Hilltoppers. That's the 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:32.040 name of my high school. And I always felt that 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:34.440 attraction you guys ever since I heard of the Western 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:37.080 Kentucky Hilltoppers. You know, I don't I don't know the 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:41.080 history behind that. Um, I have no idea what it means. 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:44.480 But um, our mascot, big Red is like it's like 0:01:44.560 --> 0:01:47.600 a spirit. So UM, I guess I'd have to go 0:01:47.640 --> 0:01:50.559 with like a spirit or or something like that entity 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:53.960 or something crazy thing. I'man glenn Ellen Glenbard West Hilly. 0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:57.720 Oh yeah, that's right, I forgot about that. The Castawana 0:01:57.800 --> 0:02:00.160 Hill is that what they call themselves out there were 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:03.160 brought to you by igs energy. Back to special teams 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:04.880 because that's where you got to cut your team as 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:08.200 a young man in the National Football League in most cases. Heck, 0:02:08.320 --> 0:02:10.320 you can talk to Trey Burton about that. Maybe you have, 0:02:10.800 --> 0:02:13.440 have you? Um no, no, I haven't. But um during 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:16.480 training camp, Trey helped me a lot um as far 0:02:16.560 --> 0:02:21.919 as just learning some of the different techniques on special teams, 0:02:22.000 --> 0:02:25.799 punt techniques, kick return techniques and stuff like that. So 0:02:26.200 --> 0:02:30.080 um yeah, he's definitely definitely helped because research his story 0:02:30.080 --> 0:02:31.960 a little bit or go anywhere him because that's how 0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:33.280 he had to do it. He had to do it 0:02:33.360 --> 0:02:35.519 that way. With the Philadelphia Eagles, he was like seventh 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:37.320 on the depth chart. But here's a way to make 0:02:37.360 --> 0:02:39.600 sure you make the team. And look what happens five 0:02:39.680 --> 0:02:41.440 years later. You get a big contract and you're a 0:02:41.520 --> 0:02:44.519 primary focus on offense right now, but you had a 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:47.799 ton of special teams experience in college didn't change. You 0:02:47.840 --> 0:02:49.760 were one of those guys that played everything. Yeah. Yeah, 0:02:49.800 --> 0:02:53.040 even my last two years, I was starting on punt, 0:02:53.240 --> 0:02:56.720 played kickoff. So it's always been part of my game, 0:02:56.960 --> 0:02:59.359 you know, Joel, I played on kickoff return From the 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:01.840 very first game I played in professional fall to my 0:03:01.960 --> 0:03:04.880 last game. Over that entire span, I never left the 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:07.959 kickoff return team. Don't ever look to get off of 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:11.480 special teams because even if you're a starter, if you 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:14.239 can contribute out special teams, you talk about lengthening in 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:16.400 your career because there's a lot of guys that are 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:19.720 one dimensional. They're a starter and they haven't done anything else. 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:22.440 So I think for a guy like you, you talk 0:03:22.480 --> 0:03:25.440 about ten eleven years in the NFL, and you know 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:28.400 the success from special teams can help absolutely no, you 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:31.560 know echone what you said, I feel like the more 0:03:31.639 --> 0:03:33.959 you can do And even in college, UM coaches said, 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:36.880 you know UM scout's. NFL scouts will look at you 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:38.960 if you played supposed teams and you played you know, 0:03:39.120 --> 0:03:42.120 of course defense, you know that makes you more valuable. 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:44.760 So you know same same when you get to the NFL. 0:03:45.280 --> 0:03:47.680 The more you can do U, the more, the longer 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:49.840 you can play. Did it seem insane though the first 0:03:49.880 --> 0:03:53.160 time you started seeing NFL special teams because the speed 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:56.560 is out of control sometimes and then making that jump 0:03:56.640 --> 0:03:58.880 from Western Kentucky to the NFL and some of the 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:02.120 difficult assignments stay place on you for the different job, 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:05.120 because you're doing five or six different assignments if you're 0:04:05.160 --> 0:04:07.400 on every special team. Right, Yeah, I think the big 0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:11.560 thing was the technique. So coach Taps during training camp 0:04:11.640 --> 0:04:14.040 and the OTAs did a great job of just teaching 0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:17.680 me the techniques. And so my first preseason game when 0:04:17.680 --> 0:04:19.120 I was out there, you know, it was just kind 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:22.400 of okay. It wasn't as fast or as as bad 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:25.560 as you would think, because really the technique is what 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:30.560 people probably don't harp on enough, and so um, you know, 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:32.360 you might not be the fastest guy or the strongest 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:33.880 you have, but if your technique is good, you know, 0:04:34.000 --> 0:04:36.920 it help helps with everything. So notice something last week 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:40.800 special teams. Blood can rise a little bit, right, you 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:43.240 get your blood up a little bit. And this was 0:04:43.360 --> 0:04:46.680 my view from the booth on Sunday, But I think 0:04:46.720 --> 0:04:49.560 Sherik McManus something rattled his cage a little bit and 0:04:49.600 --> 0:04:51.800 you had his arm around him, and as opposed to 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:55.320 this captain, this guy who's who's been around a long time, 0:04:56.240 --> 0:05:00.600 you know, maybe talking down, quieting a troubled rookie or 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:02.880 something like that, it was flipped. I think you were 0:05:03.040 --> 0:05:06.080 calling him down. Am I right? Yeah, I thought that 0:05:06.240 --> 0:05:09.680 was a veteran move for a rookie. Yeah sherifs. He's 0:05:09.720 --> 0:05:12.400 like my big brother. Man, we're very close, and he 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:15.000 selled me a lot with the with the process of 0:05:15.080 --> 0:05:17.560 being a rookie and everything, and so um he you know, 0:05:17.600 --> 0:05:19.320 he got into it a little bit with one of 0:05:19.360 --> 0:05:21.760 the players on New England and so man, I'm just 0:05:21.839 --> 0:05:23.360 you know, I'm his brother. So I had his back, 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:25.240 you know, told him now you know we're good, and 0:05:25.360 --> 0:05:27.600 just walked him off the field. You know, we're sitting 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:29.839 here talking about all the obligations you have, the special 0:05:29.920 --> 0:05:31.880 teams and the different players you got to work with, 0:05:32.200 --> 0:05:35.039 and then you throw a whole defensive scheme on top 0:05:35.120 --> 0:05:37.320 of that when you start when you got here and 0:05:37.400 --> 0:05:39.960 you're going through three or four different special teams a 0:05:40.000 --> 0:05:42.040 day throughout training camp, OTAs and stuff, and then you 0:05:42.160 --> 0:05:44.400 got a bail of him for a barrel of information 0:05:44.480 --> 0:05:47.320 that you're learning from defense. Was there was that like 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:49.960 almost an information overload or did you have time to 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:53.880 digest everything? No? No, I love it. Um, I love um. 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:58.560 Just knowing having to know both special teams and defense, 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:01.120 it's a challenge and something I look forward to. So 0:06:01.240 --> 0:06:04.800 I'm constantly in the playbook constantly and in the meetings 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:08.360 taking notes. UM, it's great, it's great, and so UM 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:10.680 so far as it's been fine, UM, I haven't. I 0:06:10.760 --> 0:06:13.760 haven't had any issues as far as defensive plays, as 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:16.120 far as special teams plays. UM, I just do a 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:19.280 great job of asking questions, taking notes, and then staying ready. 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:21.920 Inside linebacker. Do you learn one or do you learn 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:25.480 them both? You learn both the more you know, I 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:28.080 mean you really you want to learn what the inside 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:30.360 linebackers are doing, what the outside linebackers, what the d 0:06:30.520 --> 0:06:33.080 lineman the secondary. You want to know what everyone's doing. 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:35.480 That just helps, UM, you be a better player and 0:06:35.520 --> 0:06:39.920 play faster and somewhat inexperienced in terms of the inside 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.599 linebacker position, because seventeen was your first year at doing 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:45.760 it correct for on a full time basis. Correct. Yeah, 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:49.840 so there is there a ton to learn? Assion or 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:51.680 do you feel it all translates? I feel like it 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:55.800 all translates, honestly, UM, outside linebacker. UM, I played on 0:06:55.880 --> 0:06:58.880 my junior year and then UM inside linebacker my senior year. 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:00.720 I didn't. I didn't see much of a different. It 0:07:00.760 --> 0:07:03.400 wasn't hard to just um going into my senior year 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:05.920 and um coming into the NFL's it's not been a 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:08.520 struggle at all. It's been pretty smooth. Tackle numbers went 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:12.600 way up though. Yeah. Absolutely, I mean, yeah, this guy, 0:07:12.720 --> 0:07:14.560 I mean, you popped it on. I mean, I'm sure. 0:07:14.680 --> 0:07:17.000 I mean it's just like Ryan Pace said, you know, 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:18.960 he had to go around the building and say, look 0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:22.360 at this tape. And when stuff jumps off tape, it 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:26.840 gets everybody's attention. It doesn't even matter, you know, you 0:07:26.920 --> 0:07:29.200 don't look for it, right, it just pops out and 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:31.440 then you go find out who is this guy? You 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:33.920 know that that had to be interesting for you to 0:07:34.000 --> 0:07:35.840 hear because you obviously know what you can do. So 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:38.560 but when you're going around a building and the NFL 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:40.760 officers and they're showing tape to everybody, Hey, you got 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:43.240 to see this, you know, that's that's that's telling me 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:45.920 you're doing something right. Absolutely well. Pre you know, pre 0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:49.640 draft comparison to Kwan Alexander, you know, when you think about, Okay, 0:07:49.680 --> 0:07:53.520 what do we portray this guy as? That's pretty solid praise. 0:07:53.760 --> 0:07:56.360 You know, just thinking about how your athleticism and what 0:07:56.480 --> 0:08:00.240 it can translate into absolutely absolutely all right, We're gonna 0:08:00.280 --> 0:08:02.640 take our first break. Joel E. A. Buneway is our 0:08:02.720 --> 0:08:05.200 guest here on Bears All Access. It's brought to you 0:08:05.280 --> 0:08:07.960 by IGS Centers. You will continue our conversation after this 0:08:08.040 --> 0:08:11.320 break on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Welcome back, 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:14.160 everybody to Bears Alt Access, brought to you by IGS Energy, 0:08:14.200 --> 0:08:17.440 a proud partner of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gas, 0:08:17.520 --> 0:08:20.160 and home warranty products to over one million customers across 0:08:20.200 --> 0:08:23.560 the country. Learn more about IGS Energy at igs dot com. 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:26.240 Jeff Jonny K Tom there from news Radio seven eighty 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:29.240 and one to five point FWBBM. We'll have the game 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:31.800 for you on Sunday nine am pregame noon kickoff against 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:35.320 the New York Jets, the third in the four games 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:38.079 against the AFC East. Weird, you're just working your way 0:08:38.160 --> 0:08:41.640 through the division despite the fact you're in the NFC North. 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:44.360 What'd you learn in these first two trips through the 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:47.480 AFC East in terms of the Miami Dolphins and New 0:08:47.520 --> 0:08:50.439 England Patriots and what that divisions like. Yeah, no, it's 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:53.840 a lot more m details obviously, and when you start 0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:57.439 playing these division games and whatnot, and um, you know 0:08:57.559 --> 0:09:01.679 coaches are harping in on the importance of winning these games, 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:04.880 and so we understand that this this next couple of 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:07.200 weeks are going to be extremely important, and so we're 0:09:07.320 --> 0:09:09.480 looking we're looking forward to it and getting ready to 0:09:09.800 --> 0:09:12.040 start getting getting these wins. You know, when you prepare 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:14.679 for a college game, sometimes you may not be real 0:09:14.760 --> 0:09:16.920 familiar with the talent because you don't play a team 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:19.000 at often. It's just like the Jets, You're you're not 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:21.080 going to see him very much throughout your career. Here 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:24.280 with the Bears, when you start learning about a team 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:27.000 that you're not very familiar, not going to see very often, 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:30.319 is there a little different things nuances that change because 0:09:30.320 --> 0:09:31.880 of that, or is it kind of you just follow 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:34.599 along the pattern that Coach Vick has been teaching you 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:37.280 since you got here. Yeah, yeah, pretty much. We uh. 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:40.560 Coach Vick does a great job of of giving us 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:42.960 the game plan and giving us the tendencies and everything, 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:47.199 and we just follow follow that, having attention to detail, 0:09:47.400 --> 0:09:49.920 looking throughout the week to have a good practice and 0:09:50.600 --> 0:09:53.439 get ready for Sunday. Is Danny Trevathan the brain you 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:56.079 pick of the active player of the guys that you 0:09:56.240 --> 0:09:58.520 work with is he the brain that you go to? Yeah, yeah, 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:01.200 I picked Danny's brain. I picked a lot to Um. 0:10:01.280 --> 0:10:03.040 Both of those guys have done a great job of 0:10:03.200 --> 0:10:06.240 helping me, UM just get used to to, you know, 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:09.600 the different schemes and everything. And I appreciate those guys 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:11.680 who should go to to get used to just being 0:10:11.880 --> 0:10:14.400 a young man on a team full of veteran players. 0:10:14.440 --> 0:10:15.839 There's a lot of young players in this team, but 0:10:15.960 --> 0:10:18.160 some you know, and we had Blow Nichols in here 0:10:18.200 --> 0:10:20.240 a couple of weeks ago, and you know, the adjustment 0:10:20.320 --> 0:10:22.360 of Hey, you know, you guys are just young men, 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:27.000 twenty two years old. Some of these folks have families, 0:10:27.040 --> 0:10:30.120 they're married. You know. Uh, do all the young guys 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:32.120 hang together or do you tend to hang with some 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:34.480 of the vets too off the field? No, we the 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:37.280 young guys definitely hang together. Me you're smiling because you 0:10:37.360 --> 0:10:42.439 know the b Balou Um roquan Um Joshua was another 0:10:42.520 --> 0:10:47.280 rookie UM insight linebacker, Um Javon Wims. We're all I 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:49.480 think our Roogo lass is very very close. So we 0:10:49.600 --> 0:10:53.079 all hang out, um outside of of the facilities, and 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:54.920 and you know, we go out to eat and do 0:10:55.080 --> 0:10:57.239 things like that, and so that helps us with the transition. 0:10:57.400 --> 0:11:00.240 And I'm just staying close. Having someone you know chat 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:03.240 with about stuff is important. It's an interesting collection of 0:11:03.360 --> 0:11:05.640 characters throwing the rookie class it is, you know. And 0:11:05.679 --> 0:11:08.199 the offensive said, you got Anthony Miller, who's you know, 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:10.839 comes from Memphis, and it's a very proud guy, very 0:11:11.360 --> 0:11:13.680 very bold guy with you know how he fused things. 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:17.320 And ballall is a very we really got to kick 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:19.640 out of talking to Ball. He plays like a veteran, 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:22.520 He thinks like a veteran, he answers questions like a veteran. 0:11:22.600 --> 0:11:26.040 Do you notice that about him? Is very mature kid? Absolutely, absolutely, 0:11:26.120 --> 0:11:29.240 very much. You are very mature. And me and him 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:31.439 have a lot in comment. I remember when I when 0:11:31.440 --> 0:11:33.400 I first met him, I was like, man, we met 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:35.200 you were very similar man, and I think we're gonna 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:37.079 and from there, I kind of I was like, we're 0:11:37.120 --> 0:11:39.440 gonna be cool, We're gonna be closed because what about 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:41.959 you guys? Do you have in common? What is it 0:11:42.040 --> 0:11:45.440 just the way you think? Mentality? Absolutely, I think we're 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:48.000 just the way we go about things. Um, I think 0:11:48.040 --> 0:11:51.040 we have a very mature mentality, and you know, just 0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:54.000 being a rookie, you know, there's there's a certain adversity 0:11:54.040 --> 0:11:55.439 you have to deal with them. So I think we 0:11:55.559 --> 0:11:58.040 just have a similar mindset as far as dealing with 0:11:58.200 --> 0:12:00.920 things like that. Since that twenty years that Jeff and 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:03.319 I have been traveling here with the Bears, this is 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:06.320 the first year that they're kind of a relaxed Um, 0:12:07.080 --> 0:12:09.520 clothing restrictions on the airplane. You can go a little 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:12.080 bit more casual. So if you took all those rookies, 0:12:12.120 --> 0:12:13.800 we used to learn a lot about them by the 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:16.080 way they dressed, in the way they spent their money 0:12:16.360 --> 0:12:20.200 on clothes. Of all your crew of guys, is anybody 0:12:20.280 --> 0:12:23.360 into that wardrobe or is anybody bringing style out that 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:25.400 you kind of learned a little bit about him? Yes, 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:26.920 you know a lot of these guys you don't know 0:12:27.040 --> 0:12:30.040 for that long. Absolutely, you know we have a he's 0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:33.200 being a rookies or anyway, Yah know all your rookie guys. Yeah, 0:12:33.240 --> 0:12:37.040 so the rookies. Javon he's got some style. He he 0:12:37.120 --> 0:12:39.880 goes by juice, so he tries to bring some flavor 0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:43.959 um every week. I feel like, uh, Roquan has some 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:49.599 nice styles. Um. Anthony Miller has a Memphis swaggy. He 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:51.920 definitely brings some some swags. So we have a lot 0:12:51.960 --> 0:12:54.400 of different guys who who mix it up and just 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:56.839 do you throw on the tire? No? Do you go 0:12:56.920 --> 0:12:58.800 tie free because you don't have to? Yeh, some guys 0:12:58.840 --> 0:13:01.079 are wearing tice. Yeah. No, I haven't won a tie yet. 0:13:01.280 --> 0:13:04.360 I do have a blazer, a nice blazer I usually 0:13:04.440 --> 0:13:08.360 wear um. But yeah, yeah, I did see Givanna had 0:13:08.400 --> 0:13:10.760 a couple of games, maybe even going to Miami. He 0:13:11.000 --> 0:13:13.839 was completely styled out, and I was thinking, hottest game 0:13:13.880 --> 0:13:16.520 of the year. You're going down there, You're you're you're 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:18.600 going going home. He's going home. It's what he was doing. 0:13:19.559 --> 0:13:21.960 You had to represent a little bit, right right, Yeah, 0:13:22.080 --> 0:13:24.960 I uh, it's good news for Tom because he hates ties. 0:13:25.120 --> 0:13:26.520 You know what this guy used to do. I don't 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:28.720 think he does it anymore. He take a nice dress 0:13:28.760 --> 0:13:30.559 shirt like I have on right now, he cut all 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:33.280 the sleeves off and then put his jacket. Just you know, 0:13:33.320 --> 0:13:35.679 I didn't you just this is it, you know what. 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:38.240 I was kind of talking about this because you go 0:13:38.360 --> 0:13:42.040 through a football game and you're most likely you're gonna 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:45.079 scruff up your knee, You're gonna scrape an elbow, you know, 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:46.679 get some type of cut on you, and then you 0:13:46.760 --> 0:13:48.480 go put on this dress shirt. Now you got a 0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:51.240 big blood stain on the elbow or something. So that 0:13:51.520 --> 0:13:54.400 part of it. I think it's good for the team 0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:57.160 to go out there and it's a business trip. You dress, 0:13:57.320 --> 0:14:00.480 dress business accordingly, go there and play Time's the only 0:14:00.559 --> 0:14:02.000 guy that I've seen it wear a suit and tie 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:05.559 with a baseball caps. Not bad. Gotta project the dome 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:09.800 a little bit, right, got to protect the dome. That's 0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:13.439 exactly right, Uh, Joel, it's it's It has been fun 0:14:13.520 --> 0:14:16.160 to watch all the young guys because I believe, and 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:19.640 we've had this conversation on this show the last two 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:23.960 draft classes in particular, Uh, there is a different type 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:28.680 of guy, the maturity level, and there's leadership qualities just 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:30.920 popping out all over the play. I look at Eddie Jackson, 0:14:31.000 --> 0:14:33.600 for example, He's only in his second year, but he 0:14:34.000 --> 0:14:37.680 you know, looking at the video of your postgame celebrations, 0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:40.200 he's in there breaking people down. I Mean, there are 0:14:40.200 --> 0:14:42.400 a bunch of veterans here, but you know, Eddie's been 0:14:42.440 --> 0:14:44.680 a go to. You got ter Reek's very confident in 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:49.440 Mitch is your team leader, you have leadership qualities. Appears 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:52.560 to me, we'll have leadership qualities. Anthony's gonna be a 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:55.200 loud guy when he has a chance to be. So 0:14:56.440 --> 0:14:59.320 it's interesting they went after guys like this. Clearly that's 0:14:59.360 --> 0:15:02.120 what they want. Absolutely get that impression. I do. I do. 0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:06.800 I think Coach Naggie and uh, mister Pace, we're looking 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:10.520 for those qualities, and um, they've did it a great job. 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:12.800 They did a great job of finding guys who have 0:15:12.960 --> 0:15:14.720 those And you know the Bear one. Did you know 0:15:14.800 --> 0:15:17.120 the Bears were looking for you? Looking at you during 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:20.960 the end of that command the draft and combine and everything. 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:24.280 I did not. I did not know. Um, was anybody 0:15:24.320 --> 0:15:26.800 out there like fishing for you? Yeah, there was. There 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:28.920 were some teams that were the Bears weren't and so 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:33.120 that that was a great surprise for me. Um, just 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:36.120 obviously being from Chicago and everything, and um, it worked out. 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.320 We'll pick up that part of the story after a 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:40.960 break here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy. The score. 0:15:41.120 --> 0:15:43.880 This segment of Bears on Access is orchestrated by CDW 0:15:44.160 --> 0:15:46.640 CDW people, It'll get it. Jeff, Jonny Act Tim there 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:48.720 along with Pause, Rang and Dan Barilli and our guest 0:15:48.960 --> 0:15:52.360 Joel Ea Booney Way. I've done good. I haven't messed 0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:55.080 it up one time yet, You've done great. Huh. It's 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:58.400 the hardest thing, though, when you get guys with similarly 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:01.600 more difficult names in there tackling each other or banging 0:16:01.640 --> 0:16:04.480 into each other. I've come up with some some doozies, 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:06.520 just let me tell you over the years, because from 0:16:06.600 --> 0:16:08.960 here to here, from the top of your brain into 0:16:09.040 --> 0:16:11.480 your mouth, you never know just what might come out. 0:16:11.560 --> 0:16:14.440 So if it ever happens, please don't be offended, because 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:17.080 I'm telling you that right now, right Paul's arrange, he's laughing. 0:16:17.320 --> 0:16:19.800 I've come up awards that don't even exist. All the 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:21.920 thing about it, Jeff has to learn and a kyer 0:16:22.000 --> 0:16:25.560 roster of names each week, you know, and it's incredible 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:27.840 that how the names have changed, how difficult it is. 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:31.120 And you know, you know, even having blow on here, 0:16:31.320 --> 0:16:33.520 you know, talking to him about his name because you 0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:36.200 don't see it that often. And now the Jets they 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:38.480 have a running back who went on ir yeah blah, 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:40.800 Paul who's been around a while out for the year 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.320 with a season ending neck injury that could be career 0:16:43.440 --> 0:16:46.520 ending according to Todd Bull, So the Jets, though they 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:49.520 can run the ball, they do have capabilities and running 0:16:49.520 --> 0:16:51.520 the football. We'll break that down a little bit with Joel. 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:53.800 When we went to the break, you mentioned that you 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:56.520 know that you're from Chicago, and obviously when you're in 0:16:56.600 --> 0:17:00.160 the draft, it's amazing how much attention is focused on 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:02.240 everybody in the draft. So you'll learn a lot about 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:04.480 all the all the guys coming out every year and 0:17:04.560 --> 0:17:07.000 then it quiets down. So people may not know about 0:17:07.040 --> 0:17:09.440 your story, But if you're listening to this show, you 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:12.360 haven't heard about Joel and his his journey from Chicago 0:17:12.400 --> 0:17:15.359 to Bowling Green where he grew up and played his 0:17:15.440 --> 0:17:17.600 high school football. Right, you play your high school football there. 0:17:17.640 --> 0:17:19.719 Tell us your story about the Chicago connection once more. 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:23.640 Oh yeah, so Um born here in Cook County, Chicago, 0:17:24.240 --> 0:17:29.080 ninety five, nineteen ninety five and lived in the city 0:17:29.200 --> 0:17:32.960 for about two years and then moved to the suburbs 0:17:33.000 --> 0:17:36.960 in Bowling Brook after that, And I was there for 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:40.520 about six years until I was eight eight nine years old, 0:17:40.600 --> 0:17:44.040 and then my dad got a job at Western Kentucky 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:47.560 UM in Bowling Green. So um family got up and 0:17:47.680 --> 0:17:51.400 moved there. My dad started teaching. UM, he's a professor, 0:17:51.520 --> 0:17:55.280 so he started teaching your Western and then UM, pretty 0:17:55.359 --> 0:17:58.120 much I grew up there from from eight years old 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:01.639 till until I was draft did um I was in 0:18:01.720 --> 0:18:05.800 Bowling Green and uh, I'm back, so it's it's nice 0:18:05.840 --> 0:18:08.440 to be back, and uh kind of everything kind of 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:11.240 came in full circle, so it's great. Was it hard 0:18:11.320 --> 0:18:13.040 for you eight years old where you're ready to go? 0:18:13.280 --> 0:18:15.880 Or did you have friends and like just a whole 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:18.560 lifestyle growing. I know it's hard at eight years old, 0:18:18.640 --> 0:18:20.879 but moving an eight year old when he's got a 0:18:20.920 --> 0:18:22.560 ton of friends, they don't know if, oh am I 0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:24.679 ever going to meet another friend? Yeah? No, we had 0:18:24.800 --> 0:18:27.520 we had a family members here, We had friends, and 0:18:27.640 --> 0:18:30.680 we did have to leave all of them and start 0:18:30.720 --> 0:18:32.800 a new life in Kentucky, which was a lot different, 0:18:32.840 --> 0:18:36.240 a lot different from Illinois. But UM, I made plenty 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:39.360 of friends UM in Bowling Green and everything worked out. 0:18:39.520 --> 0:18:42.320 You're you're a good athlete. So was football your concentration 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:44.440 or did you go down to Western Kentucky probably a 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:48.400 better climate and have access to more sports or where 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:52.840 you a football focused guy? Um? I played UM basketball, 0:18:54.160 --> 0:18:57.639 UM throughout high school, played played in middle school played 0:18:58.320 --> 0:19:02.000 UM football as well. Um, those are my main two sports, 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:05.200 basketball and football. I think I played a little soccer 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:08.800 when I was young, a little t ball when I 0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:12.679 was young, but no, football was definitely the main sport. 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:15.359 UM basketball was a clue. What positions you play on 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:19.040