All Access: Burton, Kreutz talk 2019 season

Jeff Joniak and welcome in. We are at Hallis Hall where I'm across the table from a Bear's alumni, gree Tom Tar. Tom, How are you doing it? Is? You know what I mean? Because you have a sticker on your chest, says ambass Ambassador. Well, it's really nice because the Bears have invited a group of ex players to come up here and be introduced to the new class of rookies that are getting ready to start Rookie Minicamp tomorrow.

And there's over seventy guys in the room and that's tryout eyes, draft choices, free agents, and we kind of give about a minute or two of what our experiences are and throughout our career, what it's our experiences of living in Chicago and what are our experiences with the Chicago Bears. And it's just a great opportunity to get a chance to shake hands, meet him and let these guys know they belong. And it's not excuse me, it's

not first round draft choice. Jay Hilgenberg, seven time Pro Bowl free agent, Big Kat Williams free agent, a twelve year player. So it's a group of guys from all areas of the draft and free agency just to welcome this young group of guys. It's just how they welcome Jim Miller when he entered the NFL, right, you guys that kind of welcome. Yeah, but a funny as six round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I'll tell you,

let's intimidating the locker room to go into. You had some good players like Greg Lloyd and Rod Woodson and all the players, and you knew, you know the same thing, that toughness part of it. You had to live up to it because it's kind of what the Bears players at Tom's mentioned in those great defenses that the Bears had in the eighty five and just the toughness that they showed. It is kind of similar with the steel curtains. So you better show up and you better be tough,

is what you had to represent. Well, these guys all come in, and especially the tryout guys. In some cases it may be the only tryout they have to get on an NFL roster, and there have been plenty of success stories by way of tryouts. Guys get on the field, they make it the training camp, they impressed just enough to get on the practice squad or maybe be on the active roster, and then they work their way up and eventually in a couple of years become something of

an impact player in their respective units. So it's not an impossibility, and that's why it's it's always fun to see these guys come in and give it a shot. But there's also a little bit of a change in mentality. And you know this, Jim, because these guys are they're superstars of their college football teams. So they haven't been in the back of the line, they haven't been having to participate in the special teams of their college football

team because they were an impact player at their position. Well, everything is reversed, and that was my message to the guys. Is from the first game in my career to the very last game in my career, I played on kickoff return and I wasn't too humble for it. I was I was glad to be a part of it, because playing special teams is just as important as any position out there. Yeah, well, you're gonna have to earn it. It starts all over. It doesn't matter what you did

in college. Shoot, I mean tomorrow, look at all the players that aren't even getting the fifth year options right now. I mean those are first round draft picks that teams are still somewhat undecided on, but four team players teams have elected not to place the fifth year option for whatever the reason. The way, uh, you know, I think it's some of it's happenstance. You know. You look at Jack Conklin and I follow him because he's out of

Michigan State. He was an eighth overall pick. This guy was all Pro as a rookie, you know, for him in the Tennessee Titans, I think it's more about injury for him. You know, he tears his ACL and then he comes back. Last year he only makes it in nine games, So we'll see, you know, obviously this year there's a lot on the line for him, So he's a guy I thought, man, I would have thought they would have placed the fifth year option, especially at top ten pick when you look at him. But the other

guys and there's new coaching staffs. Those players weren't selected for those coaches. There's new coaches around the league. Player now doesn't fit the system that they're in. And some it's just flat out poor play. Don't get me wrong there. I mean they haven't lived up to the billing when you look at some of the guys and why they didn't put the fifth year option on those players. Bears

did do that though with Leonard Floyd. Tom, Yeah, and I agree with that because I do think the influences around Leonard Floyd is much more positive in terms of football. How do you prepare on the practice field in order to play up to your ability on game day? And Leonard Floyd, I still believe he has a really bright

future about him if he could stay fully healthy. One thing that impressed me was the way he attacked his rehab last offseason to get prepared after a knee injury and to be able to make it onto the field. And it is the reward of hard work from last year. But they know he's got play better than he's played in the past, and he's going to get a whole offseason, whole training camp with Kettle Mack on the other side. Can't help it pick up things that help you in

your game. And I still have high hopes for Leonard Floyd to become an impact pass rusher for the Chicago Bears in this great defense. All right, when we come back, Trey Burton, veteran tight end, we'll join the program. We're also going to be joined at the bottom of the hour by Olden Creutz. A great conversation as always with a big oh as we bring you Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy, Tom There, Jeff Joniak, and Jim Miller 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, providing 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 joni Ac, Tom There, Jim Miller, We hope here from Trey Burton shortly and Olden Crutes will join the program. As well. We're bringing this to you from hallis Hall. Good to have you on board

as it becomes more real now for everybody. You had the vets obviously been working here for a couple of weeks of the offseason program already. They have different phases. They start in the weight room, they go to the field. They're not throwing on pads or anything weird like that just yet. But the rookies now will get the Bears way, starting tonight with a team meeting, then Friday, Saturday, Sunday workouts drills, and then they'll dovetail that with the OTAs

with the veterans, so it becomes very real. Saw many of them today and you can see some just wide eyed. You know, they're walking around looking at the at the at the building which is still under construction. So there's a lot of that going on, Tom and Jim. But you know, they walked into the charter franchise in the

National Football today. You know, when I think about what position you play and how well you got to know so they're going to do any evaluation of your athleticism on the field, see how you move your feet, how what you adjust in motion and things like that. But I tell you, it's about understanding your assignments. And I was telling these young guys, I'm going, look, you can leave a meeting and then you can get involved in social media, but you got to take that time to

invest in your own intelligence. I can't even imagine what it would be like for a quarterback like Jim going in your rookie year. Your head had to be scrambling more than any other position out there. Yeah, it was. It was tough because we had a veteran team. You know, when I arrived for the Steelers, Neil O'Donnell was there. He was the starter, had been there for a few years already, so they were far along in the offense.

Mike tom Zack was the backup at that point. At that point, he was starting to go on double digit years in the NFL. So those guys. Our offense was advanced because it was such a veteran team. And that's what it felt like for me. I felt like I was swimming because when they installed everything, because back then you just had you had your rookie mini caamp, your veteran mini caamp, and then we reported to training camp. That's all we did back back then. So when we

came in for the Veteran Miniicamp. They gave you everything. I mean, it was basically one hundred percent of the install was in and I was just like, whoa, you know, this was nothing like the rookie Mini caamp. And you know, they they you know, and I thought I was struggling even in the rookie minicamp because it was just, you know, if the volume of offense was just so much more than college, and then when the Vets got there, it was even double tie. Yeah, and they don't wait for anybody.

Trey Burton knows that Trey Burton and walking down memory Land a little bit, the veteran tat end kind enough to join Bears All Access Tonight, Good evening, Tray. You remember your opening days as being a rookie with the Eagles. Oh yeah, I remember. I'll never forget it. What what stood out about it? What resonates about those first few days when you're joining your fellow rookies and you're you're going into Philadelphia during you know, right after the draft. Oh,

you just created a brotherhood. You know, some some of my best friends or some of the guys that came into in the Philadelphia with or came into this league with and um, you kind of bonds. You know, you're just get thrown into a big group of people and facing your dream and um, you don't really understand the ins and outs and how everything goes, but it's an exciting time. Tray, you play a variety of positions on

the field. When you come in as a tight end, do they try to like escort you into one position and then expand your role as it goes along, or do they feed you everything all at once because you guys are all over the field. I think it just

kind of depends on what system you go into. UM. I think a lot of times, especially with the system that we're in now, they will try to figure out what your strengths are and figure out, you know, where that will fit on this team and kind of trying to maximize your strength and then work on some of

your weaknesses as well well. From your standpoint, because you are so versatile and you know, it just it just seemed like a seamless transition from Philadelphia and it coming to Chicago and how you were utilized and just like to get your overall assessment trade because it looked like a perfect fit from from your standpoint. Yeah, yeah, I mean was there was. There wasn't much of a learning curve in the sense of UM football knowledge. You know, you we run a very similar offense, a lot of

similar terminology. So that wasn't you know, that much of a difficult for me. But it was, you know, A lot more difficult was just the amount of snaps. You know, I come in and I play probably six hundred I think it was like six hundred and fifty total offensive snaps in four years in Philadelphia, and then last year I played eight hundreds, you know, And so just that physical wear and tear is what UM was something that you know, that was that was the biggest challenge for me.

And it's exactly what you know, I signed up for and exactly what I wanted, you know, and so um it was it was a lot of fun. Well how did you how did you hold up from that? Like obviously you could tell the difference, you know, like you said, in terms of the snap total totals totals, But what about the wear and tear that you're talking about what you were asking to because like you said, you signed for more and you got more. Yeah, no, I think

and I think it was great. I mean I was able to play sixteen games and I have to um miss any until the very end, and so um, I think, you know, I think it went really well. I think, you know, week by week there's just so many things that go into not just me but everybody. We thought we could take so much stuff to get your body physically ready to play again, and so UM definitely enjoyed.

You know, my first year, you know, Trey, when you're trying to learn the tendencies or the thinking of a young quarterback, quarterback like Mitchell Trubisky, is it something that you would have a conversation daily or was there conversations after plays when you had the time, And you know, how well will you know him this year from just getting to meet him last year? Yeah, I think I

think I know him really well. Um this year going into this year, you know, really excited to get back out there, especially in OCAs and training camp when we're

able to have a defense across from us. UM. But no, I think you know, it's a mixture of um this running routes, you know, getting the ball is thrown to you, thrown to meet from him, and then also watching film as well with him and seeing kind of kind of getting his eyes on coverages and plays and where he what he what he wants you to do, and where he sees you at, you know, when he's ready to

throw the ball. In timing, you know, you know how that man timing is probably the most important thing in this game from the offense of quarterbacks, receivers or tight ends. Trey Burton our guest here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score with Herb Lawrence and Adams Dozinski helping us out in the Score studios Jeff Joni Actim there, Jim Miller, and Trey Burton. As he enters his second year of the Bears. What's your

offseason been like? How did you approach it? What did you hope to get out of it as you enter into this new phase of the preseason. Off the ones great man. Got to spend a lot of time with my kids, um and kind of investing them and to be around them as much as possible. And I got some really good training in u in March and some a little bit of February and all of March, and got to go onto couple trips, you know, with the

family and just hang out with them. And so I'm excited to excited to get back, you know, two or three weeks ago and get back to with the team with the guys and working out and all those types of things and looking forward to OCAs and training camp. You know, Trey spending the afternoon what the rookie is here at the new Hollis Hall. You can see it in their faces and you can listen to hear him

talk about the the enormous facility that they're being introduced to. Yeah, I think Philadelphia has got a pretty solid facility, I believe. And now what do you think about the new facility here? And is is it too big? Or is it everything that's required for a football team in this era? Man, it's amazing. You know, you have you hear about what's

going on. You hear about how much they're spending, and um, you know how the ownership and the coaching staff and everybody's seeing eye to eye and this training staff and the wait staff, like everybody's seeing eye to eye, which

is extremely hard and it barely happens. And you hear about, you know, how cool it's going to be and all everything that's gonna be put inside of it and you kind of visualize yourself about what's going on and how cool, how cool it is, it's gonna be, it gonna look, and then you actually show up you see the how massive it is and how unbelievable and just the deep attention to detail that they took and they put into it. It's it's just truly amazing. You can't even really put

it in the word. And so I don't know necessarily about too big or too small, or too nice or anything like that. I just I think it's exactly what it needed, and it's obviously there was a lot of

planning going on and they did a great job with it. Well, Trey, I want to go back to talk about growth of a player, because you even talked about it yourself in terms of the snap totals and how you grew as a player from from that standpoint, because I think, you know, everybody has the doubts about themselves, but I want to talk about Mitchell in his growth as a player. I thought it was pretty defining in the Jets game the second half, or the last game of the season against Minnesota,

or even in the playoff game. You know, to drive the team down, they have the opportunity for a field goal. How just talk about the growth of Mitchell and what you witnessed during the year last year. Yeah, yeah, I just think any the longer you're in the system, the longer you're getting coached, especially with the coaches that we have, you know up here in Chicago, and the longer you're around the new guys, I think, the better you're going

to be in more you understand things. And I mean, obviously we all knew Mitch is a really good quarterback, and so you just kind of see over the weeks as weeks go on, just him progressing and him taking charge, and him knowing what to do and where to go with the ball and just really just taking control of the offense. And so it was just fun to be a part of fun to see, fun to watch his development.

And I mean, if he can if he can get back to get back to what he did the last or the second half of the playoff games, I mean, I think we're all really excited about that. Bears Tata and Trey Burton joined I guess you're on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Jeff Tam and Jim with Tray for a few more moments. Trey, since you knew very much the system coming from Philadelphia

and its similarities and nuances. When you hear Matt tell the media and the fans throughout the course of the year the Bears were in a one on one stage with Mitch and the offense learning the system, and he hopes to be in two oh one this year, and you keep graduating to different levels. Do you know what that feels like and looks like from your perspective because you've been in it longer than these guys, And if so,

what will it look like? Oh? Yeah, definitely. Uh. I think the biggest thing in the two o one system is you can never you can never call a bad play, you know, for so for example, like Naggie might call play and they might give us a defense that's not good for that play, and that's when you know, Mitch takes over and checks the play to something else or something that we've gone through throughout the week in film study, and like, hey, if they give us this look, we

want to run this. And so m just basically putting us as my offense in the best position possible. But you know, you're still going to do a lot of the one on one stuff, you know, like you're gonna the majority of the week. The week I'm sure game plan will be a lot of the one on one stuff, and so that's just kind of, you know a little bit what it looks like to do to two oh one. But it'll be exciting to see. And you got a bunch of new offensive weapons too, So a lot of

different choices is a buffet, isn't it for Mitch? Oh yeah, yeah, he's should be really excited. Very good, Trey, thank you so much for your time. Thanks Tray Tredy Burton, Bears

tight End, joining us here on Bears All Access. When we return, we will discuss the Bears draft, and at the bottom of the hour, we'll be joined by Olden Creutz, one of the great Bears in this team's great history, as we look forward to the one hundred year celebration of this franchise on the first weekend in June seventh through the ninth. This is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Welcome back to Bears All Access here on

Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Join us for Bears one hundred celebration weekend in Rosemond, June seventh through the ninth. Enjoy player autographs, photo ops, football panels, and activities for all ages. Get tickets today at Chicago Bears

dot com. We strongly encourage you to do so, because it's a heck of a lineup of panels that Tom and I will be very much a part of during that weekend on Saturday and Sunday, and the opening ceremonies should be memorable because gonna have the largest collection of

current former Bears players and coaches that you've ever seen before. Well, you know what the fun thing about it is, rarely do you get that the enormity of a group like that that are in relaxed moments where they have a chance to be really congenial with the fans and with

each other. And there's so many stories outside just the football game itself about relationship development, player development, about the expansion of your role with the team, and there's gonna be so many fun legendary players to talk to when you get the chance to meet and like it's this charter franchise at the NFL, it's gonna be a once in a lifetime opportunity unless you live to be two hundred and all the living Hall of Famers expected to attend as well. Jim, I'm sure you'll be making some

time to come on down as well. It's going to be a really fun weekend for Bears fans and at a great time to Jim in. The franchise is current place right now, coming off a very strong season, certainly with high expectations, but nobody taking anything for granted. That's coming from the top of the organization down and he's making it very clear that they have accomplished nothing. And this is a brand new day, and twenty nineteen has arrived with a very challenging schedule and a lot of change.

There's changed throughout the division, there's change on the football team itself. Yeah, it's yeah, one hundred year and to reflect on the NFL and Bears football and to be a part of it, and like you said, in the history that is yet to be written. You know, I'm sure coach Naggy and the coaching staff and the players they want to be a part of their own history as well. But you know, it is it's good to reflect.

It's good to know what you're part of and what you represent and it is such a storied history with the Chicago Bears, and I think it's important, you know, I think it's important when you know, and I bring up this story all the time, when I walked into the Pittsburgh Steelers and you see those Lombardi trophies, you

know what you represent. And I think the same thing is true when you walk through the Chicago Bears and all the retired players and Hall of famers and and guys who have represented and down that jersey and obviously the McCaskey family and what they represent as as a family owned business. And I think you know, players that that chair set and understand that, and uh you want to be a part of that. It's something special, and uh you know that'll be special to be a part

of it as well. You know. You know, sometimes a lot of times it's a message they had coach, you know, Chuck Noll, he's you know, he has greatness around him. And when you look at the message at Mike Dicker brought to the players the first time he addressed him, he'd brought up Super Bowl. And that's the same thing

with Coach Nagi. Coach Nagi talks about the fun you're gonna have, but it's a serious approach to success, and I think that message is really important for the players to understand that the people up top under know that

it's a super Bowl journey and nothing else. But you guys think of the draft now that you've had time to think about it, and the impact of these positions with David Montgomery, Riley Ridley, Duke Shelley the nickel corner, Kareth White the running back out of Florida Atlantic, and Stephen Denmark the corner from Bell Dust to State. Now, well, I'm excited for all of them, really because I think they're going to be able to come in here and

compete immediately. I'm excited for the running back because this is probably the most well, I don't know. It's an offense that your role is undefined, but you can do anything from the backfield to the line of scrimmage. I thought they brought in some defensive backs that are going to be extremely competitive. When you lose guys like Bryce Callahan, you need other guys, young guys to develop within the ranks, to come up and have the opportunity to play. And

I love Ridley. I think he is going to be a really interesting player. And Jim, I ask you because I think he's a type of guy that has to have a great relationship with the quarterback because he does move out of his break so well. He anticipates his movement, but the quarterback has to anticipate that as well. So I think the relationship between those two is going to be really important. Yeah, obviously comes because it's older in Calvin than the Moniker. It's the bloodlines are there. But

here's why I like him. I think he's tough. I mean that guy will block. I mean think playing at Georgia, the running backs that have been through there, Sony Michelle and Elijah a holy Field this year, I mean that guy is gonna help out significantly, I think in terms of the run game just with his blocking and toughness alone. His rescue seving skills are all standing. Nice got a great, great wink span to clean up any Aaron throws or

off target throws. Seventy eight and a quarter that's the largest of any of the Bears wide receivers, and just a tad shy of Adam Sheeen, the big guy at tight ends. If you were at the draft measuring, these guys are at the combine measuring the guys. You would be there with only a tape measure and then that would I'm just saying, hey, I love the way he separates at the top of a route. If you're a quarterback,

you gotta love that too. We'll pick it up, would Jim Miller, and be joined by Old and Creutz coming back as well. This is Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy. The Score The Chicago Network presents Inside the Bears, brought to you by Verizon. Anthony Adams and Lauren Screeden cover the world of Bears football on and off the field every Sunday night, ten thirty five pm on Fox thirty two Chicago, or watch anytime at

Chicago Bears dot Com around the Bears Official app. I have a bit of an issue with Anthony Adams though, because after our show of the Draft show we did on Fox the other night, Tom there with Luke Canellis, I get phone calls about Anthony. He couldn't stop laughing because Lauren's getting married soon, and he recommended that there'd be a Jeff Joniak on the top of the cake because I'm so short and small. Oh yeah, yeah, so

he had a good chuckle, could not stop laughing. Oland Crutz, I'm sure you got a kick out of that, or you would get a kick out of that from Anthony. You know always about the size of Jeff Joniac. I have no idea why that's so important. But good to have you, Oland, great to talk to you. How you feeling. I feel good, guys. It's great to have It's great to be on with you guys. And who would have thought that one day I'd be on the radio with Jeff, Jonia,

Tom Fair and my former quarterback Jim Millers. So I'm excited for this radio interview. Listen in fourteen year NFL career, I would I would have won a lot of money at suggesting. That would have never happened. You remember the one time Oland, I gotta get I gotta you just sparked memory for me. I begged you at one point in your career. We just had started doing feature interviews in the TV shows, The Bear's TV Show. Let's let's sit down and have a conversation. So you you reluctantly oblige,

uh and you sat down. In the first question, I said something real dramatic about what it meant to you to come from the Islands, and how has that helped you play your professional football? And you started laughing at me right away. I knew I was dead. You weren't one. You weren't one to go deep into your feelings, you know, Alan, Yeah, I mean it's actually a pretty good question now that

I think about that question. But I remember they came after Doug the phone tragically passed away, and miss Rosen came to me and asked me if I'd any interest in doing the radio, And of course my first response was no, not really, but I've grown to really enjoy just still being a part of the game, kind of kind of be a part of the Chicago Bears in a way, get to study film. But I asked Mitch. I said, you know, Mitch, it's funny that you came

to me because I don't really do any media. I said, what, what what brought you gave you the idea to ask me to do radio? And he said, very bluntly, he said, well, Olan, we're in opinion business, and everybody knows you have one that that I couldn't argue with. Well, you know what, Olan, I was so proud of you the other night at the draft, because you came out and you had such

a clear tone as speaking about the draft choice. And then I look at these punters and kickers that come up there and they pontificate how important they are to the success their organizations. Ollen, I congratulate you for that, because you looked great, You're in great shape, and your resent or you represented every offensive lineman in the history of the league with such pride. So I thank you for that above all else. Well, I appreciate that, Tom,

especially coming from you. But look they I got that call. Listen. I heard you guys talking about the Chicago Bears one hundred year anniversary. And if you're a former Chicago Bear and the charter franchise in the NFL gives you a call and they say to you, hey, in the hundredth year, we'd like you to announce the Chicago Bears third round pick. And you guys can imagine, I mean, what an honor, right,

what an honor to get that offer. First of all, like you guys, I start off a fan, and if you're a fan of the NFL, you're a fan of the Chicago Bears. And they asked you to walk on stage and announce that pick and you get to go there and be in the same room with legends like Jim Brown, Joe Jacobe from the Washington Redskins. To go up and introduce myself, that is a large human being.

Orlando Paces in there. You know, just guys that that you know, if you're a fan of football, you're just a fan of being in that room with all these football players in there. Even I got to meet a couple of younger centers and Nick Mango and Eric Wood, which I'm big fans are there. So again to walk up on that stage represent the Charter franchise, which is the Chicago Bears, and you know, just walk out there

were Peanut Tilman, great cornerback, another great Chicago Bear. But you know, obviously they wanted a suit and tie and I told him that you know, in Hawaii, this is a suit and tie. So that was that was the one hiccup we had. But but they let me go out there. Anyway. You did us proud, Thank you and you earned every bit of it old and that's that's for sure. And you know when you talk about it and hopefully being on the nominees for for twenty nineteen

for the Hall of Fame. You saw Kevin Mawai just when I remember, I'm gonna share this to the list. I remember when I came to Chicago and I played with Dermani Dawson, and I've said, tell Oland, you're every bit as good, and you're you're more in terms of the xs and ohs and what you brought into the table. And Oland used to challenge me about missing blitzes and I challenge him and we kind of call each other out, and it was competitive because he was such a good player.

And do you do you think about that old because you're going to have that opportunity, my friend, and you've earned every bit of it. That's that's for sure. I'm obviously thought about it. It'd be it'd be a tremendous honor, obviously to be in a Hall of Fame. You know, I didn't ever really think I don't. I think I'm kind of a long shot, to be honest, if I take a really good look at it. But Kevin going in,

you know, kind of raises your hopes again. But you know, Tom played with another great center and Jay Hilgenberg, who who's not in yet, And you know, I would argue has had every bit the career I had, So you know, sometimes centers you have to wait. It's not something I expect, it's something that'd be a great honor. But you know, talking about Jim Miller sitting there, sitting there as a guy who who I learned a lot about preparation, on

a cerebral approach to the game. I remember being on the airplane and watching Jim just pour over his notes, and as a young center, I can't tell you how big of an impact that makes on you. You know, Jim Miller learned a lot from Casey Wigman. I know, you guys remember that name. Case Wing was a very good center. Learned a lot from him about being a pro, about the xs and ohs, like Jim said, of the game, and just how to be a professional. Jim Miller taught

a lot of us young guys. You know, when we were with the Bears, Jim taught a lot of us how to be professionals. We just would watch him and his preparation, and you emolate that and you'll be just fine. Six time Pro Bowl center Old Andrews. You mentioned Kevin Muhi. You two were the two centers on the All Decade team of the two thousands. You mentioned Jay Higgenberg seven more Pro Bowls, So that's a lot of great play of the center position. He's our guest here on Bears

All Access with Jeff and Tom and Jim Miller. It is old and cruits then incredible durability of the position. And I just mentioned this on our Draft show the other day. I think since nineteen ninety there are only been five teams that have had the starting five in their offensive line intact, maybe not in the same position, but intact the same five guys for a period of five years. It's very very rare in the league. Tom's guys did it for a lot more than that from

that eighty four and on group of guys. But you had ten years of sixteen starts. How'd you pull that off? You know, there's always a little luck involved and stayed healthy, but there's also some hard work involved. Now, and there's a little place in there, you know, I know it's called the rightfully soul. It's called the Clyde Emrick weight Room. Now,

what a legend that man is. But if you go in there and you put on your work, and you put on your armor, and you spend hours in their lifting weights and getting your body ready for what's coming your way, which is a battle, right, which is a battle with a lot of big men. It's a physical battle. So you got to get your body ready for that season. And there's no better place in the weight room. And I try to put my time in in the weight

room to get myself ready to play every year. So if you would ask me, what is the one thing that I did that that I thought might have kept me healthy and kept me on the football field, besides a little luck, it would have been the preparation in the weight room, which I know that you are around a lot of guys every day who would echo the same sentiment sentiment that I just said. Oland, you just talked about you got to know what's coming your way.

And there's not very many people that know Harry Hestad, the offensive line coach of the Bears, as well as you do. And now, when I think about what James Daniels has coming his way when he's going to go from guard to center, what is that? What is the biggest challenge of that? And why does Harry do such a great job of developing talent? Harry just he has a really good eye for what every player needs and

what he needs to ask of them. And he's done an amazing job throughout his career of reaching out to guys to legends in blocking. If you talk about a Radakovic, if you talk about a Joe Moore or which that's not a name, I know, that's the name you're a familiar with. And Tony Wise another name we're all familiar with. And Harry just he learned from from the legends of blocking people creating his own style. And really, you know, like you know Tom better than anybody. Uh, there's no secret, right,

it's are you willing to do the tedious stuff? Are you willing to stick to the fundamentals? Are you willing to do the heavy squats in the off season to move guys off the ball? And Harry is just very honest with you. He's very honest with Look, you gotta get stronger, you gotta work on your fundamentals, your hands gotta be inside, your pad level's got to be low. And then he's going to ask you to work. He's gonna ask you to work harder than that. Maybe you're

you're used to working in the NFL. He's can ask you to drive block that bag ten yards on every play, and Harry's gonna ask the other offensive line on the other side to give a lot of resistance, which we all us three know watching practices nowadays, that doesn't happen very often where the guy with the bag is giving resistance and the other guy is driving his leg as

hard as he can for ten yards. Now, to answer your other questions, James Daniels was a really good center at Iowa, and Kurk for Renz raved about him coming out and raved about, you know, how smart he was and how he's ready for the next level. When I think he said when James came out, I think he said that maybe the best one of the best lineman, the best center he's ever coached, which is really high phrase coming from Kurk Frenz, who is another offensive line

coach turn head coach. So I think James is gonna be ready. I think, like we all know those you know,

the guys you're sitting with that table. No, when you play center, it's just it's you know, making the point, getting everybody on the same page, trying to recognize a blitz or two, getting on the same page of your quarterback just your communication skills and becoming you know, becoming the leader of your room, becoming the leader of your line and getting everybody working in the same direction is the thing that James have to work on the most, because I think if you watch his film last year,

I think you would easily say that that he could play in the NFL, and he can block people, and he can get his hands aside on pass roll and he can move his feet. So it's just going to be the mental part of the game that's gonna have to catch up for him. Yeah, he did a lot of good things last year, That's that's for sure. And

and Oland take us inside of that mental preparation. As I mentioned before, And for the listeners out there, I've been with centers that they kind of, you know, you get somewhat in a tunnel vision where they didn't look up. Olan would look at coverages, he'd see the safety rolling down to the backside. Jim, let's change the protection here,

you know. And like you said, you're communicating, but to force yourself outside the box, not just on your man, but understanding that the entirety of what the defense is trying to do. Like when we're playing Tampa and you saw John Lynch wing side. Hey two are coming week on week side with John Lynch, you know, and you know just to take it and think outside the box. Sole, and what motivated you to do that? Because more than any other offensive lineman I know I played with, you

really took pride in that. Yeah, I honestly, Jim, just really like you did when you played quarterback. I just really loved a chess match, right. I just love being out there and trying to recognize those things, and it gave me. I felt like such an advantage if I

knew what exactly was coming in my way. You know, Tom can speak to this too, that if you know exactly what's gonna with that d lineman is going to do, or that nose guard, or you know, if he's a little tighter shade he's coming across my face, if his left footage back he's doing a rippen move, you know, you got such an advantage and you know what angle you're gonna do. You know exactly what's doing every place.

So you know, I just felt like if I studied as much as I could when I walked on that field on Sunday or Monday or Thursday or whatever day we played. I felt I had a huge advantage against the guy I was going against if I knew certain things, like in the red zone on third and eight, you know their blitz percentage was, you know, forty three percent or whatever it may be. And if we're in three wide receivers and they're in nickel, this is the only

two blitzes they run. So I see three wide receivers come in, and now I know in my head exactly what look I'm looking for for the blitz. And if that blitz is not coming, now I know where I want to take my help. And maybe I could change the protection. Say if you're playing against a guy, I'll

use a current guy. Say if you're playing against an Aaron Donald and you're you know, the protection calls for you to slide away, and you recognize that blitz isn't coming, well how much say protections to Aaron Donald instead of leaving that guard one on one. So those are kind of advantages I felt like I could have if I studied the game. It's great hearing Ollen Crutz talking football. Hey we're out of time, but will you join us again?

Because this is funny. For sure, your three guys. Yes, absolutely, you'll be at the one hundred celebration. Uh. And I'll just say this too, if there are Tom and I talk about this all the time. Jim and I talk about this all the time when I get to see him. But we need protectors of the game. You got natural protection instincts in you, and you protect this game in many ways. You're teaching it at a youth level. You're

teaching all of us. So what you've learned throughout the course of your long career as well as what Tom does and Jim does. So I personally thank you for that because the game needs guys at you. Oh yeah, I appreciate that. And then you know, football is a great game and taught properly, in my opinion, the greatest

game there is. But as far as Bears one hundred, I heard you guys earlier, man, am I excited down there just as a fan and to see all all these Hall of famers and we're talking about the Chicago Bears, and I can't wait to get in that room. I have two boys now to play football Loyola. They're both in high school. They're excited to going down there see the current guys the older guys, and maybe I can convince him that I actually played football at one point

at a very high level. Absolutely best, appreciate it all and thank you so much, old and Crewed spars center and six time Pro bowler, A heartbeat of that organization during those years, boy from nineteen ninety eight. Love, love those flights that we're on because Jim, you're on the back of the plane with all and me and Tom and Chris Valeria. Those were fun days, a lot of fun.

I mean, he's a pleasure. You know, you're honored, you know, the older you get that you play with such a great player, and just to respect your game for all the time he put in and there's, like I said, he earned every bit of it. That is a great football player right there. Well, continue on our final moments here on Bears All Access on this version of the show, it's Rookie Minicamp starting tomorrow here at Hollis Off for tomp There, Jim Miller. I'm Jeff Jonny Act back after

this on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Back to the program here on Bears All Access, Jeff Jonny Act, tomp There and Jim Miller wrapping things up at the top of the hour, A wonderful conversation with old and crews. You know, there were things that people will never know about players. Obviously yourself included, Jim. Yourself included what you guys played with, what hurt? What, how much agony you know you hid from your teammates and your coaching staff

just to get on the field. You guys Jim, tom Ollen or three examples of guys that would have done anything at any time to get on the field, no out of the circumstance. And Olan was one of those guys. And you only find out when you go review things like what he dealt with the year they went to a Super Bowl, had a stinger so bad he had to sleep with what he called neck brace for three weeks before the Super Bowl. Or playing with a Liz Frank tear in the NFC Championship game in twenty ten.

That puts down almost everybody. You know. It seems like Jim and I and Alan of the guys that play a long time, you're gonna play with some type of injuries that's gonna be so painful, it's gonna be hard to get through. This is one thing that I loved about Oland is we were lucky enough to broadcast every one of games Oland played, and I came from an era that our offensive line had incredible camaraderie. We cherished each other's friendships. Olan redeveloped that over the time here.

Remember all the offensive lineman would wait for each other before they would get out of bus. Every single offensive snap, they would all have a fist bump to retool the concentration level training camp. Everybody goes to eat together, right, And that's that's what I loved about Olan is his ability to create something special in the team within a team, because the offensive line is a unique portion of the

team because it's its own little team. And when I used to sit there, and I used to I used to envy it so much because I was inspired by a guy that it meant so much too that he let it carry through the other nine seven eight offensive linement that we're going to be traveling on the field, And it was important because I know what it means of the success of a player, a team in an organization. Jimmy had a ton of respect for the game and

still does. Yeah, well, I mean you just you know, like you said when He's a rock that you can count on. You know, you say things like you know death taxes, and Olan Cruz will be lining up on Sunday because you knew sure as hell he was lining up on Sunday and you could count on him. And he's always going to know his job. He's gonna know his assignment. And you got no worries, none zero. I mean, I've seen that guy pop out nickel blitz to the backside,

not even his assignment done. The guy's got the job done. He not only did his job, he did others people's jobs, and nobody asked him to do it, did it on his own because he give it up for his team. That's a hell of a teammate. Well, that guy played it and he was a hell of an example for everybody to follow. It's difficult to when you're like, you take the draft and all these guys coming in here today,

and Tom stood before some of these guys today. The one thing you can't really quantify with any of these numbers that you always hear me throwing around Tom or you get all the analytics, is what's in the heart, how what is important to them? And you won't know it until you get him in a uniform and put him out there on their first Sunday and their last

Sunday as a player. And that's how you identify and describe what leadership, what love of the game, what everything passionate about the game that is important to what Ryan Pace is looking for right now and the type of guys he wants to bring in. The intelligence factor for football, the confidence, the love of competing. You know Olan always used to talk about and he still does. And I know you do time two about the weight room, and

it's not easy work and there's no way out. You either have to do it or you're not gonna make it right. Well, depending upon what your body size, of what your position is an offensive line for example, it's always your goal, it's always your intention to get stronger every year. So when you're driving to the gym in the morning to work out up at Hollis Hall and you go to the Clyde the legend Emeric weight room, you go in there and you have to have inspiration

and aspirations to squat seven eight hundred pounds. You have to try to bench five hundred pounds or more. You got to do these exercises that once you back out of the bar with seven hundred pounds on your back. Now you've got to bend your hips on your knees. So, I mean, it's the fun thing about working out when you're an old man like I am now is you're never challenged by those the enormity of those weights that

could go and crush you or hurt you. But when you are trying to be a surviving offensive lineman, you have to go to the weight room with the intentions of every day of lifting weights that most people can't lift. Jim, would you have done anything different in terms of offseason work to get your body the way you needed it to? Now? In retrospect ever, looking back or of today's world, in terms of what was available to you, would you have done anything differently? Well? I think for me, no, I

was always I'd probably overtrained more than anything. I was always in really good shape, and I always cranked it up prior to training camp when most you know, not that other guys don't work out, but my throwing sessions and all that stuff. So probably overtraining is most of it. And you know, because a lot of it, you know, whether it's rehabbing or trying to get, you know, back from an injury or something like that, I'd probably tended

to overdo it. So i'd probably you know, i'd probably temper it a little bit more in terms of allowing more recovery from that standpoint, more more than anything. But you know, it's it's it's part of football, like to like Tom said, there's no shortcuts now. In order to be a great player, preparation is separation and you don't think about it, Oh, I gotta go and lift today. Well, you want to be a great center, you do. What's required in preparation is separation. And so I don't think

Golan or Tom looked at it like that. Tom would compete his ass off and say, hey, this is part of this part of it, this is the part of it's going to separate me to get on the field, and you're willing to do that work because it means so much to you. All Right, So yeah, mini camp, But starting tomorrow there's going to be a bunch of try out guys. There's gonna be a bunch of kickers.

And I know I was with some people last night talking Bears football, and the kicking situation is on everybody's mind. So there could be I don't know how many kickers, eight kickers working out trying to win a job. You know, it looks like none of them have NFL experience at this point or limited at that. How are you guys breaking this down? How you evaluating here in our final

minute before we have to run? You know what, you're kind of making a little bit too much of it, because if you're an offensive guard that's coming here for the first time, you're on a line of nine offensive guards or seven offensive guards, what's the difference. Listen, if you're a kicker out there competing, do your best, show your best and try to win the job. Cream always rides us to the top. It'll it'll unvail itself. That's

all I see you. Well, it's gonna be fun to watch David Montgomery too, because every time we've seen a Bears running back come here through the draft, whether it be Anthony Thomas back back in the day, Curtis Enis back in the day. Obviously you played with Anthony Thomas, Thomas Jones when he came here, Matt Forte when he was drafted, obviously, Jordan Howard. It's always fun to see the new back, and so I'll be a most interested to see just seeing him run around out there this weekend.

Living your living your playbook. That's what I told the rookies today, as you cannot afford men are so take your time, your individual time and living it all right. That's gonna wrap us up, big Jim, Thanks so much. As always, we'll be listening to you on Sirius XM NFL Radio for Jim Miller, Tom Fair and Herb Lawrence

at Adam Zinski. Thanks to our guest today Trey Burden of Bears tight End and Bears center Olden Cruz, the six time pro bowler pair of fifty sevens and Jim Miller today on the show Not Bad, I'm Jeff Joniac. Have a great night at everybody. We'll talk to you next time 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 or download the official Bears mobile app. Bears All Access has been brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by CDW Athletical Physical Therapy and Ford