Speaker 1: And good even to everybody. Welcome into another edition of
Speaker 1: Bears All Access when a broadcast partner from News Radio
Speaker 1: one h five NINEBM. It's Tom Fair, the Super Bowl Guard,
Speaker 1: and good to talk to you once again. We're getting
Speaker 1: ready for the Hines Field trip to take on the
Speaker 1: Steelers here in week nine. Bears with a three game
Speaker 1: slide at three and five, Steelers a three game winning
Speaker 1: streak and they are now four and three. They come
Speaker 1: out of the bye week and beat Cleveland, one of
Speaker 1: their divisional rivals, and head coach Mike Tomlum's got them
Speaker 1: back and rolling. Big Tom Coming up on tonight show,
Speaker 1: We'll be joined by Bill Hillgrove, the voice of the
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Steelers, and we please to be joined by jackiem Grant,
Speaker 1: the Bears return specialist and wide receiver. Tom how are
Speaker 1: you framing this game? Oh, it's a big game. It's
Speaker 1: a national TV game. May have Monday Night Football. It's
Speaker 1: something that we've been watching since we are kids. It's
Speaker 1: a great opportunity to get things back on track in
Speaker 1: a national scope. So I don't think you have to
Speaker 1: have any other approach to this game. Understanding what it
Speaker 1: means for the future, your football team and regards of
Speaker 1: this season, but how you know how positive it could
Speaker 1: be going forward? Tom, this is mattah you the Bears
Speaker 1: head coach. You would turn to work on Tuesday, cleared
Speaker 1: from protocol. So he is back in a rolling seems
Speaker 1: to be energized. But urgency the keyword for this team
Speaker 1: at the moment. It's definite urgency. And I think that
Speaker 1: that's that's that's okay. You need to have that. UM.
Speaker 1: We always talk about the you know, the fork in
Speaker 1: the road and going left or going going right. And
Speaker 1: we've been in other times throughout the years where we've
Speaker 1: had that decision to make and we've been pressed up
Speaker 1: against it and you gotta go, and so we got
Speaker 1: we have this game coming up, and then you gotta
Speaker 1: buy and then you got eight games left after that. UM.
Speaker 1: But the only thing that matters is making sure that
Speaker 1: we get that win. The winds change everything. It definitely
Speaker 1: deutorizes things that that you don't do well. But it's
Speaker 1: okay to do that because you're winning. And so you
Speaker 1: look at the Steelers for example, right they started out
Speaker 1: one and three, they are four and three, they won
Speaker 1: three in a row. They fall through it. Um, they
Speaker 1: probably had pretty good leaders and probably have guys that
Speaker 1: care about playing and they don't point fingers, they don't blame,
Speaker 1: they're not negative, they're positive. We got a positive room
Speaker 1: in there, the players are. They're positive, they care. And again,
Speaker 1: like I said, let's we want to we want to
Speaker 1: start a different streak. You know, let's let's win one
Speaker 1: and then win another and continue to go and see
Speaker 1: where it leads. But that's kind of the mindset that
Speaker 1: we have. And there's, without a doubt, an urgency and
Speaker 1: that's okay. And so it's a similar tone as to
Speaker 1: other years when you're now talking about a season where
Speaker 1: you're trying to go one and oh every week and
Speaker 1: that will be the theme the rest of the season. Yeah,
Speaker 1: but you know, Jeff, when you're in professional sports, you
Speaker 1: never leave the sense of urgency that's one week to
Speaker 1: the next. If you're on a five game winning streak,
Speaker 1: you've got a bigger sense of urgency because you gotta
Speaker 1: keep on that winning streak. When you're suffering through a
Speaker 1: losing streak, you have that sense of urgency to get
Speaker 1: it turned around and get onto that winning path. So
Speaker 1: a sense of urgency is a constant theme throughout your career.
Speaker 1: David Montgomery a knee injury against Detroit, so it's a
Speaker 1: three week window to get back on the field. Sounds
Speaker 1: like if he's ready to practice Thursday, he might have
Speaker 1: a chance to play this week. I hope he does. Man,
Speaker 1: that dude, you know he means a lot to this
Speaker 1: football team. And you talk about a positive energy inside
Speaker 1: the team meeting room, I think Daved Montgomery is one
Speaker 1: of the instigators of a positive feeling because he always
Speaker 1: has that sense of preparedness, of toughness, of give me
Speaker 1: another carry, and from what he's seen being delivered by
Speaker 1: Khalil Herbert, it's got to be exciting for David to
Speaker 1: get back on the field. But at the time of
Speaker 1: his injury, he was top five in the league in
Speaker 1: terms of rushing the football and yards per carry, so
Speaker 1: that was very good. And obviously his leadership and his
Speaker 1: style of play is inspiring for those guys, and Herbert
Speaker 1: the best in the NFC since he took over here
Speaker 1: the last four weeks in terms of rushing yards. Both
Speaker 1: of everybody on this defense for the Pittsburgh Steelers know
Speaker 1: that these two guys are not easy to tackle, so
Speaker 1: that's what's going to be the point of emphasis delivered
Speaker 1: to the Steelers defense by their coaches. So hey, I
Speaker 1: would love to see a one two, maybe a one
Speaker 1: two three punch when you add in Damian Williams, because
Speaker 1: you talk about a fresh running game that inspires an
Speaker 1: entire team. Dan Bush, Jermain Effetti. They still remain out seven,
Speaker 1: Jenkins remains out. Kilil Mactommy will be day to day. Yeah.
Speaker 1: I just hope the best for klill Mac. But if
Speaker 1: he's not on the field, I want the other guys
Speaker 1: to play in his spot, inspired football, to be a
Speaker 1: part of the solution defensively speaking, not part of you know,
Speaker 1: the problem. So I again, I want Khalil on the field,
Speaker 1: but if he's not there, the other guy's got to
Speaker 1: step up to the play. Coming up next, we'll be
Speaker 1: joined by Jachim Grant, the Bears return specialist and wide receiver,
Speaker 1: an in season trade from Miami bringing some juice and
Speaker 1: energy to the Bears offense and special teams unit. We'll
Speaker 1: have that coming up next here on Chicago Sports Radio
Speaker 1: six seventy The Score. Welcome back to Bears All Access,
Speaker 1: brought to you by IGS Energy. Choose Clean Energy, for
Speaker 1: your home at igs dot com, because every good choice
Speaker 1: adds up to a better world. With Tom there, I'm
Speaker 1: Jeff Joniak. Please to be joined here on Bears All
Speaker 1: Access by return man and wide receiver Jachim Grant. Jachim,
Speaker 1: good to see you. You started out with a big
Speaker 1: smile on your face. I think that's your personality. Man.
Speaker 1: You just light up a room, You light up the field.
Speaker 1: Your teammates dig you already. What's your story, man, What's
Speaker 1: what's with the big grin? I mean, I'm just happy, man,
Speaker 1: just uh happy to be here, be in this great organization,
Speaker 1: especially man, great teammates, great coaches. I mean that's why.
Speaker 1: That's why you see the big grin on my face,
Speaker 1: Like I love it. It's just cold, I know. And
Speaker 1: there's nothing there's nothing easier about getting moved in the
Speaker 1: middle of a season, especially with the family. But that
Speaker 1: is the life of an NFL player and that's the
Speaker 1: way it goes in all sports. But uh, to find
Speaker 1: the right chemistry, the white fit, to have guys that
Speaker 1: appreciate you and vice versa. Otherwise you'd be miserable if
Speaker 1: it was anything other than that. Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, that's
Speaker 1: the biggest. I'll say that's the hardest partner, just being
Speaker 1: able to come here and adjust to not being away
Speaker 1: from family and friends and and just relocating and trying
Speaker 1: to figure out where am I going to stay, where
Speaker 1: I'm going to do this. But I mean, Bear's work
Speaker 1: for me with open arm. So man, it was it
Speaker 1: was just like a new family that that that loves me.
Speaker 1: And I love these guys because they're great, especially everybody
Speaker 1: around the building. Hey, J came, you know, I kind
Speaker 1: of binge watched Friday Night Lights when it was a
Speaker 1: big topic about Texas football. How big was the role
Speaker 1: that Texas football played and not only your confidence but
Speaker 1: also the real reality that you could be an NFL player. Man,
Speaker 1: Texas football is big, Like we shut down cities towns.
Speaker 1: I mean just to go to a Friday night light
Speaker 1: game and just knowing that, you know that how big
Speaker 1: it is a Texas It's like every Texas kid or
Speaker 1: dreaming of going to the pros, like if especially if
Speaker 1: you're playing football, and I know that was that was
Speaker 1: one of my one of my dreams. I mean I
Speaker 1: was just like, man, I have to make it to
Speaker 1: the next the next level and just continue to climb
Speaker 1: that mountain and show enough I did. And so with
Speaker 1: everything you know going against me, with my heightening size
Speaker 1: and so um man, it was just it was It's
Speaker 1: just the relentless effort that I had and um just
Speaker 1: thinking that I was gonna make it to the league
Speaker 1: and I did. You know, so through all my career
Speaker 1: I was an offensive lineman. So I can go back
Speaker 1: and I can study tape of every other offensive lineman
Speaker 1: to see how they go about their business. When you
Speaker 1: think about the Chicago Bears or the league wide, when
Speaker 1: you think about gayl Stairs, and you think about Devin Hester,
Speaker 1: and you think about recently Cordarrel Patterson. Can a returner
Speaker 1: watch tape of another returner and learn or is it
Speaker 1: all your innatability that you have stored that that's that's
Speaker 1: the way you go about your business. Um, I would
Speaker 1: say a little bit of both. Um definitely coming from
Speaker 1: you know, a quarter up house and and you know
Speaker 1: Devin Hester. Um, just just guys that I would say,
Speaker 1: you know Devin Hester would he did both you know,
Speaker 1: punt return and kick return and just saying away like
Speaker 1: he hit the whole and see, um, how he how
Speaker 1: explosive he was and no hesitation, just flat out just
Speaker 1: running and everything that he sees. He's just hitting the hole.
Speaker 1: And especially and I'll say going to Cordell Patterson, I mean,
Speaker 1: the guys as aggressive as you can you can get.
Speaker 1: I mean, I'll kind of like mimic kids game as
Speaker 1: far as bringing everything out, because as you can see,
Speaker 1: Cordell was bringing everything out. I mean, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1: It could be on the back of his heels, on
Speaker 1: the back of the goal line and he's like, I'm
Speaker 1: not letting any kicker get get off, not in one game.
Speaker 1: And so with him, he was straight down the line.
Speaker 1: He's a big guy and and I mean he hits
Speaker 1: the whole like like a bullet coming out of a barrel.
Speaker 1: But you know, it kind of leads me to the
Speaker 1: next question is how fortunate are you have to have
Speaker 1: a coach like Chris Tabor that gives you the freedom
Speaker 1: to do that, Because nowadays it's all put your hands
Speaker 1: up and if it's one foot deep into the end zone,
Speaker 1: don't take it out. But no way, you got the
Speaker 1: freedom to bring it out wherever you are. Man, That's
Speaker 1: exactly what I've been dreaming for. A coach like coach
Speaker 1: Tay man, and whenever he told me, hey, j Kim,
Speaker 1: you have the green light, I was just I felt like,
Speaker 1: you know, Steph Curry would go to state like I'm like, oh, yeah,
Speaker 1: I'm bringing everything out that I can and he trusts
Speaker 1: that I'm going to get a great return. And so
Speaker 1: with especially the guys on the unit, are are trusting
Speaker 1: me to you know, get a great return as one,
Speaker 1: and I'm trusting those guys to get their block. So
Speaker 1: there's no indecisiveness of not bringing it out. So I'm like, hey,
Speaker 1: anytime he kicks it back here, it's coming out unless
Speaker 1: it's yeah, exactly. Jackiem Grant, our guest here on Bears
Speaker 1: All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score
Speaker 1: with you until the top of the hour. Listen. We're
Speaker 1: used to it here. So that excitement, so I you know,
Speaker 1: Cordaro is a freight train coming out right, just you know,
Speaker 1: getting north and south. And then you got the ballet
Speaker 1: of Devin Hester, who, by the way, celebrating a birthday
Speaker 1: today is luck with him and so happy both day
Speaker 1: to the ridiculous one. Have you ever had a chance
Speaker 1: meeting with Devin Hester to discuss his style and what
Speaker 1: he saw because he always I did many interviews with him.
Speaker 1: I called almost every one of his return touchdowns. He
Speaker 1: said to me all the time. I said, what what
Speaker 1: makes you realize when to make that cut? He says,
Speaker 1: whenever I see color in the hole, I go the
Speaker 1: other way. He kept it that simple, other jersey boom
Speaker 1: going the other way. It's not that simple, as we know.
Speaker 1: There's there's other instincts involved and when to hit the
Speaker 1: gas and went to Oaky dooke somebody to get the edge.
Speaker 1: But have you ever had a chance to talk with
Speaker 1: Devin Um? I didn't. I actually got a chest to
Speaker 1: play against him. I think it was a year he
Speaker 1: was in was in Baltimore, Atlanta. U. Yeah, Baltimore. UM.
Speaker 1: I was back there of a pre game returning kids,
Speaker 1: and I'm like, that's Devin Hester. I'll start strug So,
Speaker 1: I mean, I I kind of didn't. I kind of
Speaker 1: didn't go go up to him or anything. I was
Speaker 1: just like, I was like, Yo, Devin, big fan, that's it.
Speaker 1: And then I didn't even chat with him because I
Speaker 1: was I didn't know what to say at the time,
Speaker 1: because like I'm a rookie and I'm like, man, like
Speaker 1: this is a guy that I looked up to for
Speaker 1: a long time, and it's just like I couldn't get
Speaker 1: my words out, Like I'm just like, hey, I just
Speaker 1: introduced myself. I didn't want to, like I was just like,
Speaker 1: it's so, it's whatever. I'm gonna let him do his game.
Speaker 1: I'm I'm gonna watch him throughout the course of the
Speaker 1: game and try to, you know, study him live. Well.
Speaker 1: The thing about Devin and I do agree that he's
Speaker 1: Hall of Fame caliber should be in there. I sent
Speaker 1: a tweet out today. You know that's the next step
Speaker 1: in his journey the Hall of Fame because he revolutionized
Speaker 1: how teams prepared for special teams before the rule changes.
Speaker 1: You had to beef up your special team's coverage. You
Speaker 1: had to do it, and you had to determine at
Speaker 1: key points in the game situationally, are we kicking to him?
Speaker 1: Are we not? And everybody got up off the bench
Speaker 1: to watch him, And I kind of feel the same
Speaker 1: way when Corderel was here and when you're here now,
Speaker 1: there's an excitement expectation with you, and we appreciate the return.
Speaker 1: We're old school guys. We don't want to see you,
Speaker 1: don't don't legislate out of the game. I know we
Speaker 1: got to keep people safe, no question about it. But
Speaker 1: it's still the excitement. It's the Grand Slam in the
Speaker 1: ninth inning with the basis juice. You know, it's it's
Speaker 1: the big one. And you know, as as a football player,
Speaker 1: do you appreciate still that kind of thinking, like, yeah,
Speaker 1: it's still a major part of our game. Absolutely, it's
Speaker 1: a It's definitely a tone setter and a change of momentum,
Speaker 1: like you um, I mean, they could flip the course
Speaker 1: of the game just like that. And I feel like
Speaker 1: at any given the moment that you know, I get
Speaker 1: a return that it could swing the momentum or we
Speaker 1: could just continue to take the you know, take the
Speaker 1: air out of the stadium. So you got five of
Speaker 1: them here, yet four in college? Who made you have
Speaker 1: in high school touchdowns? I never did pup return ever
Speaker 1: in my life since I got to National Football League.
Speaker 1: That's a missed opportunity over there in missquit Thus, So
Speaker 1: Adam skate horn Um, I'm not sure how many I had.
Speaker 1: I think I had a. I had a I had
Speaker 1: a good decent amount. So um, But man, like I said,
Speaker 1: I never did a point return every in my life
Speaker 1: until I got to National Football League. I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 1: I was scared. I was scared. I was absolutely scared.
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna I'm not gonna lie to you because
Speaker 1: I can. Let's say a quick story my rookie season.
Speaker 1: I was there with Dan Rizzy, which awesome coach. Um.
Speaker 1: I get there and they're like, Kim, you gonna be
Speaker 1: a punt returner. In my head, I'm like, man, this
Speaker 1: is not gonna go well. Like I've never called a punt.
Speaker 1: I don't know how to judge him. I don't know
Speaker 1: what you want me to do back there. So um,
Speaker 1: we get to the preseason game against Giants and we
Speaker 1: double vice to guys and I just let the ball
Speaker 1: bounce and go out of bounce. Rizzy is like red hot,
Speaker 1: red hot, and it is like, gave me a mouthful.
Speaker 1: When I got to the side, I looked there. I
Speaker 1: looked at coach as I said, Coach, I was scared,
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna lie to you. I don't know what
Speaker 1: you want me to do. And then he was like, listen,
Speaker 1: just just calm down. That the team that's gonna block
Speaker 1: for you catch the ball. I caught the next one,
Speaker 1: I went for you and and I was just like,
Speaker 1: you know, you know what, maybe I do got a
Speaker 1: knack for this. Well, what do you what do you
Speaker 1: think about insight Soldier Field? Is it a difficult judgment
Speaker 1: of the flight of the football, both on kickoffs and
Speaker 1: punts because of you know, the conditions that can happen there,
Speaker 1: the wind that can happen and even that the fact
Speaker 1: that it's an outdoor stadium with a natural surface. Um yeah,
Speaker 1: it's it is quick. It is quite a difference because
Speaker 1: of the wind and how much how long it could
Speaker 1: hang up or it could drop at any given moment,
Speaker 1: especially you know with the wind going either way east
Speaker 1: or west. Um, I think it's you get that, you know,
Speaker 1: get get that practice doing, you know, during practice time.
Speaker 1: So um, I think Patio does a great job with
Speaker 1: me coming out here early and kicking something to me,
Speaker 1: especially when it's a windy day I practice and just
Speaker 1: you know, getting getting those reps in so I can
Speaker 1: know come game time how the wind is gonna play
Speaker 1: and how it's gonna hang up or if it's gonna
Speaker 1: dive down. And so um, yes, it is different from
Speaker 1: from what I've experienced. So when you practiced here a
Speaker 1: training camp. Jeff and I were out there every practice,
Speaker 1: and you know, your name was already on the radar.
Speaker 1: Did you know that week that the Bears had interest
Speaker 1: in you wasn't kind of a different type of a
Speaker 1: training camp practice week because of that and what we're
Speaker 1: you know, what do you remember from that week of practice? Um?
Speaker 1: I did get a tip off from my agent that
Speaker 1: the Bears were interested in me, and it was the
Speaker 1: same I approached the training camp the same way. But
Speaker 1: I told my agent, I said, hey, man, what are
Speaker 1: we waiting for? It? Like, go ahead, pull the trigger,
Speaker 1: Like let's let's do this, Like, let's let's get it
Speaker 1: rolling so I can get caught up to speed learning
Speaker 1: playbook and you know, get get rolling and so enough.
Speaker 1: They didn't pull a trigger quick enough and I wouldn't
Speaker 1: be having to, you know, jump around find an apartment
Speaker 1: and doing all this and find the house and stuff
Speaker 1: like that. But man, it's better late than never. And
Speaker 1: he took the words right out of my mouth. The
Speaker 1: dream is here. That's his Twitter handle, folks, The dream
Speaker 1: is here, jakeem The dream will continue our conversation with
Speaker 1: the Bears wide receiver and kick returner after this break
Speaker 1: on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. This segment
Speaker 1: of Bears All Access is brought to you by Athletico
Speaker 1: Physical Therapy. Visit Athletico dot com to request an appointment
Speaker 1: in clinic or virtually and start feeling better tomorrow. Tom there,
Speaker 1: Jeff Joniac with you. Our guest this week, jackem Grant
Speaker 1: kind enough to join us. So you got quite the history.
Speaker 1: Now we're gonna get into a bunch of different things
Speaker 1: here because at Texas Tech you broke records. You were
Speaker 1: in an offense with Cliff Kingsbury before that, Tommy Tubberville,
Speaker 1: you had Patrick Mahomes throwing your passes. Baker Mayfield was there,
Speaker 1: was Davis Webb there as well. When you were at
Speaker 1: Texas Tech. Yeah, I mean, and you broke Michael Crabtree's
Speaker 1: school record for career yardage. There's a lot to unpack
Speaker 1: right there. What was that experience like in an air
Speaker 1: raid offense to put you on the map. And I'll
Speaker 1: tell you. I know you're probably gonna disagree with this,
Speaker 1: but coming out of Tech Tech, I had yet five
Speaker 1: five and seven eighths. Are we on target? Definitely not.
Speaker 1: I always tell people I'm I'm five six without my
Speaker 1: shoes off and five seven with my shoes on. So therefore,
Speaker 1: like I'll tell everybody I'm five seven, but I play
Speaker 1: like I'm six, you know foot whatever, a giant. So yeah, man,
Speaker 1: like Noah, I feel like I'm a tall guy. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I'm five seven and a half and I hang out
Speaker 1: for that half every chance. Eight Yeah, no question about it.
Speaker 1: But what about all that experience your head over there?
Speaker 1: How did it make you? Because we keep talking about
Speaker 1: you return guy, but but you know you're getting your
Speaker 1: your Beakwe a little bit on offense here too, um
Speaker 1: Man offense. I always want to show people that I'm
Speaker 1: a receiver first slash uh, you know, return man, because
Speaker 1: I want to show people with me in my height,
Speaker 1: I knew that I already had the odds going against me.
Speaker 1: So I want to add a little something extra to
Speaker 1: my game with which was the return. And so um Man,
Speaker 1: coach Kingsbury he's seen that that I could be a
Speaker 1: great receiver, and so um, I mean he utilized me
Speaker 1: in ways that you know to give me Mitch max On.
Speaker 1: You know, linebackers um their worst corners and stuff like that.
Speaker 1: And also I had, you know, Patty Patty Holmes throwing
Speaker 1: me the ball, so it was also a great thing. Um.
Speaker 1: But yeah, man, when I stepped in the building, I
Speaker 1: see all the Hall of Fame Texas Tech Hall of
Speaker 1: Famers on the wall inside the facility, and I looked
Speaker 1: to Eric Morris, was my you know, my receivers coach,
Speaker 1: and I told him. I told him I'm gonna be
Speaker 1: on the wall one day, like that's for sure, I'm
Speaker 1: gonna be on the wall one day. And I asked
Speaker 1: him one day, I was like, hey, who has the
Speaker 1: school record for receiving yards? And he was like Crabtree
Speaker 1: And I was like, I'm I'm gonna break his record
Speaker 1: this year, Like I'm there's no doubt in my mom
Speaker 1: break it. And so, um, that was always my mentality
Speaker 1: to leave a mark and leave a legacy. And so
Speaker 1: no matter my height or size, I want to be
Speaker 1: the best guy on the field at any get them
Speaker 1: on any time I stopped on the field, I wanted
Speaker 1: to be the best guy. And I want to show
Speaker 1: people that, like when you stand up and say, man,
Speaker 1: Jachim is by far the best guy on the field
Speaker 1: at all times. And so that's my whole mentality and
Speaker 1: That's how I approached the game. And so with you know,
Speaker 1: coach Kingsbury, you know, pushing me to you know, to
Speaker 1: be the best that I can be and asking me,
Speaker 1: you know, hey, Jachim, I'm I'm gonna ask a lot
Speaker 1: of you. So you have to give me. You don't
Speaker 1: have to give me more and more and more and
Speaker 1: so um, and I was a leader of that team,
Speaker 1: so I have to show show the young bucks, you know,
Speaker 1: the ropes, and and I felt like I did. I
Speaker 1: did a great job. Well, JA came. So your junior
Speaker 1: year you have sixty seven catches. Your senior year you
Speaker 1: have ninety catches. So it wasn't were you featured more
Speaker 1: in the offense? Was it just a lack of respect
Speaker 1: from the other defenders that you were facing? Why why
Speaker 1: you had an increase in number every year? But it
Speaker 1: should have said, but by the time you're a junior,
Speaker 1: they know that what your your assets are to that team.
Speaker 1: And so what was the reason for the big jump?
Speaker 1: I would say the reason for the big jump not
Speaker 1: because of UM. I would say they the respect or
Speaker 1: anything like that. I woul would say my junior year,
Speaker 1: I had, you know, I had guys like there it
Speaker 1: wasn't just me that was doing all the work. It
Speaker 1: was you know, I had Jason rro Um, I had
Speaker 1: who else I had? I had Eric Ward, I had
Speaker 1: all those guys there that was, you know, putting up
Speaker 1: numbers as well. And you know he was spreading the
Speaker 1: ball around, spreading the ball around, and so um my
Speaker 1: senior year. Let's be honest, I was the only guy.
Speaker 1: I was the only guy. So pat it was like, hey, Jackie,
Speaker 1: I'm coming to you. Uh. Coach King was like, we
Speaker 1: need you got to get it done. Like we come
Speaker 1: to you third down. We don't get like double coverage
Speaker 1: no matter what we come to you. And so I
Speaker 1: was that guy like I was. I was the number one,
Speaker 1: and I felt like, you know, I had to It's
Speaker 1: the game that way. And I didn't have anybody helping me.
Speaker 1: So I was just it was it was game on it. Well,
Speaker 1: how how is uh? You know, you talk about Chris
Speaker 1: Tabor and what a what a role that he plays
Speaker 1: in your returning but then you look at Mike Ferry,
Speaker 1: your receivers coach. The dude's intense, man. He's if he's
Speaker 1: not running stadium stairs before the game, he's out there
Speaker 1: leading the chairs at practice. How is he in terms
Speaker 1: of helping you continue to develop your skills as a receiver. Um,
Speaker 1: I would say he critiques me on every little thing
Speaker 1: you know that I do. It doesn't matter. Um, you know,
Speaker 1: he tells me if I did a good route or
Speaker 1: heyge the game you you round it the route, or
Speaker 1: you got to come out of that that we're out smoking.
Speaker 1: Um you know. I felt like he's definitely getting me
Speaker 1: caught up to speed with the offense and telling me
Speaker 1: in ways that they could utilize me. Hey, J King,
Speaker 1: we're gonna put you on the slot. We're gonna get
Speaker 1: your Mitch Max on linebackers, diss this and that, And
Speaker 1: I mean, I love his energy, like hiss through the
Speaker 1: roof and he's like, hey j g U, I gotta
Speaker 1: get you rolling, you gotta get you flying like and
Speaker 1: and I love that out of him because it's a guy.
Speaker 1: It's a guy ultimately you want to play for, especially
Speaker 1: with the energy and just the fact that he wants
Speaker 1: you to be great and be at your all time high.
Speaker 1: And I love that of him. Jackiem Grant our guest
Speaker 1: here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The score. This
Speaker 1: is Bears all access with Tim there, Jeff Joni acts,
Speaker 1: So what's the legit? Forty time because we can talk
Speaker 1: about this all day long too. So New Orleans scout
Speaker 1: allegedly at your t Tech Pro day four one, potentially
Speaker 1: beating Bo Jackson's nineteen eighty six combine four one two
Speaker 1: and then the electronically four to three four I had
Speaker 1: you at four three seven? Is the truth? Somewhere in
Speaker 1: between all this, I wouldn't say. In between, I'll say
Speaker 1: is exactly what edually let's put out. Yeah, I definitely
Speaker 1: I can, like that was what five years ago? Yeah,
Speaker 1: I can. And me running the four, I can run
Speaker 1: a four three Now I can get up in this
Speaker 1: run of forty three. So definitely with me, I way
Speaker 1: more and you're in other words, you're lightning. I can run. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I can run. I can four three? Is this is impressive?
Speaker 1: But I can do that. I can do that in
Speaker 1: my sleep. Yeah. And when you got a quarterback like
Speaker 1: Justin Fields he runs a four to four, that's a
Speaker 1: heck of a heck of an exagger right there, right, Yeah, exactly,
Speaker 1: it's it's rare indeed. All right. So, um, the one
Speaker 1: interesting thing that I've learned and I don't know if
Speaker 1: I have the facts right. But so you're a father
Speaker 1: of three, you got you got twin daughters, right, you
Speaker 1: got twin daughters. Uh, you got Jachem Junior, you got
Speaker 1: Kaylee and Kylie. But did you have all three while
Speaker 1: you were in college? Absolutely? And now how did you
Speaker 1: pull this off? Being a dad, twin daughters, scholarship athlete
Speaker 1: at Texas Tech? Get ready for the end of how'd
Speaker 1: you do this? I will tell you that was probably
Speaker 1: one of the hardest things of my life. Not only
Speaker 1: I had all three of them with and I was like,
Speaker 1: my scholarship checks are not going to cover. So I
Speaker 1: was going to school, I was going to practice, and
Speaker 1: I had a job as well, and also with you know,
Speaker 1: you know, my sister in law helped out. And while
Speaker 1: I was at work because my wife she reactivated her
Speaker 1: childhood seizures and so she was hospitalized for a couple
Speaker 1: of weeks. And with all this going on, so whenever
Speaker 1: I got off work, I was taking I was full
Speaker 1: time dad. And you know, there was no sleep in
Speaker 1: zero none, And I'm talking about it was work. It
Speaker 1: was school, practice, work, you know, kids, you know, doing
Speaker 1: and all these things all at once, like I'm telling
Speaker 1: you when I had no sleep, and then it was
Speaker 1: Sounds where coach was like, um, we had five am
Speaker 1: punishments and I was like, coach, kid, come on, man,
Speaker 1: like I'm not already not getting any sleep, and he
Speaker 1: was like, you're part of the team, so to get
Speaker 1: up at five am, and you know I didn't. And
Speaker 1: then it was Sounds where like coach was like, if
Speaker 1: J team could get up, then anybody can get up
Speaker 1: with everything's going on. So I feel like that ultimately
Speaker 1: made me a better player, a better person, just just
Speaker 1: showing that when adversity hits, you just got to continue
Speaker 1: to push through and so and I feel like I
Speaker 1: did that because that was the hardest time of my life.
Speaker 1: Is where came from my my kids and keeping my
Speaker 1: grays up and also being you know, a top top
Speaker 1: guy on this team, a leader, and not showing guys that,
Speaker 1: you know, even though I have things going on, that
Speaker 1: my skill play or anything is going to drop off. Wow,
Speaker 1: that's impressive. Impressive thing, Tommy. Uh, I don't think we
Speaker 1: can ever claim that we had that now. I thought
Speaker 1: I was busy. I admire you in the NFL, and
Speaker 1: I admire you even more now unbelievable. Well, a great
Speaker 1: thing to teach them when they're older too. And I've
Speaker 1: seen pictures of you. You look like one of the kids.
Speaker 1: You got the big you know, I'm serious. You guys
Speaker 1: they're adorable. Oh my gosh. You were an inline speed skater? Correct, absolutely, yes, sir.
Speaker 1: Your mom made you do this? Is it made you
Speaker 1: better football player because of that? Actually? Yeah, I will
Speaker 1: say I started out doing speed skating at Broadway Skating
Speaker 1: Rum and Mosquite. Um we I didn't. I wasn't playing
Speaker 1: football at the time, did not want to play football,
Speaker 1: wasn't thinking about it. And I was just an inline
Speaker 1: speed skater, just killing guys, like absolutely killing them. And
Speaker 1: we used to play this game called, you know, sharks
Speaker 1: in the medals, whereas four guys on skates and you know,
Speaker 1: a whole bunch of guys and a little kids in
Speaker 1: the middle of the ring. I was the last one
Speaker 1: to get out. I was the last one to get out,
Speaker 1: and my mom was in and she came in and
Speaker 1: she was watching and I made all four of the
Speaker 1: guys on skates fall and I end up winning the
Speaker 1: h my own skates from the skating ring. And that
Speaker 1: next day my mom signed me up for football, and
Speaker 1: I'm like, what are you doing? I'm a skater, like
Speaker 1: I don't want to play football. And she was like,
Speaker 1: don't worry. It all payoff and you will thank me later.
Speaker 1: Certainly happened. Sylvia Whitaker knew what she was doing. This
Speaker 1: like Timmy, his mom dropped him off at football practice.
Speaker 1: She cried for hours and she's saying, you'll stop crying.
Speaker 1: You see your friends. YEA, all right, I'll leave you
Speaker 1: at this. What was your favorite nickname given to you?
Speaker 1: What did they call you? I mean, everybody called me.
Speaker 1: My favorite nickname is like even every coach, every coach
Speaker 1: in the world, like my coach is still to this
Speaker 1: day in the high school, so call me so like
Speaker 1: I'm dark. I'm I feel like I'm I'm a dark
Speaker 1: as night. And so all my coaches called me black,
Speaker 1: even like every coaches called me black, like I had teachers,
Speaker 1: like they didn't call me Jakim in high school. They
Speaker 1: called me black like every and I love it. I
Speaker 1: absolutely love it. I was like, coach, I said, coach,
Speaker 1: do you see how dark I am? Like you turn
Speaker 1: the lights off then you can see it's my teeth
Speaker 1: in my eyes, like that's that's me. I'm dark and
Speaker 1: I embrace it. And my coach Sherman, coach web coach Morris,
Speaker 1: nobody calls like. They still don't call me Jakin till
Speaker 1: this day, and I'm saying, hey, coach, He's like black,
Speaker 1: how are you doing. I'm like I'm doing good, and
Speaker 1: and people are on the outside looking like did he
Speaker 1: just call them black? I'm like, yeah, that's his nickname,
Speaker 1: and like it's crazy because one of my teachers is
Speaker 1: named her name is miss White, and so I call
Speaker 1: her miss White and then she called me black, and
Speaker 1: then they everybody like I don't know me, Like what's
Speaker 1: going on here? Like what's going on? And I'm like,
Speaker 1: that's that's my favorite nickname of like oh, Like it's
Speaker 1: like everybody still called me that back home. Still to
Speaker 1: this day, coaches, teachers, principal mister Perkins still at John
Speaker 1: Horn Hospitals still call me black to this day. You
Speaker 1: roll with it right exactly. Hey jakeem we're out of time.
Speaker 1: We appreciate all your time. This was fascinating and there's
Speaker 1: even a lot more about you we want to get
Speaker 1: into down the road. So thank you for joining us.
Speaker 1: I appreciate you, guys, appreciate thank jackem Grant our guest
Speaker 1: here on Bears All Access, Tommy and I will visit
Speaker 1: with the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bill Hillgrove. That's
Speaker 1: coming up next here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy
Speaker 1: the Score. One of the prominent personalities are the rich
Speaker 1: sportscape of Pittsburgh is Bill Hillgrove, the voice of the
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Steelers. This segment of Bears All Access is sponsored
Speaker 1: by CDW. People who get it learn more at CDW
Speaker 1: dot com. Jeff Jony Act Tom Fair with you as
Speaker 1: we get you an inside look at the four and
Speaker 1: three Steelers. Bill, Thanks for joining us tonight. I gotta
Speaker 1: go back in your history a little bit because it's
Speaker 1: it's a great tradition of excellence in your career. You
Speaker 1: graduated from Duquesne the year I was born, in nineteen
Speaker 1: sixty two, then hand picked by the Steelers owner Dan
Speaker 1: Rooney in nineteen ninety four, and succeeded the retiring Jack Fleming.
Speaker 1: So you got a lot of NFL history to you.
Speaker 1: I always say, our jobs is played by play, guys,
Speaker 1: and the big picture is to chart the history of
Speaker 1: the game, and you've done that really well over the
Speaker 1: course of your career. Does it still feel fun? Oh?
Speaker 1: It is, without question, and more fun when they went
Speaker 1: And so for the last three weeks, I've had more
Speaker 1: fun and I did the previous three. But you know,
Speaker 1: the reality of this year is that this team hasn't
Speaker 1: lost in a month, and you know, they finally started
Speaker 1: to get things together. Now, Okay, the opening game at
Speaker 1: Buffalo that kind of shocked the world when they went
Speaker 1: up there and won. But then some reality set in
Speaker 1: and the reality was simply this the offensive line of
Speaker 1: work in progress, not j Harris or rookie. You can't
Speaker 1: expect him to carry the team, although he's looking more
Speaker 1: and more like he's capable of doing that. And I
Speaker 1: thought that the receivers weren't helping Ben as much as
Speaker 1: he needed. And in the meantime, you know, after that
Speaker 1: first game where t J. Watt had a great performance
Speaker 1: against Josh Allen, you know, he had some injury problem
Speaker 1: that kind of put him in the background, and as
Speaker 1: a result, the defense wasn't as good as I thought
Speaker 1: it would be. So all those things have started to
Speaker 1: come together. They just have to keep the nose to
Speaker 1: the Grindstone. Bill. You talk about all the foundations of
Speaker 1: success throughout history for the Pittsburgh Steelers. One thing I'm
Speaker 1: always kind of attracts my attention to the Steelers is
Speaker 1: the longevity of the head coaches you have in this organization.
Speaker 1: When you look at the personality now of the head
Speaker 1: coach and the personalities of the past, why is that
Speaker 1: such a point of ephesus our success for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Speaker 1: I think it's the Rooney way. Dan Rooney once told
Speaker 1: Merril Hodge, look at what we've done with Chuck Noll,
Speaker 1: Bill Kauer and Mike Tomlin. We took guys who had
Speaker 1: no previous head coaching experience but were excellent coaches, and
Speaker 1: we gave them time to learn how to be head
Speaker 1: coaches in this league. And I think that's their secret
Speaker 1: to success. The Rooneys are patient. They don't do anything
Speaker 1: hair trigger, and as a result, you know, you've got
Speaker 1: that standard is the standard. All those coaching terms that
Speaker 1: you hear, but it's the truth. It's just like you know,
Speaker 1: it's incredible. I mean, these are three coaches who are
Speaker 1: all Hall of Fame, and I have no doubt that
Speaker 1: Tomlin will be there. When you look at the offense
Speaker 1: right now, you think of the redevelopment of the offensive line,
Speaker 1: bringing in a rookie running back or recommitting in a
Speaker 1: sense to Roethlisberger. What is the biggest building block of
Speaker 1: the success of that segment of your football team to
Speaker 1: get you to the point where you're at right now. Well,
Speaker 1: let's just look at last year's line. And I know
Speaker 1: they missed Marquise Pouncy, they missed David DeCastro, but let's
Speaker 1: face it, they played hurt last year. And so I
Speaker 1: said during the off season, no matter who replaces them,
Speaker 1: it's going to take time, like it always does re
Speaker 1: lines to mesh, but they're going to be better off
Speaker 1: in the long run than playing with injured people. And
Speaker 1: so you know, I've seen great progress from Kendrick Green.
Speaker 1: I've seen Trey Turner kind of lead this group because
Speaker 1: he's got the experience, and you know, their tackles have
Speaker 1: done okay. I think Dan Moore Junior is a bit
Speaker 1: undersized for that left side, and I know he had
Speaker 1: a tough afternoon against Miles Garrett. But the biggest play
Speaker 1: of the game was the fourth and two where Ben
Speaker 1: was about to get club by Miles, and all of
Speaker 1: a sudden, Naji came in and did his little chip
Speaker 1: and it just kept miles away from Ben so he
Speaker 1: could complete that pass to Friar Muth. And that's another
Speaker 1: element that really a lot of people didn't see is
Speaker 1: happening as quickly as it has, and that's Pat Fryarmouth
Speaker 1: is starting to show people that, you know, he can
Speaker 1: be one of the fine tight ends, and I think
Speaker 1: they're targeting him more now, and he's just about everything,
Speaker 1: and so I think it's all kind of just starting
Speaker 1: to fit together. Bill hill Grove our guest here on
Speaker 1: Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. This is Bears
Speaker 1: All Access with Tom there. I'm Jeff Joniac. Yeah, you know,
Speaker 1: I loved your call on the Fiarmouth catch in the
Speaker 1: end zone a fifty fifty. You called it a combat catch.
Speaker 1: Is that? Is that your typical phrase for balls like
Speaker 1: that in fifty fifty catches? Yes, and that and the
Speaker 1: guy he's more physical is going to win the fight.
Speaker 1: And I see it a lot with Chase Claypool as well.
Speaker 1: Chase has got that big body and if a dB
Speaker 1: or a linebacker goes up with them, they have to
Speaker 1: be prepared for a battle, and I think, believe me,
Speaker 1: quarterbacks will be the first to tell you that they
Speaker 1: trust their guys to win those battles. And so far
Speaker 1: this year, the combat catches scene regoing Pittsburgh's way. Nag Harris.
Speaker 1: When the drafts started, the process started a thought, you know,
Speaker 1: circle this guy. He's a total Pittsburgh stealer running back
Speaker 1: and that has been the case. An impact player at
Speaker 1: two thirty does everything well the the receiving aspect of
Speaker 1: his game, you know, going back to that was at
Speaker 1: the Cincinnati game, he was targeted nineteen times for fourteen catches.
Speaker 1: It's helping Ben in his quick game and you know,
Speaker 1: if the rush is coming, Ben doesn't need to get whacked,
Speaker 1: so get rid of the ball quick. And just overall
Speaker 1: he's just was named October Rookie of the Month in
Speaker 1: the AFC. Yeah, and that's very well deserved. You know,
Speaker 1: he just he's the whole package. He can make guys miss.
Speaker 1: He's physical. He had to run against the Brown's right
Speaker 1: to left so I can't remember which porter was, but
Speaker 1: was in front of the Steelers bench, and he threw
Speaker 1: two lethal stiff arms. And he can do that and
Speaker 1: He's got just enough quickness and speed to really function
Speaker 1: as an NFL back, And like I said, with his
Speaker 1: willingness to block, an ability to block, and he's and catch,
Speaker 1: he's the whole package. Hey Bill, if T J. Watt
Speaker 1: wasn't being as productive as he is right now, would
Speaker 1: there be any lingering personal hangover from him sitting out
Speaker 1: of the practices of training camp and just dangling that
Speaker 1: new contract request in front of the players, the team,
Speaker 1: in the organization. You know, I think that kind of
Speaker 1: thing after September comes and goes is a non issue.
Speaker 1: And I think the Steelers felt that they didn't have
Speaker 1: the best September, but a darn good October and they
Speaker 1: just open continues in November. So I think it became
Speaker 1: an on issue with the passage of time. And so
Speaker 1: when you talk about the defensive side of the ball,
Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's kind of when you sit here
Speaker 1: and watch these guys, there's so much pre snap movement
Speaker 1: by a defense. You know, is this a new style
Speaker 1: of defense that you've had to come to learn from
Speaker 1: your beginnings with the Pittsburgh Steelers to where they're at
Speaker 1: in this new generation. I don't think it's new I
Speaker 1: just think it's adaptive. Keith Butler, you know, having been
Speaker 1: a player for more than a decade in the league
Speaker 1: against her only all the coaching he's done learned from
Speaker 1: the master, Dick lebou. But since Dick has retired, the
Speaker 1: game is changing, and I think Keith is wise enough
Speaker 1: to know that he's got to adapt some of the
Speaker 1: great things he learned from from his predecessor to uh,
Speaker 1: you know, accommodate today's game, which is changing. Mobile quarterbacks
Speaker 1: is the one thing that Dick lebo didn't have to
Speaker 1: do deal with as much as Keith Butler does. And
Speaker 1: I think, you know, that's just an element of the
Speaker 1: game that is real now and you have to you
Speaker 1: have to deal with it. And I think they're doing
Speaker 1: his best they can to do that. I just like
Speaker 1: his approach and I just like the fact that t J.
Speaker 1: Watt has to be accounted for and if you double
Speaker 1: team him and if you double team Cam Heyward, two
Speaker 1: other guys are wide open to do some damage. And
Speaker 1: I think that's the threat that the Steelers defense can
Speaker 1: present an offense. And I think, you know, for the Bears,
Speaker 1: who have dealt with sack issues this year, you know,
Speaker 1: that's something they probably are mindful of and spending a
Speaker 1: lot of late hours trying to combat our final moments
Speaker 1: with Bill Hillgrove, the veteran voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers,
Speaker 1: Sunday will be excuse me Monday, we'll be in Pittsburgh
Speaker 1: with our four twenty pregame and a seven twenty kickoff
Speaker 1: on news radio one h five nine w BBM. Gotta
Speaker 1: get one more in here for you because he's a
Speaker 1: local kid from Fenwick High School here in Chicagoland. Robert Spelean,
Speaker 1: a third year player out of Western Michigan, a linebacker Tommy.
Speaker 1: I don't know if you know. He's a grandson of
Speaker 1: Johnny Latner, the nineteen fifty three Notre Dame Heisman winner.
Speaker 1: So give us a little thumbnail on what he brings
Speaker 1: to the table. We give a shout out to the
Speaker 1: locals all the time. He brings that motor that you love.
Speaker 1: He brings a physicality that you love. He's still developing
Speaker 1: as a coverage guy, and they know that. But you know,
Speaker 1: with a guy like Shobert next to him, you know
Speaker 1: he's he's got the ability to pick up everything that
Speaker 1: Schoberg can send his way in terms of you know,
Speaker 1: how do you how do you cover and how do
Speaker 1: you prepare yourself to you know, to be in that position?
Speaker 1: So you know, this guy's got an upside. And I
Speaker 1: go back to Johnny Latner. I remember when it's drafted
Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty three, right, let's face it. Let's face it.
Speaker 1: You were born in a year I graduated from college. Yes, sir, Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's when the Dead Sea wasn't even sick. Hey, and
Speaker 1: you got a birthday coming up this month, unbelievable. Did
Speaker 1: you think you were going to be able to keep
Speaker 1: doing this into your eighties? I thought that I'd try. And,
Speaker 1: like I said, as long as it's fun and as
Speaker 1: long as the guy upstairs goes along with the program? Short,
Speaker 1: why not? I mean, who has more fun than we do?
Speaker 1: We're like golf croas. What do we retire too? Exactly? Exactly? Well,
Speaker 1: you're the pride of Central Catholic there in Pittsburgh, also
Speaker 1: the home of Dan Marino, Tom's old teammate with the
Speaker 1: Miami Dolphins. Great guy and a great quarterback. And I'm prejudiced.
Speaker 1: He's the best I ever saw, the best that God
Speaker 1: ever put on the planet. And I saw him last
Speaker 1: week he was in town. Pitt had their Hall of
Speaker 1: Fame dinner of the night before the Clemson game, and
Speaker 1: I said to myself, you know, this school is kind
Speaker 1: of unique. I'm talking about the University of Pittsburgh. There
Speaker 1: were four NFL Hall of Famers in attendance. Not a
Speaker 1: lot of schools can come up with that in one night,
Speaker 1: and that was just an incredible experience. Hey, Bill, my
Speaker 1: senior year at Notre Dame, we went to Pitt and
Speaker 1: played Pitt when they were number one in the country,
Speaker 1: a team led by Jerry Foust, and we had no
Speaker 1: business beating them. And we went up to that hilltop
Speaker 1: and we beat Pitt. One of the best games, the
Speaker 1: most fun victories in my college career by far, was
Speaker 1: that Alan Pinkett. Yes, yes, sir, I can still see
Speaker 1: Yogi Jones diving and whiffing. That's the beauty of this game.
Speaker 1: I love it. I love the history, I love the stories. Bill.
Speaker 1: We could talk to you for quite some time. I
Speaker 1: pick in your brain about your long success in broadcasting football,
Speaker 1: not only for the Steelers, but to Pitt Panthers in
Speaker 1: Pitt basketball. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you Monday night.
Speaker 1: Thank you guys, if you're pleasures see you then, all right,
Speaker 1: Bill Hillgrove of our guests coming up next to the
Speaker 1: Bears angle of this matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's
Speaker 1: coming up next here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy
Speaker 1: the Score. Download the Chicago Bears App to play our
Speaker 1: new predictor game Risk It brought to you by bet
Speaker 1: Rivers for your chance to win two hundred and fifty
Speaker 1: dollars in free bets and a custom Bears jersey with
Speaker 1: Tom There Jeff Joniak our final moments on tonight's show.
Speaker 1: First thing you think of the Black and Gold is toughness.
Speaker 1: Are they a tough team here in twenty twenty one
Speaker 1: or is a different team? Is Eric Finesse to them
Speaker 1: as well? No, I think they're a tough team because
Speaker 1: you still had the senior statesman like Ben Roethlisberger on
Speaker 1: that team and a couple of the members on the
Speaker 1: defensive side of the ball, So they bring that tradition
Speaker 1: along with them. But you're also trying to introduce that
Speaker 1: tradition to some young guys like Nazi Harris, the running back,
Speaker 1: and if you can get these guys to come aboard
Speaker 1: then you know, I think it's smooth, not smooth sailing,
Speaker 1: but you know, sailing along for the Pittsburgh Steelers like
Speaker 1: traditionally we know them to be. So I think it's
Speaker 1: an inspired franchise led by their head coach that trickles
Speaker 1: to some of the veteran players, that spills out to
Speaker 1: the younger guys. All right, so as we break things
Speaker 1: down a little bit here, the Bears obviously have done
Speaker 1: a great job run of the football. They want to
Speaker 1: run the football. This is a quote from Mike Thomlin
Speaker 1: talking about what was the Browns NFL best running offense
Speaker 1: last week they held Nick Chubb to sixteen for sixty one. Quote.
Speaker 1: There is no secret, sauce. You have to come off blocks,
Speaker 1: you have to hit rap and make tackles. You have
Speaker 1: to get multiple people to the football. That's it, and
Speaker 1: a Kim Hicks said it last week. The Bears have
Speaker 1: to do that now against the Steelers. How do you
Speaker 1: feel the Steelers? How do you feel the Steelers chuck
Speaker 1: up against the Bears rushing offense. I'm really interested to
Speaker 1: listen to you call the game on Monday night because
Speaker 1: they have so much pre snap defensive movement before the
Speaker 1: snap of the ball that you really have to pay
Speaker 1: attention to it. If you're an offensive lineman or you're
Speaker 1: a block or in any position, sometimes you're not going
Speaker 1: to have a chance to vocally make the changes up
Speaker 1: front in terms of the blocking schemes. You're gonna have
Speaker 1: to just trust the guy next year. And you know,
Speaker 1: back in the generation of our time playing, there's a
Speaker 1: lot of teams that move right before the snap of
Speaker 1: the ball. This Pittsburgh Steeler does it with great efficiency.
Speaker 1: So if everybody's not on the same page, it's gonna
Speaker 1: be difficult. But if they are on the same page,
Speaker 1: you're gonna see some big second and third level runs
Speaker 1: by the Bears running backs. All right now, it's Sean
Speaker 1: Gibson has familiarity with Big Ben. He played him several
Speaker 1: times as a Cleveland Brown. You know, he don't want
Speaker 1: to get He took a lot of hits in his
Speaker 1: in his days. Man, he not the same old being Roethlisberger,
Speaker 1: that shading guys off like he used to. You know,
Speaker 1: I used to be crazy, man, I used to be
Speaker 1: in Cleveland seeing that three guys had to take the
Speaker 1: guy down. So obviously he don't want to get hit
Speaker 1: anymore in the shows. And obviously that play that that
Speaker 1: that that that plays are designed for him to get
Speaker 1: the ball out quick. So oh with that, um, those
Speaker 1: d Lions know that, hey, math, they can get to
Speaker 1: the quarterback, get the hands up because obviously tips and
Speaker 1: overthrows this the same got to get those get the
Speaker 1: hands up, man, Hey tips some balls. Man, that's obviously
Speaker 1: the opportunity for us on the back end. But you know,
Speaker 1: he takes shots when needed. Not many vertical passes that
Speaker 1: he's willing to take, but he's that quarterback that's gonna
Speaker 1: take what you give him. And that's always dangerous because
Speaker 1: any any time you're dealing with a quarterback, not many
Speaker 1: quarterbacks we want to take five, y'all checkdowns all the
Speaker 1: way down the field. It's it's a few select quarterbacks,
Speaker 1: and most of those guys are Hall of Fame, the
Speaker 1: Drew Brees, the Time Raised, the Aaron Rodger. You give
Speaker 1: him five, there take five. He follow in that category.
Speaker 1: So obviously you got to play tighter. There's gonna be
Speaker 1: a game plan where we're gonna have to play with
Speaker 1: our odds vision. Break man, be a little tight end
Speaker 1: coverage and you don't give those guys time to hunt
Speaker 1: in the front end. But those guys know that the
Speaker 1: ball come out quick enough man that if you can't
Speaker 1: get there, get to get to get your hands up
Speaker 1: because obviously those opportunities for the back seven to be
Speaker 1: able to affect the game that way, and Timmy, they
Speaker 1: just got to make sure they don't give up the
Speaker 1: big play. The big play obviously was a hunting experience
Speaker 1: against the forty nine ers, and it's happened a time
Speaker 1: or two this season. So limit and try to get
Speaker 1: them in the third and long. They like being in
Speaker 1: third and short where they can do what he just said. Yeah,
Speaker 1: but you know, Roethlisberger's been doing a nice job this year.
Speaker 1: I'm not only helping develop the height end position, but
Speaker 1: then using the other assets he has a disposal. You
Speaker 1: talked about a game where Nagy Harris was targeted. Would
Speaker 1: you do which is unheard off, But then you got
Speaker 1: Chase Claypool, the second year receiver out of Notre Dame.
Speaker 1: What's he carries six five frame with leaping ability last year? Yeah, right,
Speaker 1: big weapons downfield, speedy weapons and Johnson and the emerging
Speaker 1: Nagy Harris. If you had a name three keys for
Speaker 1: the Bears to get a victory where you starting, you know,
Speaker 1: a time of possession on offense, keep Big Ben off
Speaker 1: the field. If you can have a productive running game
Speaker 1: against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home, that's the biggest weapon
Speaker 1: of disaster that they don't want to face. And I
Speaker 1: think the Bears have it with you know, whether David
Speaker 1: Montgomery plays or not. You got to keep justin fields,
Speaker 1: versatility outside the pocket, make sure those defensive ends that
Speaker 1: on that side of the ball can't rush to one
Speaker 1: singular point in the backfield defense. We've been searching for
Speaker 1: turnovers some way, shape or form that gift the AFC
Speaker 1: Division has got a gift the Bears another interception, fumble
Speaker 1: recovery and I'll even go out there and put his
Speaker 1: special team's return of some not all right. We'll talk
Speaker 1: to you on the radio on Monday night, four twenty
Speaker 1: pre Game seven fifteen kickoff on News Radio one oh
Speaker 1: five nine WBVM. Thanks for our producers Jordan tread Up
Speaker 1: and Dan Bailly. For our guests, Bill Hillgrove, jackiem Grant,
Speaker 1: I'm Jeff Joniak with Tom there. Thanks for listening to everybody.
Speaker 1: Thanks everybody at the score and thank you for listening tonight,
Speaker 1: Good night. This is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score,