All Access: Anthony Miller ready for rookie season

a long wait. We are pleased to get it rolling this week and walk into Bears All Access here at Chicago Sports Radio six seventy of the Score with Jeff Jonnyact, Tom Bear, and our special guest, the rookie ride receiver out of Memphis, Anthony Miller, a guy who Tom talked to the media today. I could just hear it. I could see the rainbows opening up the blue skies. It's it's time to play. Definitely, Hi. Feeling about it. Feeling good,

feeling good. Um. You know, the team's been preparing well for this opportunity, and I believe we're gonna take full advantage of it. You know, it seems like you've been ready to go since the moment you got here, when you go from being a walking into your college program, then you get drafted the second round in the NFL. It's a heck of an accomplishment, first of all. But does the jump seem as big from high school to college now from college to prom? Kind of sort of,

But it's really the same thing. You can't make football more than what it really is. But when you get to this level, you know most definitely like the details change. You know, the speed of the game is different. You know, everything's just different at the professional level, you know. And so in twenty fifteen in college you have forty seven catches and none in sixteen you have ninety five. What

happened in that short period of time? And do you see that the same thing being able to trap said here at this level even though it is the NFL. UM And like with that change, uh, we had a coaching change. Um. But between those years, so, um we had coach Norville come from Arizona, Arizona State, and uh he brought that West Coast offense and uh, of course

in that offense it's passed first. So um, I was able to eat pretty well and that you use that word a lot like today today, there's guys are gonna eat and when people have to understand that, I mean, you're gonna get to fed the ball a little bit, right, you think it's gonna spread around that much? And and that's exciting to hear because that if that's happening, you're putting defense on its heels. You know, you're moving the

ball and you're you're working every blady grass horizontally and vertically. Right. Yeah, most definitely, Um, with this offense, you know, everyone's gonna get the opportunity to touch the ball. Um. We have so many weapons that we could use and um that people are definitely going to see about it Sunday. You know, your your position coach talks about you understanding the concept of this offense and how do you how do you explain the concept of this offense through the eyes of

a wide receiver or a multiple receiver position player as yourself. Yeah, well, every receiver on this team, they have to know every position because, uh, within our offense, you know, we have certain formations, certain schemes where you know, a player could be anywhere on the field at any time, So you got to know what you're doing at all times and Um, I believe we've been working at that pretty well, and uh, you know it's it's really gonna work out this season,

I think ahead. I was just say, you know, we always talk about the talented receivers here, but I don't think if you if you don't block, you're not going to be able to play here. You get those cluster formations, you get those quick passes, and sometimes you guys got to go downfield and make a first, second, or third level block. Did you do a lot of that in college or were you the superstar war? No? In college, you know, it was the same thing. You know, we

had to block. Uh. We actually took a lot of pride in blocking at Memphis. Um My coach David Johnson, he always harped on, you know, blocking. If we didn't block, we didn't touch the field. And I believe it's the same thing here. Um. You know, everybody's gonna help each other, you know, as far as uh getting getting there signed you know what I mean. If I had to block for Taylor Gabriel on the play, That's what I'm gonna do because you know, I want to see him succeed,

you know, just like he would want to see me succeed. Well, you're gonna get a lot of note riot if you do that. You know, no question time player to the gay Dennis McKinnon was an outstanding blocking receiver in this town. And um, you know then it was a running offense with the with the Bears of that vintage, and Walter Payton was here obviously so but boy he got a lot of good recognition for that, didn'ty timmy? Right? But

you know this offense too, you have Jordan Howard. If Jordan Howard isn't successful, it's gonna be tough for this offense to be successful downfield. So there are a lot of similarities to success. It has to start with a powerful running game between Jordan and Tariq and Benny Cunningham and all the guys that can touch the ball from the backfield. Yeah, definitely. Uh, I just believe we have a complete offense, a complete team, you know, uh, you

know defense as well. Um, yeah, they're really good. Come on, seriously, you love the game. You're sitting around on Saturday morning and bam, news hits. Everybody's been asked about it. Yeah, I mean I it's Mine's a long story that no one needs to hear, but I couldn't believe it. I was, and he was texting me NonStop over here in my friend time there and it's like, where are you? Have you heard the news? So did you get the same thing? Yeah, that was the first thing I saw when I opened

my eyes. Uh, you know, Khalila mac And I was at first, I couldn't really believe it because you know, we got so many weapons already on defense and you know, just add him to the force, you know, is incredible. And I'm excited to watch them play on running around on the field so far, does it look like a guy that hasn't had a practice during the offseason. No, he's incredibly fast off the ball. He's everything that they've

advertised them to be. We're with Anthony Miller here on Bears All Access from the PNC studios at hadisall brought to you by IGS Energy, Jeff Jonning, Ackend, Tom Fair with rookies and sometimes in this particular system, going back Tom and Anthony to thinking about Kansas City and Philadelphia and reading stories about their rookie receivers, trying to digest the enormity and the volume and the complexity of this offense it can get a little overwhelming at times that

any point in this process for you, has it been where you had to take a day say, okay, now I gotta stop thinking like this because this is exactly what I gotta do. It just was it in any way like that? Yeah? Really, my first couple of weeks here, it was kind of difficult, you know, learning the new system. Uh, like coach Nagis, you know, Uh, it's a lot of stuff that you gotta know. Um. But you know, over time,

you just gotta find what's best for you. Um. Like as far as learning, um, and you know what I mean, Me and coach my coach, um, coach Mike Perry. You know, we just uh do one on one sessions, you know, each and every day. UM, so I could get a better understanding what I gotta do, get getting you in the classroomunt of bad. Yeah, and uh you know that really helps me out. But you know, other guys they

learned differently. Other guys might want to go out on the field and walk through it or you know, it's it's just different types of things that guys could do to get a better understanding. And UM, I believe I got a good grasp of things. Uh, as far as right now it's concerned. Well, what about how was the Denver experience for you? Because I know in college you probably you don't have joint practices with other schools, but then you so you practice against your own teammates for

quite a while. You know, I see you talk to the defensive backs, you talk to that Hontell and stuff, and now you got Denver and now you get to go against some other NFL talent. How did you come away with that experience? Even after the little scuffle against in the specialty period? That was crazy. Yeah, it was definitely exciting. I'm a guy that loves competition. You know, I live for that. So you know, when I get an opportunity to go against the guy that you know

has no idea about me. You know, I'm a I'm a rookie. Um, I just feel like I gotta make my mark. So um, you know when you saw me out there, I was going hard every day, every play, you know what I mean. Got in a little scuffle, but you know that's that's a part of it. I even fired I think I fired up practice a little bit, you know, getting fight in college. Yeah, yeah, it's it's a physical game. It's a physical game, and you know, nobody likes to get No grown man likes to get

pushed around, you know what I mean. Or that that's what happened on that play. Uh, you know, we got in to the scuffle because we had ended up putting the guy on the ground, you know, on his back or whatever, and he didn't like it. Didn't like it. He didn't like it. Yeah. Well, you know that is a tough draw. You know, tempers are gonna flare in the heat of deniver at that time. So you know, it does point though to a larger picture of you know,

your no rookie who's gonna cower. Yeah, you're you're gonna dig your heels in and you're gonna let them know you're there. Yeah. Yeah, most definitely that That would be the advice I give to any guy, you know coming into the league. Uh, you know, for the guys next year, you know what I mean, when you come in, you know, dive in head first. You you're gonna make mistakes, and you know that that's a fact because it's so much

to digest. But uh, as long as you go on one hundred percent and uh, you you have the will to learn, you know what I mean? Then, uh, you know the coaches they're gonna miss with you there, they're gonna like you. So um, you know that's that's my men's out of the every day you know, walking you walking in college? Second round draft choice where you bummed you weren't a first rounder first because I think we all think that we're going to be drafted higher than

we were. I was a fourth rounder and I'm still bitter about it. So yeah, you know when and the talents they talked about you, the numbers they talked about involving. So did you go into the draft thinking, Okay, I'll be happy with whatever happens, or look, man, I know I'm a talented guy. I'm ready to go high. Yeah. I definitely expected to go high. Um, you know I wanted to go first round, right, but you know that's

that's not how the ball roll. But that's that's all right. Um. You know, I think during the draft process, a lot of people looked at my foot injury and we're kind of scared to you know, take Well, it wasn't really a chance to take because my foot was really healed. But you know, teams get a little ansty when it comes to injuries and stuff like that. So I believe that's why I feel um as far as I did well,

it can't be from what they saw on tape. That's for Doug on share because Tom knows I talk about it all the time. I just for me, it's entertainment to go put on your highlight reel and watch you get balls that I just don't think you're gonna get and you somehow get there, whether it be one handed, acrobatic or you know, blown by guys and maybe faster than you at corner and you're out running them. Your route running is so advanced for a young player. Is

that all come natural? In addition, I mean obviously you work at a bit. Some of that is instinctive. Yeah, some of that is instinctive, but it's a lot of hard work that goes into it. I don't mean to minimize that, yeah, because I know you're a worker. Yeah, But I heard an interview with you and we talked about one time I thought, I want to if I remember this quickly Ochocinko receiver that you paid attention to because you thought that he has the greatest feet of

any receiver. You saw a play and when that interests me too. And when you think of receivers, why did you gravitate towards Ochocinko? Was it because of his feet or um profile? I mean both. Man, he's he's a he's a fun guy to be around. Plus you know, he's great at what he does. Uh still today, you know, I could go on his Instagram with Twitter and he might be posting the video him playing soccer or you know what I mean, doing drills with you know guys

who are playing currently right now. Like he's still capable of you know, running routes and stuff like that. He hadn't lost it one bit. And uh you know, if you just watch his highlights, he's incredible with his feet, like at the top of his routes. Um, you know, at the line. You know, nobody could really guard nine out of ten people probably never pay attention to the

receiver's feet. They watch him by a receiver. To me, that's one of the best parts of that position because it's the interesting because he's just like you're playing the offensive line. Hand placement, footwork, the slightest little detail makes the difference between a winning play or being stalemated or losing the play footwork off the line of scrimmage press coverage versus winning at the top of the route, which is more important. Um, off the line because if you

don't get off the line and there's no route. So I definitely off the line would be the most important part to get down. Got Alan watching Alan Robinson against press coverage. He's got a huge birth, a huge get off you know size, and where he can if a guy comes up and they miss him, he can get around him, and then if he gets shoulder to shoulder he gets on the other side, it's over. He's definitely good,

especially for his size. He has incredibly quick feet, you know, at the line, and I pay attention to some of his moves. I actually steal the couple. I mean good. Um, you know, he's definitely a great receiver. This is our guest, Anthony Moller, the Bears rookie receiver, getting ready to meet the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday night.

You can hear the game on a news radio seven eighty and one or five point nine f WBM, starting with a four pm pregame show and a seven twenty kickoff with Tom and myself with Paul's arranger, engineer and our producer. Damn really, I'm Jeff Joniac and Tom there with Anthony Miller here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Welcome back to Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud

partner of the Chicago Bears. We're riding electricity, natural gas, and home warranty products to over one million customers across the country. Learn more about IGS Energy at igs dot com. Jeff, Jonyac and Tom there with you and with Anthony Miller. Bears rookie wide receiver from Memphis and not only from the university, but also from that town. And we've talked to you about this, We've touched on we've touched on it.

Let's get deeper into Memphis. And how is it that it's just intertwined through your body, the blood pumping through your veins is all Memphis? All Memphis? Tell us your story? Well, really, like if you talk to anybody from me, if is you know, they take a lot of pride in the city because you know, it's hard, you know coming out of there. Um, you know, not a lot of people

make it up. So um, you know, we just take pride in hard work and um, you know, not being given anything, you know, I mean we we take advantage of our opportunities. Um, you know, full advantage whenever you can get them. Yep, whenever we can get them. So how you gonna keep from getting spoiled out? You know? You got look at the clothes you wear, Look at the facility you're pulling into, the meals that are being provided for you every day, the equipment in your locker.

How do you keep that? The Anthony Miller or work ethic that we've all become, it we've all been introduced to. How does that stay with you when you work like that for so long? Um, you know, like I've been working for this for so long, it's hard for me to change. Like, I don't see myself turning into that guy you know, that spoiled you know, I can't even

see myself being like that. I see a lot of I feel a lot of you in the same way I felt about it, that the most important thing was this, This as a job, and all the things are provided for you. If you didn't continue to give the effort and have the work ethic and everything that's expected of you. You know, it might it's not gonna last as long as you want. But I think you're more You're more entrenched in the investment you have to make for it. Yeah,

most definitely. Uh came too far to you know what I mean, you know, just let it all go. So you strike me as a guy who it doesn't take no for an answer. Yeah. How many times did you hear no? Oh? No, I've heard no plenty times, you know what I mean. But I don't hold it against those who said no. You know what I mean, it's it's their loss at the end of the day. Um, it can't. I don't let you know their answers, you know, affect you know my mindset. So um, you know I

just show up every day and work. Was there ever did you ever hit bottom with football and trying to get traction and trying to get you know, recognition to get that next. Well it's not a job, but you treated like a job that next, whether it be high school, the college experience, or where you're at right now. Uh. Yeah, you know. Um, in college, you know, I was red shirted right off the bat. Uh. First of all, I

walked on then you know, Uh, coach Winte. He read shirted me my first year and I ended up getting a scholarship, you know that next semester. Uh, I believe in the spring and um, you know, I ended up getting hurt the year I was supposed to play, so I was out for that season for that next season. So I hadn't played football for like two years, and it was it was eating me up. But I knew I had to keep going, you know, with my rehab

and stuff like that. Um, you know, I knew it was all gonna pay off one day, and it did. You know. You you said you went from me. You know, you had forty seven catches one year ninety five and next there's a coaching change. If they would have kept that old regime in there with the forty seven catch Anthony Miller, would would you have been able to develop into the player you became or to that next offense you became a part of. Was that the development of

Anthony Miller? Yeah? Definitely. Uh. With Paxson Lynch and coach Winte. You know, I believe we had a great system. Um you know what I mean. It's just with coach Norvelle, he he spread it out a lot more. But within coach Winte system, you I could have still made plays, you know what I mean. But UM, you know, when I had those forty seven catches, Um, it wasn't just me. I wasn't the main target. I don't think in that offense. UM,

I believe it was. We had we had we had other guys you know, that were getting a lot of touches, um when when I was there. So I believe that played the fact that the forty seven catches was twelve twelve games and three starts, and then the ninety five catches was only thirteen. It was only one more game. So it's like, oh my gosh, here's a guy that did really good things. Then the next year went on to did an incredible, explosive great things. So that I mean,

that's where the coaching change can help a guy like yourself. Yeah, it can. It definitely can. Um. You know, I believe if you know a guy's an athlete, you use them. You know, whatever he can do, well, you know that's that's that's what you have him do. UM. If you're if you're a coach, if I was a coach, you know what I mean? UM, And coach Norville He just gave me every opportunity in the book to make plays. But now they're talking about a rookie having so much

on your plate. Now you're slot receiver, wide receiver, could come out of the backfield, you know, could come out of four different positions. I mean, that's a lot on your plate for the short amount of time you've been here. Really, you know, really when you're thinking about football increments. Yeah, well that's that's what I wanted coming in. I didn't want to be a guy you know that goes in like every three or four or plays, or shoot, every every six seven plays. You know what I mean. I don't.

I don't. I don't want to be treated like a rookie. So that means, you know, I gotta stay in my playbook. Uh, carry myself as these veterans, do you know what I mean? So I could get out on the field, Uh, you know and perform. Was there any other NFL teams courtn ya? Um that we're really saying, Anthony, and we're really interesting to look for us on draft Day, And um, I believe the Panthers and uh I forgot, but this is the right offense for you to Yeah, I'm so Glad

I came here. I wouldn't ask for anything else. So Glad I'm here. Was there a takeoff game for you in college? I wanted to put you on the map. You started now hearing things. Yeah, that forty seven season we've played Old miss. Uh. They came to Memphis. It was a it was a pack house. It's probably like sixty sixty plus in their sixty thousand plus and um, you know I ended up having I think it touch

down in one hundred thirty some yards. Yeah, well that's the year they beat Alabama, right, Yeah, yeah, they had the Kimdici brothers. Right. We ended up beating them and wild it was a huge day. We'll talk more about the journey of Anthony Miller, Bears rookie receiver, as he gets the set to go into lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. Jeff Joniyak and Tom Thearry with you on Bears All Access on Chicago's Sports Radio six seventy to score. This segment of Bears All Access

is brought to you by Roots Chris Steakhouse. This is how it's done. I guess that's what we're gonna hear about Anthony Miller when he scores his first NFL touchdown. Tommy, I just might say, this is how it's done. We have big, big hopes for your future. I know you do as well. And it gets started against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. I've asked many guys about this, and tom you know, we've been into that place so

many times, and you've played there so many times. And there's a lot of bones in that field, a lot of blood, sweat and tears every time. I like going to see the guys walk in the stadium that particular place because they take it in, you know, I remember all and Crews here and Big cal William just taking it in. They sit there and soak it in before anybody's even in the stadium. It's that type of place.

And do you think that will matter to you when you go to some of these NFL stadiums, places you've never been before, particularly this place, place like Soldier Field obviously is like that. Yeah, when I walk in the stadium, I'll see a football field. It doesn't matter where I'm at. You know, we could be in a corn field, you know what I mean, as long as the football fields there, you know, I know it's time to strip it up and play. I can't let that wherever we're at, you know,

effect you know my mindset. So are you a fan of the game outside of what your requirements are alive? There's a start. The NFL arts on Thursday night and then it goes from here. If you're a guy, you have free time other than watching your tablet or going over new information, will you watch college or pro football? Yeah? Most definitely. I'm a big fan of huge fan of football, my favorite sport. So, um, I'm gonna watch it any chance I get, whether it be you know, D one

or D three football. You know, if I can catch it on TV, I'm gonna watch it. You know, we keep talking about all these other guys, but Steve Smith is and then we keep coming back to and right before the draft, I was catching him on NFL Network and he was just blown. Praises your way as a guy to keep an eye on this. I think he saw a lot of him, and you do. You see a lot of you and him most definitely. You know,

Steve Smith is a guy. Um, he wasn't very big, but you know, he played big and I feel like that's how I play He didn't let anyone push him around. You know, he was the force most of the time. And uh, that's something I definitely admired in his game. Ball up his fists a little bit too. Yeah, hey, guy, you didn't mess with Steve Smith. Remember the playoff game it Soldier field yew caught eleven passes, tore up the Bears. They could not stop him. And he's very confident, right,

do we know? Steve Smith? Outspoken, very confident guy. So I see him at the Super Bowl that year. I don't remember where it was at, and I wanted to introduce myself because that was one heck of a performance. He turns around and goes, I don't know what you all were mad about in Chicago. Knew it was gonna happen, and he just said it dead pan faced. He believed that he knew no one could stop him. Yeah, yeah, some of that I see in you. Yeah, as the

mindsets you gotta have. You can't go into a game thinking, you know, I might kissed this ball. I don't know. This guy's kind of good, so I don't know what I'm gonna do again. You gotta go in the game with the mindset of no one's gonna stop me. Somebody keeps you up at night. No, any good conversations here with the defensive backs that helped, because I see you

have a lot of conversations with those guys. Is there any body here that you know that they have the experience that you can talk to about and specifically what they see out of you your balance, your head, all your routing stuff. Um. I talked to Kyle Fuller and Prince you know a lot um you know on the daily, you know what I mean. Those those are two corners who have been in league for quite some time. And

you know they they they're so smart out there. Um, you know, they definitely trust their instincts out there and uh any slight little movement that the receiver may have, you know they're gonna catch on to it. And uh So I asked them about stuff like that, and you know they give me pointners here and there to me what I could do better. Um, and you know I use it out there well, you know to going back to your college days when they hold up the post or on the sideline and kind of tells all of

your assignments. Now you start from the huddle. You hear the commands of Mitchell, Trubisky or Chase or whomever you're in the huddle with. Is how has that transition part been for you of you know, having to have knowledge of the offense what they're saying to you, rather than someone maybe ignite a thought in your head from the sideline. Yeah, um, well, being in the huddle um, and just hearing the play

uh called out. You know, it's it's kind of simpler than you know, having to read hand signals and boards and stuff like that, because when he calls out the play, he's saying what you have within the play. So he's gonna say, like, um, for instance, I played what we call the zebra. He's gonna say zebra, so and so zebra. You listen for what applies to you, and you know, don't you don't really listen for anything else. So that's

that's that's how it is in the huddles. Are you Are you okay with supreme crowd noise that the support of the Green Bay crowd is. You know, it's gonna be deafening when you're outing offense. So all those types of things you hear it in the huddle. Boom, you go back to the line scrimmage, you're offense. What's going on? Yeah,

most definitely. And we've been practicing with crowd noise out there and it's been really loud, so we've we've been working on you know, how we were gonna huddle up and stuff like that, and UM, what I find helpful is, um, you know, just looking at Mitch's mouth and um, you know, reading his lips and but I could hear what he's saying, but you know, just just looking at him so I

can make sure. Um, that helps me out. You know, it'll be fun when you guys all have time together where a look will be all you need to know how to break your route off beyond the play call. Yeah, same thing you know with you guys right and on the you get once that takes route, that's when you know it's gonna be, you know, really an explosive, deadly offense. Obviously that takes time. But did you have that in college because of the constant YEA, Yeah, definitely, me and

Riley Ferguson that was my last quarterback. We had so much chemistry it was it was crazy. And I know it's gonna be the same way with Mitch. Um, you know, every day. You know, even the coaches, we're learning as a group. Um you know, um as far as plays and you know, schemes and stuff like that, we're all learning so um. You know when it when it all comes together, I know it's gonna be a unstoppable for us. Did you did you ever take the time to look

up the background of Mike Fury? Oh? Yeah, I've seen some tape on him. He was a decent receiver. Yeah. Did you also know what else he did? He was also a defensive back. I didn't see that. Yeah, he played dB and receiver. I'm gonna have to talk to him. Yeah, how about it. I always asked Mike, he's the only guy that he's the only coach that could do more reps of two twenty five as a coach that he could as a player. He still does all that, all those reps and stuff like that. I said, Man, you

need to check out he's he's yoked out right. Yeah, he definitely is. And matter of our guests will continue more conversation with the Bears rookie receiver with Tom there and Jeff Jonah Yakire on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score. It's the official pregame show if you're Chicago Bears. Bears Game Day by brought to you by Advocate Healthcare every Sunday morning at ten thirty am on Fox thirty two Chicago. Back on Bears

All Access Jeff and Time with Anthony Miller. Enjoying our conversation with the wide receiver from Memphis. Beyond your play in the field, you really handle yourself well in interviews. You're very, very accommodating, your your very cerebral you give. You give some good thought to the questions you're asked about. Have you always been that easy with the microphone in front of you, because it's not always easy for guys, especially rookies. Yeah, I think that definitely came over time.

It's starting in high school. You know. I've been in front of camera since high school doing interviews and stuff like this, So I believe it's just getting better and better every time I, you know, get in front of a microphone. Are you famous in Memphis? Now? I don't like being called famous, but you know, well, you're recognizable because of your talent, not because you know anything else. It's yeah, earned it. Yeah, I'm well known me so yes, yeah,

all right. What's it mean to you though? To be able to represent that town like you do, it means it means everything. Um, you know, it's not a lot of guys that make it to the league and you know exhale um is guys like it's actually guys that motivated me, like uh done, Terry Poe, he came from Memphis. Uh he's now with the Panthers right now. Um, you know, Paxton Lynch, does he put any more pressure on you? Who? Paxton?

You know, because he hasn't had the success that they thought he was gonna have and then now you're the next biggest draft choice. They have no no, no, no pressure, no pressure. And with that situation, you know, I I believe he's he's gonna do great. Um, you know, he just I know what he can do and he's a great quarterback in my eyes. So um, you know, I'm just I'm just waiting on it to popform. You know.

It's funny as Jeff and I were standing off to the side in Denver and they were in the quarterbacks the Denver quarterbacks were going through these like skill competitions, just having fun with each other, and he was the guy that always won. Yeah, and you know he was the happiest. He was you know, thrown at the hardest, the most accurate and everything. It gets kind of weird

that things having transcended for him, like they thought. Yeah, like I said before, you know, I'm just waiting on things to come together for him because I know he's, you know, a great quarterback. He has a lot of skills, um, you know, long rangy guy, very smart, um. So you know, I just I just know things will come together. Fun. Sometimes you get you get drafted into a system that just doesn't work for you. So you gotta find you know,

just like you find your way. You know, Hey, Josh mccollin, he didn't really get quarterback credibility until fiftwelfth year, in the twelve thirteenth year in the league. But you know, a lot of determination, a lot of hard work, a lot of guts go into that. What motivated you? Why did you feel the need to write a letter to all thirty two NFL teams, which is that's called the Player's Journal or something to that effect, right, and players in all sports are using the players Tribute. I think

it is what it's called. Um, extremely well written. You basically opened it up by saying, I believe I'm the best receiver in this draft. Yeah, tell me the genesis of that whole thing. Oh well, really, I just wanted to find find a way to you know, um, you know,

express myself to myself to the gems. Uh, you know how how hard I've worked for this, um, you know, and how that work is going to continue when I get to wherever I'm at, and um, you know, I just thought it was a great idea and it turned out to create a little buzz, you know, through throughout the league. When was that published? Was that published before or after the combine? I believe before? Okay, so did they ask you? Did did these teams then ask you

about the letter? Or when you went on visits, did they ask you about the letter? Or was it not even a conversation? A couple a couple of coaches did, um, you know they and they really liked it. Um. They wanted to see if, um my words were really yours? Yeah yeah yeah, And I told him straight up there yeah, yeah, it's like this. Did you have an encouraging force behind that letter saying hey, you know yeah, um, you know, my parents they loved the idea. Um. Also my Asian

gel Se he loved the idea. So, um, you know everybody was all in on it. Where are your parents right now in terms of their mind watching their son making the jump from walk on at Memphis hometown hero to Chicago. Well, my parents they liked me. Um. Well I'm like them, okay, you know, um, you know they've always believed in me from day one and uh me making it to this level. It's it's what they've they've all already seen, you know in their mind. You know

what I mean. They're my number one fans and um, you know they know what I could do, and this this Sunday, they expect me to do what I've always been doing. And if I don't, you know, they're gonna have some words for me. Especially my dad. Play. Yeah he played, Um he played in high school. He played at Memphis a matter of fact, Um, and he was he was there for I think about two two years, three years. Uh the year he was about to start.

I think the head coach died in the plane crash. Um. I forget his name, but um, it's like the coaching staff that died in the plane crash, and uh the new staff came in and you know, they got got rid of all the old players and um, you know it's just a bad situation. But like tight end slot receiver. Uh So with the back to the player's tribute article, and you know, the thing about it is the word the words that have been used to describe you in

some cases where you know you're extremely confident but not cocky. Um. The article is very representative of what your work has been like. But it's not arrogant. It's Uh, it's like a fine line to walk, isn't it a little bit because if you go the other way, you could put people off. Yeah. Um, you know, I believe you gotta be confident, especially at this level, um, in your ability. If you're not, yea, I don't think you could play. Um because there's so many guys who've been doing this

for so long. Um, when they come out there, they they know what they want to do to you, you know what I mean. Uh, corners tell you that every day. Yeah, they they they know, you know what I mean. They've been this game for a long time and they're not about to let you come out there and you know, just walk all over them. So you gotta have a little sway, you know what I mean, You gotta have that mentality when you get out there. Who talks more trash? The deep dbs or the wide receivers. We talk a

lot of trash. Man. It's probably a tie between both well and this team. If you're beginning in with Josh Bellamy, he's chatting. Yeah, we we both said, me, me and him. That's that's my partner in crime. Man. I'm glad he's on this team. He's fiery man. Yeah, he's He's definitely taking me under his wing, you know, on end off the field, you know what I mean, that's my guy. He's been showing me the Rooks a lot of different

skills of this wide receiver group. You know, all of you guys have you know, between Alan Robinson's different in size and the speed of Taylor Gabriel and the effectiveness of you lining up in multiple spots, the hope and the desire for Kevin White to have a good solid health a year. It's really vane. Yeah, John Wims too, I mean, and all all the guys out there. It's an interesting group of wide receivers because that you have a lot on your plate when you think about the

offense that coach Naggy brought in here. The first thing he said is the vertical passing game has to be a big influence in the success of his offense. It's got to be fun to hear when you have all those different skill sets of the line of scrimmage for all you guys. Yeah, and it definitely makes things easier. Um, you know as far as getting open, you know what I mean, whether I run a decoy route or someone

else does. You know? Um, if you see Taylor Gabriel running full speed down the middle of the field, you're gonna have to account for him because you know, he's just too fast, you know what I mean. If you see Alan Robinson doing the same thing, it's it's the same thing, you know what I mean. So, Um, the crazy thing about Gabriel, he's got long strife five eight guys. What's what's that all strife? Yeah, that's that's confusing for a dB, I would think, I mean, he looks fast.

He is fast, and he looks fast when he runs down the field, you know. So you know that's again one of his asset is is different than each one of these guys. Smarngert sport. Yeah, one pregnacy ran twenty four miles an hour and like no nobody else ran over like twenty one miles an hour that day, which top out at. I don't know. I don't pay attention. I don't want to know how fast I ran because I don't think I'll run that fast. Yeah, I got you, So I focused more on my feet, you know. And

because I'm that type of guy. I'm not that guy that's gonna, you know, run deep all the time. But I will run deep though, and you will get the football, yeah, like you did in college. This is Anthony Miller, our guest here, our bears All Access. We're back with more with time after this on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score this second Affairs All Access orchestrated by c W C d W. People will get it. Jeff, jo the actime, bear with you and Anthony another round our

final segment here. You mentioned Joel Siegel is your agent in our last segment that just so happens to be the same agent for Khalil Mack and your journeys. While I'm not same, they're similar. You know his story? Do you know his story at all? Because one year in high school football down in Florida, four Myers. He gets recruited by only a University of Buffalo and Liberty. That's it. He was a two star recruit, goes to Buffalo and

tears it up, tears it up. So he wore number forty six because apparently in the NCAA video game he was the forty sixth ranked linebacker or defensive player or whatever, and that really burned him up. He got his blood up a little bit. You see some similarities there between the two of you in terms of your journey. Yeah, slight similarities, except you know, I had no offers. I don't mean to keep bringing it up. You go on the website. I didn't have a picture. You know, I

had no stars. So you know, it's not about where he st. They say it all the time. It is baffling though, how things can be overlooked. Yeah, I don't understand it. Sometimes when you got talent, time you got I mean, it is hard to overlook until you get to that next level. Then you start achieving success, and then all of a sudden you start become researched and a little bit more game plan for and then you know, you keep climbing the ladder. You know, that's what you did.

You had faith in yourself, and that's what Klill's doing. You know. One thing, a question that you brought up last time is some of the assistant routes, or a lack of a better term, distraction routes where the other guys. So I see one in the preseason where Daniel Brown makes a big catch, but because of the routes that you guys ran on the opposite side of the field is the reason the play was so successful, so much

running room after it. And I think that's the neat thing about you guys are going to have to run routes full speed knowing that you're probably not going to get the ball, but you're going to open an opportunity for someone else. That's that's a type of discipline you have to develop when you come to this level because every time you're gonna be covered because you're the start of the team. Now you're gonna try to open up

possibilities for other receivers. Yeah, most definitely. Um, you know, and with with our routes, um, you know, it's always a possibility that you can get the ball right, it's just based off how the defense plays but um, you know you gotta run run your routes full of speed, so you know the play can develop how how you want. Well, it's neat. You know, you guys help each other run successful routes and then you can see a defensive line run a successful stunt. There's guys helping set guys set

free and it's interesting to see the different aspects. How this year this training camp, being able to watch just the receivers do that. Yeah, it's all the same thing. Uh, you know, we play as a team. You know we're gonna win as a team, and um, you know I wouldn't rather be with no other group of guys. So give us a little sneak peek at what you learn about the Green Bay Packers so far. Oh, you know they got Aaron Rodgers. You know that it starts everybody else. Yeah,

that that guy's incredible. Um, you know he's you know, he's the general when he's out there. And but we we got a defense for him, so you know, I hope he's ready. Um, but you know the Packers there, you know, they they've always been a pretty decent team. Um, and you know with that crowd behind him, I know it's gonna be uh, you know, a crazy atmosphere, but

I know we're gonna be ready. You know, the most high profile game that you've played into thus far in your football life, you're gonna surpass it this Sunday night. Most I mean, you played in front of big crowds

in college, yeah, everybody does. But when you go to lambeau Field and you think of the history between the two teams, the Bears and the Packers, Yeah, this this the biggest game I've ever been in, Probably the biggest game I'm gonna be in if if if we don't go to the super Bowl, But you know that's the plan, right, super Bowl is the plan. But this is the biggest game by far. Did Uh? How long did it take you to get over? And maybe it took no time

at all. Uh. You walk into an NFL locker room and you're seeing guys you watched on television, and then you go on from the back practice field. Now you're playing against him on Sunday. You're gonna walk cross field. You're gonna see number twelve. Yeah, you're gonna see Clay Matthews. Is it is? It? Is? It a quick moment and then you're pasted it. Tom always talks about walking in

the huddle and there's Walter Payton. It's like a wild moment. Yeah, definitely, I'm probably gonna I might shake his hand, but after that, you know, now no friends at all. He did the enemy. So you know when I when I stepped out there, I'm not gonna be worried about Clay Matthews or whoever whoever else they have, you know what I mean, Um, I gotta I gotta play him, you know, like he would regularly do. Yeah, listen to the huddle call. Yeah that's all. You gotta listen to my call, you know,

do what I know I can do. Sometimes times rookies are too hype they get in the game. Are you that way or are you pretty standard every single time you play the game. I believe I've mellowed out a little bit, um simply because you know, you gotta think while you're out there. Um, you can't just you know, run out there and expect to you know, just just run. One day you will yeah you won't be thinking. Yeah,

one day I won't be thinking. But um, right now, you know, I'm just focused on all my assignments and what I gotta do are your early buss or later buss. I'm the early buss early buss because I gotta get in the locker room. I gotta get out on the field, you know, I gotta do. If we got a noon start, he'll be there at five thirty in the morning. Really he's crazy. But anyway, he's got some issues. Yeah, he's got some good ones, good ones. All right, we're at

the time. Thank you so much. Nothing but great success to you, man, the best. It's gonna be fun to watch you guys, the entirety of the offense and this football team. Tight locker room, a lot, a lot of exuberants and a lot of excitement in that locker rooms. That's gonna wrap us up for Bears All Access. This week's edition here from the PANC studios at Hallis Hall. Thanks to Eli Hirshkibitz, Paul's Ranger engineer, Dan Burrelly, and

Jordan Treadup for Tom Thayer and Anthony Meta. I'm Jeff Joniac. Have a good night on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Thanks for listening to this Chicago Bears Network presentation of Bears All Access. Podcasts are available on Chicago bears dot com and on iTunes board download the official Bears mobile app. Bears All Access has been brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by CDWPNCN and Ford