WEBVTT - All Access: Witzmann preparing for Vikings 0:00:01.160 --> 0:00:04.600 The following is a presentation of the Chicago Bears Network 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:08.640 and Chicago Bears dot Com. Download the Chicago Bears official 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:11.640 mobile app for up to the minute Bears content every 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:16.279 day and now welcome to Bears All Access. You're All 0:00:16.360 --> 0:00:20.799 Access passing to Chicago Bears football. Bears All Access is 0:00:20.800 --> 0:00:25.320 brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by CDW, 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:29.320 Miller Life and Hulu. Happy Holidays, wanted all. Hope your 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:32.560 Christmas was great. It's time to talk Bears with Tom Thayer. 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:34.960 I'm Jeff jonnyac here on Bears All Access, brought to 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:37.920 you by IGS Energy, where at PNC Studios at Hatis 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:40.080 Hogan and you sent for the regular season finale? Tom, 0:00:40.120 --> 0:00:43.320 Can you believe it? It's the regular season finale? At 0:00:43.360 --> 0:00:46.840 one point it felt like it was going in slow motion, 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:48.959 a little bit of very long training camp, and then 0:00:49.000 --> 0:00:50.960 you whipped through a big chunk of the season of 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:52.840 the Bears are in first place, and now you're starting 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:55.360 to think playoffs, at least you and I are. They're not. 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:57.320 They were told not to. And then they clinched to 0:00:57.400 --> 0:01:00.560 the vision big game against Minnesota week eleven, and here 0:01:00.560 --> 0:01:02.000 we are with the rematch and trying to get a 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:04.360 number two seat in the NFC and the playoff picture 0:01:04.360 --> 0:01:07.200 open for a forty or upset of the Rams and 0:01:07.280 --> 0:01:09.560 a win by the Bears in Minnesota. How are you 0:01:09.600 --> 0:01:11.959 taking stock at this whole thing that's sad and happy? 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:15.560 You know, I'm my whole family included, even my mom 0:01:15.600 --> 0:01:17.560 and dad in their eighties, are always so sad when 0:01:17.560 --> 0:01:21.080 football season starts to end, the college season, the high 0:01:21.080 --> 0:01:25.240 school and especially professional football, because it is such a 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:28.240 reason for all of us to get together. But I'm 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:30.319 also excited about the Bears of what they're able to 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:34.120 accomplish since those days in training camp, throughout the regular season, 0:01:34.160 --> 0:01:36.959 throughout training camp, of the regular season, and even training camp, 0:01:37.000 --> 0:01:40.360 we weren't exposed to a lot because the starters really 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:43.440 didn't play a lot, so we didn't couldn't put expectations 0:01:43.440 --> 0:01:46.080 to the season. The only expectations you have that they 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:48.680 were going to play Green Bay Week one. And then 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:51.240 when you look at it, how the continuous development of 0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:54.840 this football team throughout the regular season. That's what kind 0:01:54.880 --> 0:01:57.200 of makes you happy and sad all at the same time. 0:01:57.200 --> 0:01:59.160 You're happy to see the playoffs coming on. The Bears 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:01.000 are a part of it, but you're sad when you 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:02.880 see the conclusion. You can see the light at the 0:02:02.960 --> 0:02:05.720 end of the tunnel because as people who love football, 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:08.359 that's not what we want to see. And we're certainly 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:12.480 excited about the approach Mattneggie's taking about this game going 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:14.880 there to win, no matter what, whoever plays, how long, 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:16.680 how it's all going to work out. With the Rams 0:02:16.720 --> 0:02:18.320 game going on at the same time, there'll be a 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:20.359 little bit scoreboard of watching and whatnot. They have a plan, 0:02:20.440 --> 0:02:22.799 they have a process, he says, But I think it's 0:02:22.919 --> 0:02:26.320 vitally important to have these guys understand it will be 0:02:26.360 --> 0:02:29.240 a playoff atmosphere. Minnesota has to win to go to 0:02:29.280 --> 0:02:31.760 the playoffs. They are going to be rebbed up. And 0:02:31.760 --> 0:02:33.760 the worst thing you can do as a player, i'd imagine, 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:35.800 since you played a night isn't is that you go 0:02:35.840 --> 0:02:38.600 in there thinking, yeah, we're gonna take it a little easy. 0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:41.239 Maybe now, don't have that playoff edge. You'll get hitting 0:02:41.240 --> 0:02:44.000 the moth and get hurt number one, right, Listen, I 0:02:44.000 --> 0:02:46.200 don't want anybody raising their hand looking to get out 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:48.240 of the game. If you're gonna sign up for the 0:02:48.280 --> 0:02:50.520 game and you're gonna take your equipment to Minnesota then 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:53.040 be ready to play the whole game. This will be 0:02:53.080 --> 0:02:57.160 by far, by far, the most hostile environment they play 0:02:57.200 --> 0:02:59.799 in this season. Yeah, it's gonna come in the last 0:03:00.040 --> 0:03:03.440 regular season game. I think the Bears have been in 0:03:03.480 --> 0:03:05.520 some environments that have been able to work on their 0:03:05.560 --> 0:03:11.200 communication ability and the loudest of environments. But the vengefulness 0:03:11.280 --> 0:03:14.080 that Minnesota fan base is going to feel during the 0:03:14.080 --> 0:03:17.200 course of this game, not only to get themselves in 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:19.560 the playoffs, beat the Bears for what they did do 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:21.880 them on Sunday Night a couple of weeks ago, show 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:24.840 them that the way they were respected before the start 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:27.400 of the season, thinking Minnesota could be the best team 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:31.080 in the division. They want to reclaim all that. But 0:03:31.440 --> 0:03:33.680 there's no better atmosphere for the Bears to go in, 0:03:33.960 --> 0:03:36.760 win this football game, get a bye week, and try 0:03:36.800 --> 0:03:40.120 to get an upgrade in their division seating tough team, 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:43.960 tough scenario, tough stadium. Indeed, at that Viking defense every 0:03:43.960 --> 0:03:45.840 bit as good as any defense in the league right now. 0:03:46.120 --> 0:03:48.360 Brian Witchman, the Bears starting right guard, will join us 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:50.760 in the program here tonight, joining us as well as 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:54.640 Paul's Wriguler engineer in Jordan tredup is our what does 0:03:54.680 --> 0:03:57.520 he set up? Set up man? Our producer, yes, our director, 0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:01.480 our boss today. Anyway, this Viking team, how different is it? 0:04:01.520 --> 0:04:03.640 In your opinion? After watching tape from the team that 0:04:03.800 --> 0:04:06.880 the Bears beat in Soldier Field twenty five twenty overcoming 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:10.120 three turnovers in that game, Vikings also committed three turnovers 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:13.040 and what they are now with a new play caller 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:15.760 and a new or maybe I should say what Mike 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:18.680 Zimmer wanted as the mindset. He we don't want that 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:20.920 team running fourteen times like they did against the Bears 0:04:21.120 --> 0:04:23.080 in the week eleven games to run out alun More, 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:25.080 the anticipation of what the coach is going to say 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:28.360 to a team every Monday morning after they play Sunday evaluates, 0:04:28.400 --> 0:04:31.800 the team evaluates. The film is always a little scary. 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:34.840 But there's nothing like when they fire a coach in 0:04:35.000 --> 0:04:37.760 mid stride during the football season. They've already lost the 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:41.240 offensive line coach before the season started. But then when 0:04:41.279 --> 0:04:44.240 you fire a coach midseason, that makes you sit up 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:47.760 in your chair, that makes you take kind of recount 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:50.880 for what you have been doing as a player, what 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:53.960 your requirements are, Are they good enough? And then you 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:58.200 have the change in philosophy, and it's a philosophy that 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:01.440 has to be in grain in an offense's head when 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:03.640 you're going, Okay, we're gonna start running the ball. It's 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:06.599 not going to be a pass blocking offensive lineman. First, 0:05:06.920 --> 0:05:08.760 we are going to stay in our stance. We are 0:05:08.800 --> 0:05:10.400 going to be in our stance. We're gonna give you 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:12.200 the snap count, and we are going to run the 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:14.440 ball behind you. I think forty times the first time, 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:18.040 twenty eight runs, last eight for three, twenty something like that. 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:22.200 But from watching it, what's Kevin Stefanski, who's the offensive coordinator, 0:05:22.200 --> 0:05:24.160 has been there since so six and a highly respected 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:26.760 coach in this league. Somebody's even penciled him in even 0:05:26.800 --> 0:05:29.600 before this promotion as a potential head coaching candidate down 0:05:29.600 --> 0:05:31.920 the road. He's one of these young guns, thirty seven 0:05:32.000 --> 0:05:35.360 years of age, Philadelphia born and raised, tough guy and 0:05:35.440 --> 0:05:37.800 has been around again that Vikings organization a long time, 0:05:37.880 --> 0:05:40.200 starting with the Eagles and brand Children's. What do you 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:43.480 see on tape that looks different than Week eleven anything? 0:05:43.920 --> 0:05:46.200 You know, Dalvin Cook is a little bit more assured 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:48.280 of himself. You know, when you come back and you're 0:05:48.320 --> 0:05:50.560 a young football player in the NFL, you're recovering from 0:05:50.600 --> 0:05:52.719 an injury, you always got to kind of work yourself 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:56.040 through and make sure everything lines up perfectly. And I 0:05:56.240 --> 0:05:58.200 think when you do make the commitment to the run, 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:02.040 your formations are different. The use of big bodies near 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:07.520 the football, the way your quarterback what he has to 0:06:07.640 --> 0:06:10.240 do in order for the team to succeed. Now it's 0:06:10.279 --> 0:06:12.640 not on his back, it's on the shoulders of five 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:15.480 offensive lineman plus a couple tight ends and anybody who 0:06:15.560 --> 0:06:18.280 blocks for the running back. And sometimes that's relief for 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:20.840 a quarterback. Because as much as you want to talk 0:06:20.839 --> 0:06:24.000 about Kirk Cousins and financially the daily God, he's still 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:26.840 in the same position as Mitchell Trubisky. He's learning a 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:30.880 new system, he's learning new terminology, he's learning new teammates, 0:06:31.040 --> 0:06:33.400 and he's been doing a great job of developing their 0:06:33.520 --> 0:06:36.760 receivers and such. But like I said, when you change 0:06:36.800 --> 0:06:40.279 the philosophy of your football team mid stride and you say, 0:06:40.440 --> 0:06:43.120 look where this is no longer thirty five to forty 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:45.720 passes a game, I'm looking to come in here with 0:06:45.960 --> 0:06:48.839 thirty runs a game. But if the Bears jump start 0:06:49.000 --> 0:06:52.480 quickly go up two scores against the number two rushing 0:06:52.560 --> 0:06:54.920 defense in the NFL, which the Bears are not even 0:06:54.960 --> 0:06:58.880 allowing eighty three yards a game eighty one one. I mean, 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:00.839 you know a little bit of that is banging your 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:03.800 head against the wall. I don't stop the run. Dalvin Cook, 0:07:03.880 --> 0:07:06.360 Jeff has got big play capabilities. This is not this 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:09.800 is not a running back that is gonna get you 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:12.720 three point four yards a cliff for forty carries. I 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:14.840 mean he could bang off a seventy five yard or 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:17.640 at the drop of a hat. So when you have 0:07:17.960 --> 0:07:20.520 those capabilities, I don't think even though if you got 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:22.920 a fourteen point lead against the Bears, I don't think 0:07:22.920 --> 0:07:24.840 you would ignore it. All right, Well, we're gonna talk 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:27.760 a lot about this and about the Bears defense in 0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:30.760 general and the ability to jump on teams and the 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:33.880 offense setting the stage with some leads. Bears are the 0:07:33.920 --> 0:07:35.840 only team in the league that has led in every 0:07:35.920 --> 0:07:39.560 single second half game. They have some insane numbers when 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:43.040 you talk about limiting teams to touchdowns and just shutting 0:07:43.040 --> 0:07:47.560 out teams period, an amazing number forty three quarters this 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:51.000 season without allowing a touchdown this season? Are you kidding me? Well, 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:53.400 you know if you're successful on first down and then 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:56.240 you open up the opportunity to rush the passer, and 0:07:56.360 --> 0:07:58.680 what you do well and what you maybe you have 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:02.800 a perceived vulnerability of your opponent in those situations, those 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:05.880 down and distances. It gives a chance the Bears that 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:08.520 are very versatile up front, they can put their pass 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:11.480 rushers against anybody out there, and I think that makes 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:14.600 it difficult for an offensive coordinator devise a perfect game 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:16.600 plan and pass blocking for the Bears. All right, we're 0:08:16.600 --> 0:08:18.960 gonna take our first break here on Bears All Access. 0:08:19.080 --> 0:08:21.040 When we come back, we'll be joined by offensive lineman 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:24.320 Brian Whitsman. Tent there, Jeff Joniac here on Chicago Sports 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:27.080 Radio six seventy the Score. Welcome back to Bears All Access, 0:08:27.160 --> 0:08:29.360 brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud partner of 0:08:29.400 --> 0:08:32.240 the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gas, and home warranty 0:08:32.320 --> 0:08:35.000 products to over one million customers across the country. Learn 0:08:35.080 --> 0:08:38.320 more about IGS Energy at igs dot com, Where at 0:08:38.400 --> 0:08:41.520 ha asall at PNC Studios. Jeff Joniac and top, They're 0:08:41.559 --> 0:08:42.959 good to have you with us, and good to be 0:08:43.040 --> 0:08:45.040 joined by Brian Whitzman, the big rank guard for the 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:47.640 Chicago Bears. How you doing, My friend doing great? Making 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:49.960 your radio debut. Listen to the pipe. I know it's 0:08:50.000 --> 0:08:52.120 like God talking right here. You know, it's funny, you know, 0:08:52.360 --> 0:08:54.560 right myself a right guard. And then I look at 0:08:54.800 --> 0:08:56.719 I look at Brian walk in the room, and you say, 0:08:57.120 --> 0:09:00.200 what's what's changed about the game? And when I look 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:01.920 at Brian, I look at his length and I look 0:09:01.960 --> 0:09:04.600 at the way he uses all of his assets. There's 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:08.120 so much difference between your plan. What were your vitals? Well, 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:10.480 if you gotta give me your vitals, well, all right, 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:12.960 so I went to the combine. I'm I measured at 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:15.959 six three and three quarters? How much um? You know 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:18.719 I played as much as two ninety You know, do 0:09:18.760 --> 0:09:21.040 you remember your arm length? Because he always aggravates him. 0:09:21.080 --> 0:09:22.920 He doesn't like when I always bring up an offensive. 0:09:22.960 --> 0:09:25.920 I means drinking. That doesn't matter, but you know Scott's 0:09:25.960 --> 0:09:28.760 hammer that Now, Now, what are your vitals? UM? Sixty 0:09:28.800 --> 0:09:32.200 seven and three eighth and uh through fifteen? I don't 0:09:32.200 --> 0:09:34.640 remember the arm length. Yeah, but so this is this 0:09:34.800 --> 0:09:37.840 is what confuses me about Oh say, so I feel 0:09:37.880 --> 0:09:39.679 if I was six to five I would have been drafted. 0:09:39.720 --> 0:09:41.360 I was a fourth round draft choice. I thought I'm 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:44.120 gonna be higher draft choice. But then you're six to seven, 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:46.640 you start forty nine games, every one of your games 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:50.720 in college? What the heck happened? You're an undrafted free agent, 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:53.200 which I admire even more because of what you've been 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:56.360 able to accomplish. But what the hell are they evaluating? 0:09:56.640 --> 0:10:00.320 I mean, uh, your small school guy. They look at 0:10:00.400 --> 0:10:03.760 the competition. You didn't you didn't play the big level 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:07.640 guys and in that high division one. Um. But yeah, 0:10:07.720 --> 0:10:11.760 I didn't uh care what they thought. I just knew 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:14.520 I'd did an opportunity in training camp and go from there. 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:19.160 By the way I just left. You know what, I 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:21.880 hate that. I hate that measurement. So you spent a 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:24.240 lot of time in college at offensive tackle, right, yes, 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:26.679 So when you were making the transition inside, was it 0:10:27.120 --> 0:10:28.920 because of a need of the team that you were 0:10:29.000 --> 0:10:31.640 trying out for or did they feel that your skills 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:35.120 fed fit better inside? Yeah? So the first two years 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:38.920 I was strictly tackle, uh with my first three teams, 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:43.120 and then um, finally when Kansas City signed me, Uh, 0:10:43.240 --> 0:10:45.120 they they tried me out a little bit at guard, 0:10:45.160 --> 0:10:48.920 and then that second year training or in off season 0:10:49.000 --> 0:10:51.360 they hopped me in at guard, and yeah, I mean 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:55.840 it's definitely a transition, a lot more uh uh isolated, 0:10:55.960 --> 0:10:58.839 smaller movements, but uh, you feel more secure because you 0:10:58.920 --> 0:11:00.599 got guys you're right and you're left to you know, 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:03.360 I like it, and I like it, and obviously I've 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:06.640 been able to start some games there, so um, yeah, no, 0:11:06.800 --> 0:11:10.520 I enjoy guard and I mean I like tackle, but 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:13.160 I enjoy them both. And my junior year in college 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:14.959 I played a whole season at left tackle. So you 0:11:15.040 --> 0:11:16.719 kind of get that lonely feeling out there when you 0:11:16.800 --> 0:11:18.480 got knowing that you can touch you the left of you. 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:21.520 But now you're the guy you come here within a 0:11:21.559 --> 0:11:23.280 week later your start and you go to the line 0:11:23.320 --> 0:11:26.240 of scrimmage and you're also the ignititer for the center 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:29.040 to know that the quarterbacks are ready. Man, that's a 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:32.440 lot of information filtering through your head in a forty 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.160 second span and still know the snap count and understand 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:37.360 the timing of what is that being asked to you? 0:11:37.520 --> 0:11:41.559 How difficult is that? I mean, I guess it was 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:45.079 a somewhat easier transition with Naggie a lot of familiarity, 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:48.679 but yeah, I mean, you get here and you gotta 0:11:49.200 --> 0:11:52.200 know the stuff right away, and you just dive into 0:11:52.240 --> 0:11:55.280 stuff and dive into your playbook and and uh, I 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:56.959 don't have much time for any now. And by the way, 0:11:56.960 --> 0:11:59.240 when when timers first to the igniter, when you see 0:11:59.360 --> 0:12:02.679 the right guard hitting the the left hip or the 0:12:02.920 --> 0:12:04.760 rear end of the center, it's time to go. It's 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:07.080 time trying to get that snap going. Did you guys 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:09.400 do any of that stuff? And when did that start? 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:12.319 And why does that happen? It probably started since you've 0:12:12.360 --> 0:12:14.640 been in the NFL. Yeah, I would think because they 0:12:14.840 --> 0:12:17.199 had a lot of different things they tried. But then 0:12:17.320 --> 0:12:20.360 now the fact that they have a First of all, 0:12:20.400 --> 0:12:22.120 they have to have an offensive lineman that has an 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:25.439 experience that can maintain everything that's required of him before 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:29.839 and still get a tempo that the defense can't, like, 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:34.319 you know, completely count on every play. Yeah. Um, in 0:12:34.440 --> 0:12:36.800 Kansas City, we just did the center. But I think 0:12:37.559 --> 0:12:39.880 with the center being kind of the quarterback of the 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:42.000 offensive line, he has to see everything, so it's it's 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:45.520 important that he's up and looking around. So uh here 0:12:45.559 --> 0:12:50.079 it's it's good with the guard. Um, yeah, igniting the 0:12:50.200 --> 0:12:52.679 quarterback right. Brian Whitchman, our guest, here on Bears All 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:55.719 Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The score. Why 0:12:55.760 --> 0:13:01.600 saw at the quota UM a mix of academics and athletics. Uh, 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:04.640 I was looking for a civil engineering college and uh 0:13:05.160 --> 0:13:07.319 they happened out for me a scholarship. So it was 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:09.280 best of both worlds. Now you went the easy route, 0:13:09.320 --> 0:13:12.760 just civil engineering, right, Well, how about that engineering students? 0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:15.840 I got a ton of respect for a ton of respect. 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:20.000 Difficult any one of your like a conference award, an 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:23.640 academic award, didn't you. I was reading up about it, 0:13:23.720 --> 0:13:25.480 and you, oh yeah, I was. I was an academic 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:29.680 All Conference or whatever that that list is. But uh yeah, 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:35.079 I mean engineers definitely a challenging uh regiment or in 0:13:35.160 --> 0:13:37.720 college and you really had to balance things and uh 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:43.640 time manage and it really uh yeah. So post career 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:46.760 interest in that, oh yeah, post career interest in that 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:51.800 and a few other things. Um, I did a externship 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:55.199 at Capitol Hill this offseason. This past offseason, I brought that. 0:13:55.320 --> 0:13:57.640 I saw that It kind of slipped under the radar, 0:13:57.720 --> 0:13:59.520 but I found out about it. I brought it up 0:13:59.520 --> 0:14:01.040 to you in the back room a couple of weeks ago. 0:14:01.559 --> 0:14:03.880 Explain to everybody what that was like and where does 0:14:03.960 --> 0:14:07.000 your political interests drive you to do something like that? 0:14:07.400 --> 0:14:09.719 Oh yeah, I just always kind of been interested in 0:14:10.240 --> 0:14:13.520 politics and policy and everything and saw that there was 0:14:13.520 --> 0:14:16.520 an opportunity through the NFL Players Association to do that, 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:20.320 and uh I just leapt at it. I was able 0:14:20.360 --> 0:14:25.160 to kind of intern with Robin Kelly out of Illinois 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:29.040 Representative and uh yeah, just day to day stuff. Got 0:14:29.120 --> 0:14:31.760 to see what a life in DC is about and 0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:36.240 how how our federal government really runs. Uh, just very interesting. 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:39.280 Is there any similarities in your college education to that 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:43.840 or is there anything that you know your education can 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.600 help you to gain more interest in a political opportunity 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:51.520 or not an opportunity, just whatever you're searching for. I mean, 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:54.600 i'd say college wise, with civil engineering, I mean that 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:59.640 that really just the stress and the rigor of that 0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:04.760 kind of puts you uh forward in any uh if 0:15:04.800 --> 0:15:08.520 you go in something else too. But uh, politics wise, yeah, 0:15:08.600 --> 0:15:12.320 I mean I could see myself possibly uh being a 0:15:12.440 --> 0:15:15.400 staffer in DC and then possibly going from there. So 0:15:16.080 --> 0:15:17.920 I bet you'll learned a lot that you can't share. 0:15:18.080 --> 0:15:20.520 But it is a crazy places in that. Yeah, Actually 0:15:20.840 --> 0:15:25.040 a quick crazy story, uh, there's a former Redskins old 0:15:25.040 --> 0:15:28.080 lineman uh Is in Paul Ryan's office, and he was 0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:30.200 able to get us into the White House. And while 0:15:30.240 --> 0:15:32.280 we were doing a private tour of the White House, 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:36.720 there was a lady ran a car into the barrier 0:15:37.280 --> 0:15:39.200 outside the White House. So the White House went on 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:41.480 lockdown when we were in there, and we're like as 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:43.240 a sapping before and they're like, no, this has not 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:46.800 happened before, like in their time, and so we all 0:15:46.960 --> 0:15:49.560 ran like we all rushed outside of the Situation room, 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:52.480 and it was it was pretty intense. Really. Yeah. Well, 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:54.680 I mean, you know, we had an opportunity to go 0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:57.320 there a lot of many years after we won the 0:15:57.360 --> 0:16:00.720 Super Bowl UMU, and that was our opportunity to go 0:16:00.840 --> 0:16:02.680 in there and look at the White House and just 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:06.000 an amazing place. And you know, having an opportunity to 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:09.080 walk through there just because we want a Super Bowl championship. 0:16:09.160 --> 0:16:12.400 It was pretty amazing going through the grounds and inside 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:15.200 the facility and what it means to the to us, 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:17.920 right and just looking at a painting from there, just 0:16:18.000 --> 0:16:20.600 the history behind it, and I mean everything in there 0:16:20.720 --> 0:16:23.800 is just a very historic and just part of our 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:27.360 country's heritage. So and Bryan Wisman, our guest here on 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:30.640 Bears All Access from Chicago Sports Radio six seventy of 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:32.920 the score, lots to break down as the Bears get 0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:34.960 up for the playoff before we had to a break 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:38.400 here and just the idea of being a six seven 0:16:38.480 --> 0:16:41.920 guy playing card. What are the inherent difficulties of being 0:16:42.160 --> 0:16:48.120 that tall? Yeah, inside, it's all about leverage. So there's 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:51.200 deffinitely difficulties going against those those bigger, kind of more 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:54.640 compact guys that are shorter and stubbier, I mean, because 0:16:54.680 --> 0:16:57.400 you got to get leverage below them, and leverage always 0:16:57.440 --> 0:17:02.680 wins down there. So there's definitely challenges. But uh, I 0:17:02.720 --> 0:17:05.520 guess my length can definitely make up for that some 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:08.440 of that stuff, and you just really got to concentrate 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:12.760 on lowering your pads and getting down there. Because definitely 0:17:12.840 --> 0:17:15.360 different than a than a six three guard possibly well yeah, 0:17:15.359 --> 0:17:16.840 I mean, well playing against you know, a couple of 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:18.600 years ago, I mean a couple of weeks ago, against 0:17:18.640 --> 0:17:21.119 Aaron Donald and the speed that he has and his 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:23.720 small frame. But you know what, you guys, you and Cody, 0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:26.680 you and Bobby, you guys work really well together. And 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:29.880 it seems like when you talk about fits on defenses, 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:32.760 fits for offensive line play as equally as important. So 0:17:33.280 --> 0:17:35.080 kind of helps you get a chance to get you know, 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:38.200 get your usable leverage and your usable strength. But you're 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:40.920 also quick enough to get your hands on the defender 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:44.040 before they can ever touch you, which is so defeating, 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:47.520 deflating to a defensive lineman. And did you play defensive 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:49.960 lineman in high school? Little? Um? I did? I was? 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:54.240 I was a All state armable mentioned d n nice 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:56.920 any mental recall about when you are fate, like what 0:17:57.080 --> 0:17:59.680 you would be thinking in an instant? I mean I 0:17:59.800 --> 0:18:02.840 was just going against better to little guys in a 0:18:02.960 --> 0:18:06.280 small town that wasn't even sat look at the grin. 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:08.840 I know. Well, I mean you buried people, didn't you. 0:18:09.640 --> 0:18:11.000 It's a good thing. You're a nice guy, but you 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:13.840 have a little nasty to you too. Yeah, finish your finishers, 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:17.000 they like to say, definitely, Yeah, Yeah. I mean there's 0:18:17.040 --> 0:18:18.920 there's a side of me I feel anything, the side 0:18:18.960 --> 0:18:21.200 of me on the field, and they're completely different. Yeah. 0:18:21.240 --> 0:18:22.919 We'll talk more about that when we come back here 0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:25.639 on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score, escape the 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:28.720 cold and head to the Riu Palace, Costa mujeris in 0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:33.240 Cancoon with your favorite Bears players, including Prince Amukamara, Roquan Smith, 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:36.639 and Cody Wyhair. Plus Inside the Bears hosts Lauren Screeten 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:40.000 and Anthony Adams. Visit Apple Vacations dot com slash Bears 0:18:40.240 --> 0:18:43.200 to book Today. Bears meet the Vikings in Minnesota coming 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:45.960 up on Sunday. You can hear the game on Chicago's 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:48.760 Home of the Bears. It is News Radio seven eighty 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:50.840 and one oh five point nine FM. WBM will start 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:53.399 our pregame at noon, kickoff at three twenty five. And 0:18:53.800 --> 0:18:56.600 having as many guys would playoff experience like you had 0:18:56.960 --> 0:18:59.159 last year in Kansas City. Brian Witzman our guest here 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:01.520 on Bears All Access with Tom There. I'm Jeff Joniak 0:19:02.040 --> 0:19:06.040 is so valuable because Tom and I, you know, obviously 0:19:06.119 --> 0:19:07.960 been doing this a long time, and we talked to 0:19:08.080 --> 0:19:10.920 these guys and they really are sometimes stunned at what 0:19:11.040 --> 0:19:14.119 the playoff intensity is like. And there will be a 0:19:14.160 --> 0:19:16.760 playoff atmosphere in Minnesota on Sunday, there is no doubt 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:20.080 about it. So if you haven't experienced playoff football like 0:19:20.240 --> 0:19:22.840 you have, you do realize that it does ratchet up 0:19:22.880 --> 0:19:25.440 to a whole different level. Can you be one of 0:19:25.480 --> 0:19:28.600 those guys that explain to players, Hey, listen, you may 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:30.960 have heard about this. It may sound like a cliche, 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:34.760 but it is reality. Yeah, I mean it's it's definitely 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:37.800 an increased intensity, but at the same time, you can't 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:41.280 let that get into your head and distract you from 0:19:41.359 --> 0:19:44.920 the task at hand. Obviously it's it's one and done 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:48.040