WEBVTT - All Access: Zach Miller and Doug Plank 0:00:01.120 --> 0:00:04.520 The following is a presentation of the Chicago Bears Network 0:00:04.640 --> 0:00:08.600 Andicago Bears dot Com. Download the Chicago Bears official mobile 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:11.799 app for up to the minute Bears content every day 0:00:11.880 --> 0:00:16.480 and now welcome to Bears All Access. You're All Access 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:20.680 passing to Chicago Bears football. Bears All Access is brought 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:25.400 to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by CDW, Miller 0:00:25.520 --> 0:00:30.080 Lite and Kulu. Best to your Bears fans. We now 0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:32.920 have the template for the twenty nineteen season. This schedule 0:00:32.960 --> 0:00:36.000 release last night, the script with which to work off 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:39.240 of now and here for the evaluation. My broadcast partner 0:00:39.240 --> 0:00:41.120 on News Radio seven eighty and one h five point 0:00:41.120 --> 0:00:44.440 at FM, Tom Fair, Welcome into Bears All Access, brought 0:00:44.440 --> 0:00:47.080 to you by IGS Energy here on Chicago Sports Radio 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:49.559 six seventy of the score. A good evening, Big Time. 0:00:49.560 --> 0:00:51.559 How you doing, Big Jeff. You know, when the schedule 0:00:51.640 --> 0:00:55.080 comes out, there's always a little search points depending upon 0:00:55.200 --> 0:00:58.280 what position you play in the different things. Okay, you 0:00:58.320 --> 0:01:00.200 look for these, and you know me, I'm gonna look 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:02.960 for the extremely hot weather games first, what are the 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:04.959 ones that are going to be the most uncomfortable to 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:07.040 get through? And then maybe you look, are you going 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:10.240 to have an extreme cold opportunity out there, and then 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:13.080 who are you playing and when do you play them? 0:01:13.080 --> 0:01:15.720 What type of advantages do you have at home against 0:01:15.720 --> 0:01:17.760 some of the better players you're gonna play against, But 0:01:17.880 --> 0:01:20.399 where are some of the disadvantages you're gonna face when 0:01:20.400 --> 0:01:23.280 you're playing in an opponent stadium and you have to 0:01:23.319 --> 0:01:26.240 face some of the best players in the most hostile environment. 0:01:26.319 --> 0:01:29.920 So the players they do go through, you know, searching 0:01:30.160 --> 0:01:34.319 how it's going to affect their opportunities this season. Also, 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:36.920 do you do that more now as a broadcasher than 0:01:36.959 --> 0:01:39.679 you did as a as a player? Noway? I mean 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:42.240 as a player, I would as much as anything, because 0:01:42.280 --> 0:01:45.080 we played Tampa twice a year then, so you had 0:01:45.120 --> 0:01:47.000 to see where you're gonna get them out of the 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:50.120 way early in the season when it was extremely hot 0:01:50.120 --> 0:01:52.720 down there, and then they would come to Chicago hopefully 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:55.720 on a colder day or vice versa, where you gonna 0:01:55.760 --> 0:01:58.720 be a fat, happy team in December and then have 0:01:58.800 --> 0:02:01.560 to go down to Tampa in catching eighty five degree 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:04.800 day in suck air through the whole thing. So and 0:02:04.840 --> 0:02:07.200 then you had to look for guys like Keith Millard 0:02:07.200 --> 0:02:10.080 at times in his career, or the Reggie Whites you know, 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:13.320 or you know, just the great players that would come across. 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:16.960 You know your schedule. Jim Miller unable to join us tonight, 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:18.680 but we have a full hour with you and some 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:21.600 special guests tonight had coming up. Shortly, Zach Miller joined 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:25.160 us for his first interview following his statement released last 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:27.160 week that he's going going to stop playing football. Then 0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:29.840 around six thirty one of the most popular and certainly 0:02:29.919 --> 0:02:33.200 tom one of the hardest hitting safety's and players ever 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:36.280 in Bear's history, but one and only Doug Plank joins us. 0:02:36.280 --> 0:02:38.600 We're gonna get the ball rolling on that Bears one 0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:42.040 hundred years celebration event coming up in Rosemont in June, 0:02:42.120 --> 0:02:44.560 the days of seventh, eighth, and ninth. That's going to 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:47.959 be a fun interview and a fun event indeed, town. 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:50.079 You know, the one thing that catches my eye right 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:52.880 from the get go is mcmannon Trubisky on the same 0:02:52.960 --> 0:02:56.720 stage because I've got to or not understand. I get 0:02:56.760 --> 0:03:00.799 to know Mitch a little bit from his a podium opportunities, 0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:04.560 and he's so well spoken in answers are thoughtful, and 0:03:04.760 --> 0:03:07.600 Jim is the opposite end of the spectrum. It's gonna 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:10.840 be awesome, But you have to Jim is one of 0:03:10.880 --> 0:03:13.880 the most intelligent football minds that you could have an 0:03:13.919 --> 0:03:16.840 opportunity to put on stage with the young quarterback of 0:03:16.880 --> 0:03:20.120 the future because the game that Jim came from in 0:03:20.200 --> 0:03:24.600 college is more used now in the NFL than it 0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:27.920 was when Jim came into the NFL. Yeah, lots to 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.560 break down during that weekend. You're going to have your 0:03:31.600 --> 0:03:36.960 best opportunity ever for the most collection of Bears players 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:39.960 past and present. That will be a heck of event. 0:03:40.000 --> 0:03:42.720 We're looking forward to it and it's coming up rapidly 0:03:42.760 --> 0:03:44.440 as a matter of fact. All right. Before we get 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:48.560 more into that, back to the schedule and where you 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:51.920 break it down, and I'll give you my thoughts as well. 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:56.800 What are some flashpoint areas that has caught your attention 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:59.160 in terms of just how it stacks up and where 0:03:59.200 --> 0:04:00.840 you got to be at a certain point in a season. 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:03.920 When you're the Bears in twenty nineteen, it's it's the 0:04:04.000 --> 0:04:09.280 roller coaster of starting times, practice changes, um, late nights, 0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:11.120 getting back from a game that you've got to get 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:14.000 right back on the on the practice schedule, and sometimes 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:18.160 the first couple of days are exhausting and m you know, 0:04:18.600 --> 0:04:21.000 and just see how all the how the travel is 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:24.039 gonna work itself out in you know, there's just a 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:26.560 lot of different elements to it, but it is you 0:04:26.640 --> 0:04:29.240 know that when your divisional games are going to take place, 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:31.919 they're still the most important, but you also have a 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:35.000 schedule of success. They're not going to put you in 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:38.240 that roller coaster starting times all over the map trying 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:42.000 to capture a national audience's attention because the Bears are 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:45.719 so popular. It's just that you have to be able 0:04:45.760 --> 0:04:49.240 to um, you know, have a mature team inside that 0:04:49.320 --> 0:04:52.000 locker room that can get their energies organized at the 0:04:52.080 --> 0:04:54.120 right time and the different starting times, they're going to 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:56.200 find something they certainly have, you know, and that they're 0:04:56.200 --> 0:04:58.080 one of they had the most right now along with 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:01.160 several other teams. They're all playoff can enders, all believed 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:04.080 to be Super Bowl contenders, that have five primetime games. 0:05:04.080 --> 0:05:06.320 Then you throw in the London game, Thanksgiving games. So 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:08.480 it's a lot of attention on the twenty nineteen Bears 0:05:08.880 --> 0:05:12.480 from my money, dang healthy as you entered December because 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:14.840 that final month of the season and how that all 0:05:14.839 --> 0:05:17.839 stacks up to me, it's always after Thanksgiving. You've heard 0:05:17.880 --> 0:05:20.200 me say many times. That's when the season actually begins. 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:23.120 If you're a contender, it doesn't really start until then, 0:05:23.160 --> 0:05:25.159 and that's when you want to hit. You hit your straight. 0:05:25.360 --> 0:05:28.080 If the Bears have the same success rate and the 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:31.320 health that they did last year, it's going to be 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:33.800 a really big season for all Right. That's top there. 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:36.679 I'm Jeff Jonahak and this is Bears All Access producing 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:40.280 tonight Chris Dickens and also Hearb Lawrence. Coming up next, 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:43.560 we'll be joined by Zach Miller bere on Bears All 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:48.760 Access in Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Squad fling 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:50.720 back to Bears All the Access brought to you by 0:05:50.920 --> 0:05:54.719 IGS Energy, of proud partner of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, 0:05:54.880 --> 0:05:57.440 natural gas, and home warranty products to over one million 0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:01.200 customers across the country. Learn more about GS Energy at 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:04.440 igs dot com. Welcome back to the program, Jeff Jonnyac 0:06:04.440 --> 0:06:08.200 along with Tom Thare, and this is Chicago Sports Radio 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:10.840 six seventy the Score. Please to be joined now by 0:06:10.880 --> 0:06:12.839 a good friend of ours and a good friend of 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:17.359 Bears fans, number eighty six, Zach Miller. It's one week 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:20.480 from tonight is the NFL Draft, and how quickly time 0:06:20.480 --> 0:06:23.920 has flown, big big Zach from a sixth round pick 0:06:23.920 --> 0:06:26.920 in two thousand and nine with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Where 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:31.080 you are? Now, what's going on, guys? We're doing all right, Zach. 0:06:31.480 --> 0:06:35.200 Last week, obviously you issued a statement on social media 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:40.960 that your football playing days have since passed. And have 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:45.520 you digested all that since I'm slowly I'm slowly doing that. 0:06:47.880 --> 0:06:51.280 A bittersweet moment for me, obviously, just because it didn't 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:53.880 quite end the way that I would envision it. And 0:06:54.960 --> 0:06:56.400 but as I look back at it and I see 0:06:56.440 --> 0:06:58.360 all the support that I've got, you know, not only 0:06:58.400 --> 0:07:01.479 in the last two days, but really over the last 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:06.560 ten years, it makes you reflect on all of that 0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:09.080 and see how blessed I am to really be in 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:12.080 the position I am and I wasn't for ten years. 0:07:12.080 --> 0:07:15.880 So it was a bittersweet day. But I'll tell you what, 0:07:15.920 --> 0:07:18.720 I had a good run, hey, Zach. Within your statement, 0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:21.120 one of the things I like you said, chase your dream, 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:24.920 never stop, never settle, and you know, I kind of, 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:27.120 you know, think about that through are my opportunity to 0:07:27.200 --> 0:07:29.280 play football? And the way you come out of it. 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:32.120 I would do it all over again, every single thing 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:35.200 I had the opportunity. When you consider what you've been 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:38.240 through but really where you're going, would you do it 0:07:38.280 --> 0:07:41.040 all the same? I think I'd run it all back 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:45.760 just the same way. And partly just because for me, 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:51.960 my love is the journey. It kind of made me 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:55.840 who I am. Maybe I changed the ending, I changed 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:58.040 the outcome, but as far as everything up leading to 0:07:58.040 --> 0:07:59.400 that point, I think I do all the same way 0:07:59.400 --> 0:08:03.360 because I learned so much through the hardships, UM, in 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:06.000 the in those moments where I was down for a while, 0:08:06.160 --> 0:08:08.360 out of the league, you know, and not playing for 0:08:08.440 --> 0:08:12.000 a number of uh almost three and a half years 0:08:12.040 --> 0:08:14.920 being on IR, and I learned. I learned just so 0:08:15.040 --> 0:08:19.880 much about never giving up, UM, continuing to believe in 0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:24.440 yourself and really believing your abilities regardless of outside perception 0:08:24.760 --> 0:08:27.920 or what other people may think. UM. If you have 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:30.080 that confidence in yourself and in your abilities and you 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:34.080 continue to push and grow, you can you can ultimately 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:39.360 reach those goals. And I think for me that journey 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:41.640 and learning all those things is probably one of the 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:43.760 most important part of it. You know, it isn't it 0:08:43.840 --> 0:08:46.520 amazing that you can play the game and affect a few, 0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:49.680 you can have a scenario that you've faced and you 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:53.240 can affect thousands and people all over the world. It's 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:56.880 it's it's an amazing how positive of effect you can 0:08:56.920 --> 0:09:00.480 have on so many young and old. It is, and 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:03.320 that's something that's still it kind of touches my heart 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:06.200 just because I've had so many people reach out to me, 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:11.800 whether near far, whether Bears fans or NFL fans across 0:09:11.840 --> 0:09:14.000 the globe, and people that are kind of going through 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:17.560 the same stuff that I'm going through injury wise, similar injuries, 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:21.840 and then people who have other obstacles, but they find 0:09:21.880 --> 0:09:23.880 a little bit of inspiration in my story. And for me, 0:09:24.080 --> 0:09:27.840 it's that's the pool is part about it, because other 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:30.600 people are getting a little bit of positivity from and 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:33.520 they're gaining some light and it's continuing to help them 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:36.360 push through the stuff that they are struggling with on 0:09:36.400 --> 0:09:40.480 a daily basis. So it's almost a little bit of 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:43.439 a blessing for me to be able to kind of 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:46.839 provide that positive influence on people all over the world 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:50.560 that we've never met, but we connect on a certain level. 0:09:50.840 --> 0:09:53.040 Is Zach Miller our guest here on Bears All Access 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:55.520 brought to you by IGS Energy, Jeff Jonny Act, Tom 0:09:55.559 --> 0:09:58.360 Bear on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score And 0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:00.760 I'm struck by the photo you It placed down in 0:10:00.800 --> 0:10:05.240 your Instagram account, and I'm not an Instagram person, but 0:10:05.720 --> 0:10:08.520 it did come up. Uh it's just your your arms 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:12.640 spread wide. You're back to the camera and you're dwarfing 0:10:13.520 --> 0:10:15.560 Soldier Field and the and the and the great city 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:18.840 of Chicago in the foreground. Um, when you look at 0:10:18.840 --> 0:10:22.080 that photo and you see that photo, what what? What 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:25.000 are you thinking? What are you what are you feeling 0:10:25.080 --> 0:10:29.760 when you see that? It's something that I put together. Um, 0:10:30.160 --> 0:10:31.920 you know, I took a couple of pictures and I 0:10:32.000 --> 0:10:34.400 thought it through and it was one something of what 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:39.199 I wanted to put out there for everybody to see 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:43.200 and embody my time in Chicago, and it was the 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:48.160 appreciation for a every single person inside of that Chicago 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:53.240 land area, inside inside Soldier Field, people inside the stadium 0:10:53.240 --> 0:10:56.000 that are now perched up above the city. And it 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:59.080 was just a big giant thank you and a and 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:03.440 a giant of you for having my back. And that's 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:04.840 just kind of what it meant for me putting it 0:11:04.880 --> 0:11:07.480 together that way, So I thought it was city and 0:11:08.320 --> 0:11:10.880 hopefully everybody else thought the same. Zach, you know you 0:11:10.920 --> 0:11:13.440 mentioned that. Sorry time you mentioned that. Uh you know, 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:17.880 in time mentioned the impact in in thousands around the 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:22.800 world that you have made because of eighteen months ago. 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:25.719 But in a broader scope, like you mentioned, three and 0:11:25.760 --> 0:11:28.480 a half years of lost time due to injury. Did 0:11:28.480 --> 0:11:31.040 a change who you are in any way? And well 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:32.840 how you look at life and how you looked at 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:36.760 the game? Yeah, I think it changed me. I think 0:11:36.800 --> 0:11:40.319 any all these obstacles kind of changed people, whether good 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:46.240 or bad. For me, it proved a point not only 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:48.200 to everybody else, but most of poorly took myself that 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:52.320 I was able to pick myself up. Um, you know, 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:56.760 through those loads, I was able to continue on an 0:11:56.880 --> 0:12:00.680 upward slope to really get to where I won to be. 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:06.600 And was the other half of the question just you 0:12:06.640 --> 0:12:09.719 know how you looked at the game? Oh yeah, so 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:12.280 I mean for Jeff, Jeff, for me, man, that just 0:12:12.320 --> 0:12:15.680 made it more special and not a lot of guys 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:19.560 are not active for three and a half years, whether 0:12:19.559 --> 0:12:22.360 they're on our eye or I are, or out of 0:12:22.360 --> 0:12:25.319 the league or doing whatever. There's a that's a big window. 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:31.079 So for me, it really made me appreciate being there, 0:12:31.840 --> 0:12:35.040 being in that seat, being able to walk out on 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:38.439 the field and continue to do what I loved. It 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:41.079 made me appreciate it so much more because when you're 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:43.520 in it, it's just what you're doing, and sometimes you 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:47.240 can be taken for granted. And after that three and 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:50.720 a half year period, I never took it for granted. 0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:52.520 Not a day that I stepped on a football fire 0:12:52.559 --> 0:12:54.319 that I didn't love what I was doing. There were struggles, 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:57.199 you know, you're going through training campus, you're doing the 0:12:57.480 --> 0:12:59.719 dog days of things where it's not exactly fun, But 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:03.760 I never took those opportunities for granted, and I think 0:13:03.760 --> 0:13:06.880 that's probably the biggest thing that it was taught to 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:10.720 myself through that window. You know, Zach, I think last year, though, 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:13.400 I think you inspired a lot of people around Hollis 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:15.640 Hall when you would make that daily trek from the 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:19.240 weight room back to the facility. It was inspiring because 0:13:19.360 --> 0:13:22.640 people understood what your commitment was to it. So now 0:13:22.679 --> 0:13:25.080 you know this football team inside and out better than 0:13:25.120 --> 0:13:27.600 anyone this one that's coming up. When you look at 0:13:27.600 --> 0:13:30.840 the roller coaster schedule, Are you a player that would 0:13:30.920 --> 0:13:34.880 like straight now starts or are you okay with this 0:13:34.920 --> 0:13:39.319 team having the alternate starting times of this roller coaster year. 0:13:40.360 --> 0:13:44.520 I'm okay with us having the roller coaster only because 0:13:44.720 --> 0:13:47.440 I know that we'll be well prepared for it. If 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:49.720 you look at it and kind of as a player 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:53.880 from a weekly routine, would you like everything to kind 0:13:53.880 --> 0:13:58.800 of be the same. Yeah, probably, But when you substitute 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:01.880 that for prime time, you substitute that for under the lights, 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:06.600 you substitute that for division rivals, um and and big 0:14:06.760 --> 0:14:11.520 big moments. With with what we're putting together, with what 0:14:11.640 --> 0:14:13.640 Ryan has done, with what coach Knas has done in 0:14:13.679 --> 0:14:16.840 the last year, and how he prepares these guys, I 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:18.680 think it's gonna be exciting because they're going to show 0:14:18.760 --> 0:14:20.000 up on prime time and this he up to be 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:23.920 a lovely display for everybody to see the Chicago Bears 0:14:24.120 --> 0:14:27.480 kicking some butt. Zach Miller our guest here on Bears 0:14:27.520 --> 0:14:29.920 All Access with Jeff Jonny Akin town Fare on Chicago 0:14:30.000 --> 0:14:32.400 Sports Radio six seventies score. It's brought to you by 0:14:32.440 --> 0:14:36.520 IGS Energy. Uh just looking at your career, I saw 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:41.240 this Pro football Focus said, and they evaluate every snap 0:14:41.240 --> 0:14:44.800 in the NFL. Um they're gaining in popularity and so forth, 0:14:44.840 --> 0:14:46.840 certainly around this time a year with the draft, but 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:51.000 a stunning stat especially for a tight end and a 0:14:51.040 --> 0:14:54.000 guy that was in several different systems. They said that 0:14:54.080 --> 0:14:57.920 you only had four drop passes in your career. That's 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:01.040 pretty good. That's some good hands. It is not bad. 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:06.000 I'll tell you what, guys, I took pride in catching 0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:09.840 the football. I worked on it. It was it was 0:15:09.880 --> 0:15:11.840 something that and it's funny that you say that because 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:13.720 I was just talking to one of my best friends 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:17.840 last night about it, and because I made that transition 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:20.600 from quarterback to tight end. I never really did catching 0:15:20.680 --> 0:15:23.200 drills and I got into the NFL and I worked 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:26.200 on it. I did tennis ball drills with one eye open, 0:15:26.320 --> 0:15:29.440 one eye closed, bouncing stuff off the wall. I worked 0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:32.560 on one hand. It catches every single day over the shoulders. 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:34.840 So those were something that I kind of took pride 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:38.160 and catching the football, and I wanted that I didn't 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:40.000 I didn't want. I went one of the lowest drop 0:15:40.080 --> 0:15:42.680 rate in the entire league. So, um, it's cool if 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:44.680 they do that for you know, they put those stats 0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:46.320 together for guys to kind of see some off the 0:15:46.360 --> 0:15:49.000 wall and statistics, but that's pretty sweet, you know, Zach. 0:15:49.040 --> 0:15:52.800 When I so you play tight end, h back, fullback, split, 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:55.560 tight end, short yardage, tight end on short yardage and 0:15:55.640 --> 0:15:59.640 goal line during the expansion of your career, what was 0:16:00.320 --> 0:16:03.120 more challenging for you? And I'm kind of for thinking 0:16:03.200 --> 0:16:06.160 for Adam sheheen, but I need to hear from your experience. 0:16:06.680 --> 0:16:09.120 Is it what's more challenging at an NFL level? Is 0:16:09.160 --> 0:16:12.120 it the online blocking or is it the route running 0:16:12.120 --> 0:16:17.400 and timing with a quarterback with the creativeness of Mitchell. 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:23.960 I think it was the inline blocking, just the physical 0:16:24.040 --> 0:16:26.400 nature of what it is for me specifically, because I've 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:29.200 never really had my hand in the dirt and I 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:31.720 had to kind of learn that skill for the first 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:33.960 three four years and I probably wasn't even really good 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:38.640 at it and maybe ever, but there was a period 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:41.800 where I was able to do that and I started 0:16:41.840 --> 0:16:43.560 to kind of find a little niche and you use 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:46.800 more quickness opposed to being overpowered. So for me, it 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:50.720 was the inline just understanding the strength and how I 0:16:50.760 --> 0:16:54.240 could use my quickness and agility to kind of, you know, 0:16:54.920 --> 0:16:58.680 hold off the bigger, stronger dudes. Now when you get 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:02.280 into the route running and the timing thing. I was 0:17:03.000 --> 0:17:05.679 fortunate enough to play quarterbacks, so I understood timing in 0:17:05.760 --> 0:17:09.440 my own head. There was times where you may run 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:13.359 her out and just my internal clock already knows where 0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:15.560 Mitchell is going to be at and what he kind 0:17:15.560 --> 0:17:18.520 of needed. So I feel like I had an advantage 0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:22.760 from that standpoint. And speaking specifically of Adam, I think 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:24.960 just the more that he plays, the better he's going 0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:28.600 to get. Obviously has all the physical tools. He's a giant. 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:33.720 His catch radius is huge, and he is a very 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:38.280 very good athlete. Now is he just he's strong enough 0:17:38.320 --> 0:17:40.720 to really be a dominant inline blockers just got to 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:44.880 learn some technique. He's very tall, so the lower pad 0:17:44.960 --> 0:17:47.520 level for him and things like that. The sky's the 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:50.200 limits really for where he is and what he can 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:52.520 do talent wise. So I'm excited to see him grow. 0:17:53.119 --> 0:17:55.240 Jack Miller our guest here on Bears All Access with 0:17:55.280 --> 0:17:58.240 Tom There Jeff jonny Ac on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy. 0:17:58.280 --> 0:18:01.320 The Score brought to you by IGS Energy. One thing 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:03.360 for me and it'll be last one for me and time. 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:05.440 If you have something else you can chime in as well. 0:18:05.480 --> 0:18:08.600 But I have a good question. I heard something. What's that? 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:11.359 I said, I have a good question. Okay, now go ahead. 0:18:11.400 --> 0:18:15.280 I was sorry. I heard something about Bill Belichick today 0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:18.919 on the radio and just how the lack of practice 0:18:19.359 --> 0:18:24.000 time with players and installing offenses is such that it 0:18:24.280 --> 0:18:28.480 shifts for a coach in terms of what he can 0:18:28.520 --> 0:18:31.760 put in and how quickly the entire offense can get downloaded. 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:34.720 I only bring it up because Mattneggie keeps talking about 0:18:35.080 --> 0:18:37.600 Mitch and the offense at one on one level last 0:18:37.680 --> 0:18:39.920 year now two oh one. This year is the expectation 0:18:39.960 --> 0:18:42.240 and beyond and it's going to grow like that every year. 0:18:43.320 --> 0:18:47.080 Is it smart for coaches now to take the approach like, okay, 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:49.360 don't panic and training camp. If you get you can't 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:51.600 get it all in, get enough to get it done 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:53.359 the first couple games of the season that puts you 0:18:53.359 --> 0:18:56.600 in a position to win and still download and installed 0:18:56.680 --> 0:18:58.399 throughout the course of the first six weeks of the 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:01.280 season or so. Yeah. I think so. I think that's 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:04.920 just that's the right approach, only because you don't want 0:19:04.920 --> 0:19:07.520 to have information overload. You can get you can get 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:11.320 a playbook that's so diverse and so complex and a 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:14.320 lot of guys are moving different positions, and if you 0:19:14.400 --> 0:19:16.280 throw it all at them at one at one time, 0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:22.119 it can be we're learning everything at an average level, 0:19:22.960 --> 0:19:26.840 or we can kind of limit it, pick out the 0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:29.720 most important things, all our key concepts, what we're gonna do, 0:19:30.680 --> 0:19:34.400 become great at those, and then grow from that kind 0:19:34.440 --> 0:19:36.479 of as the season goes, and then you take that 0:19:36.520 --> 0:19:40.720 conglomerate and then it's changed week by week. So I'd 0:19:40.720 --> 0:19:43.920 say early on for that approach is right on, and 0:19:45.080 --> 0:19:48.240 that's coming for me. I think Coach Belichick and Coach 0:19:48.320 --> 0:19:50.960 Nagging a heck of a lot more than what I 0:19:50.960 --> 0:19:54.840 would do, So I'd follow in their footsteps for sure. Hey, Zach, 0:19:54.920 --> 0:19:57.879 last question for me. You know, you've had some amazing 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:00.720 experiences in your life in the NFL. You've come from 0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:03.119 one of the grumpiest postgame locker rooms to one of 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:06.200 the craziest postgame locker rooms I've ever seen in my life. 0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:09.760 Isn't it weird how fine line it is between those 0:20:09.800 --> 0:20:14.240 two postgame locker rooms. I'll tell you what man night 0:20:14.320 --> 0:20:19.000 and day differences just from you know how it's a 0:20:19.119 --> 0:20:21.280 challenge to win in the NFL. It really is from 0:20:21.320 --> 0:20:25.200 week to week and they're special and coach Naggie does 0:20:25.240 --> 0:20:29.480 such a great job of understanding that and really pushing 0:20:29.520 --> 0:20:32.760 that narrative to his entire team and enjoying it. So 0:20:32.920 --> 0:20:35.959 there's nothing wrong with having fun and really soaking up 0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:39.800 that entire sixty minute battle that you just had, and 0:20:39.840 --> 0:20:41.159 then you come inside and you get to have a 0:20:41.200 --> 0:20:43.040 little bit of a party with your with your family 0:20:43.040 --> 0:20:46.000 in there. It's a it's a pretty cool thing that 0:20:46.040 --> 0:20:48.760 he set up. And I think you're starting to see 0:20:48.800 --> 0:20:53.600 it kind of trend now trickle down effect out the NFL, 0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:57.000 but you know where it started, and that's a that's 0:20:57.000 --> 0:20:59.320 a live party in there. I'm glad you allowed the 0:20:59.359 --> 0:21:02.480 fans the exposure because it's really cool for x has 0:21:02.480 --> 0:21:04.600 beens to see it going on, and it's fun to 0:21:04.640 --> 0:21:08.240 see the young guys enjoying the opportunity of success. It's 0:21:08.280 --> 0:21:11.560 so fun. Man. He's he knows exactly what he's doing. 0:21:11.600 --> 0:21:14.280 And uh, like I said, it's been a privilege for 0:21:14.760 --> 0:21:17.600 him to kind of take me in and then allow 0:21:17.640 --> 0:21:20.200 me to be in that position for that entire year. 0:21:20.280 --> 0:21:24.280 So I love that guy. That's the aspect of sports 0:21:24.320 --> 0:21:28.080 that is lost, is the aspect that when it is over, 0:21:29.040 --> 0:21:30.800 you missed the room, you missed the day to day 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:33.320 grind with teammates. I'd like both of you to talk 0:21:33.400 --> 0:21:37.240