All Access: Fuller on practice competition

start of the twenty nineteen training camp. A much anticipated training camp. It will be highly competitive with expectations storing good even everybody. I'm Jeff Joni Ecot on the broadcast partner from news Radio seven eighty and one h five point nine FFM, WBBM the Super Bowl Bear Tom Fair, getting me Tom, How are you? I'm doing great, Big Jeff. After coming off of a big weekend and then being able to watch mini camp, I think the excitement lies.

The excitement is reality for the Bears to get underway a training camp. I think the crowds are going to be enormous and like Matt Maggie said at one hundred year event, those crowds at training camp are hugely supportive in the preparation that these guys go through in practices and former Bears quarterback two thousand and one playoff quarterback Jim Miller from Sirius xm NFL Radio and Bears preseason television joining us as well. The Bears a topic this

week after the one hundred on Sirius x SIMS NFL Radio. Yeah, quite a bit. Talk to Cody White here today. He joined us on the Earth, So that was good to check in with him, and just a lot of good things, and you know, just reflecting on a hundred years and the great players and just some of the things I was reflecting on when I was down there talking to

you guys at the Bears one hundred celebrations. So it was nice to be a part of that and catch up with some familiar faces and obviously reconnect with older Chicago Bears players that came before my time, and certainly getting to know the new young players of this team.

And I really like how they know, I can't say it enough, just how they represent them selves, the maturity they bring to the table, they seem like a focus group, and as Tom said, even though there's gonna be a lot of crowds there, it's time to focus on the task at hand. They've got a great opportunity to do some great things here in twenty nineteen, we'll see what happens.

Coming up at Surround six o eight, we're gonna be joined by the Pro Bowl the All Pro corner Kyle Fuller, who fashioned that brand new Bears jersey for twenty nineteen for the games against the Vikings and Cowboys from nineteen thirty six. Kyle Fuller looked sharp in that outfit. We'll talk to him about all things football and his offseason plan here in the next five weeks, along with his golf game I'm sure as well. Maybe a little US

open talk with Kyle Fuller. And then coming up at the bottom of the hour, one of our favorite guys, Tom and I spent many many an hour on team flights over the years with the two time Pro Bowl safety and All Pro himself, Mike Brown, will join the

program as well. Fellas, take me to opening ceremonies and Jim, when you were coming out on stage and getting introduced with your guys and and who specifically did you want to talk to you when you got in that blue room with the with the old guys, whether it's people you haven't met before or who you reconnected with, they're really resonated with you. Well, it's really well here you

just mentioned Mike Brown. I didn't even see him, you know, when they put asked us to go over to our groups of the two thousand players, and I didn't even see Mike Brown. I hadn't seen him the entire night. And he kind of snuck up on me and said, hey, Jim, how are we doing. You know, we we start talking and you know, reconnecting and you know, sharing some stories and just having some laughs and and things like that, you know, and just to see him there. And there

were a ton of guys there. I mean, I don't really think I got to work the whole room to catch up with with everybody of all the generations of Bears players that were there through the decades of the Bears. But yeah, you get excited, you reconnect, you know, Cassine Casino talked to old tight end and reconnect with with guys that uh, you know, you just you had a lot of laughs with had a lot of fun with practicing, shared a lot of fun stories, and then of course

you get excited when your name's about. As you and Tom, we're getting everybody excited, the fans excited when you announced the names, and just to watch guys react when they came out on the stage. Olwen Crew said, how about everybody was baiting the guys. Tommy hears them to walk up at the cat walk to do with the big circus. So I thought that was pretty funny and I think Israel Ladanage had a little bit to do with that. Yeah, Tom, what did it mean to you to be a part

of all that? You know, Jeff having a chance to be you know, grow up in the area and understand what the bears are all about, what they're built about. But then all the generations of players that we had to broadcast for. But as you broadcast for them, you really don't become friends with them because it's more on

a professional basis. But when you get to rekindle conversation with Charles Tillman or Mike Brown and the whole you know, groups of guys that we were able to broadcast for, it's always great seeing Big Cat Williams and just what a huge man he is. And then you go back in the generations and you see how respected Doug Plank is still by the fans and how the fans still love him, and then have a chance to sit on

stage with a guy like Dick Buckus. It is amazing because there's so many generations of players in there, and that's really only talking about a few. However, all the years of players that we got to broadcast, it was neat finally getting a chance to go and talk to them on a social basis more than professional herb Lawrence Adam Sezinski helping us out for tonight's show. I hope you're going to enjoy the next hour. We'll be with you until seven o'clock tonight. It's Bears All Access brought

to you by IGS Energy. Kyle Fuller, the Bears All Pro cornerback coming up next on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Hey, welcome back to Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud partner of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gash and whole warranty products to over one million customers across the country. Learn more about IGS Energy at IGS dot com Jeff Joniac along with Top Fare and Jim Miller here on Chicago

Sports Radio six seventy. The score good to really move into a next phase now, because these guys really put together some good tape during the course of the offseason. They developed more of a bond on both sides of the ball. There's a lot of respect guys from the defensive side of the ball about where the offense has

elevated itself here over the offseason. I think they're really intrigued about what's going to be unveiled during training camp and been I think they should be, Jeff, because it's going to be interesting as much as they're trying to learn a lot about their new defensive coordinator and some new coaches over there. Talking about Chuck Pagano and how he wants his system run and what he expects out of them every day in terms of the effort that he expects out of him in practice, I think Matt

has already set the base for that. However, when you see an offense that gets a year smarter, they play faster, they do things more intelligently, and then they're able to expand the playbook. And even Matt talked about the other day at the hundred year celebration when they got to finally do a final year review. He was impressed by how much information they were about they were able to install.

And so now we always talk about where referred to it all off season level one o one is coming to two o one, and I think two oh one is going at a steeper angle than they were introduced to one on one level. For that springing the Pro Bowl Cornerback All Pro Kyle Footer a kind of enough to join the program, Kyle, because evening Welcome to bear Zall Access, you got Jeff Joni Act, Tom Fair, and Jim Miller. Tom was just talking about where the offense

is going. I think Kim Hicks even mentioned it today that he was pretty impressed by what he's seeing. You guys are in different phases obviously in terms of where you guys are in the scheme, But what has been your impression of Mitch and the offense in general and during this offseason program. Um, I think it's going well

for those guys going in to their second year. You know, we definitely have the guys over there to do it, and you know, I think as not only would the guys they already have, but the new guys, you know, just going on to a year or two, I think it. Well, Kyle, you got five weeks off before you really good under way? Is this the time that you set aside to improve

your golf game? And how much time? And you really I mean, yeah, obviously have to dedicate time to staying in shape, being in shape, but if you do play golf, who's the best golfer out of all the Fuller brothers. Yeah, I'll do a little a little bit of both, um, but I'm definitely a little bit further along and the rest of the guys. I think I get a chance to play a little bit more or choose too, so,

you know, but I enjoy it a lot. Well, I mean, how can you use well, you know, I certainly is relaxing and you enjoy playing, but at the same point, it's competitive, you know, there's no doubt, you know, golf can challenge you in certain things, especially from the mental aspect and how you attack a course. You know, how do you view it? Is it more leisure for you or is it pretty a competitive atmosphere when you go

out and hit for sure? Yeah, for sure, I definitely love the competitiveness that comes with it, but also the challenge, the challenge you get mentally. Um, you know, I think that's what really gets me. You know one too, you know, wake up and go golfing every day, you know, especially when I can, like during off season, you know, after I get my work work got in. But um, you know, like you said, mentally, to challenge and then just even physically and just how hard it is that that game

of golf is. Uh, you know, it keeps you coming back. Kyle, Are you a driving range guy? Because to me, I like to play golf. I like to get to the course, warm up, stretch out, and go to the first team. Are you the type of guy that will be willing to go, you know, on the golf I'm on the driving range and sit there and concentrate on your different clubs and your swing for a while. So the part of me that wants to the part of me that wants to be as good as I can be, will

go to the range. But you know, if it's my choice, I'd rather go play, you know, give my practice plan, you know, get my revs plan, and uh, you know, enjoy it that way. Kyle Fuller guest here on bear Zaw Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score the great Mike Brown coming up later out of the program. Uh, we'll stick in that golf tame for a minute because hey, Taylor Gabriel says he's picked up the game now, So it was that, h did you have anything to do

with that? And do you ever play with Taylor? And second, are you watching the majors? Are you watching the US Opening? Guys like Brooks up gunning Tiger today? Yeah, so it is good to see the good to see Taylor, you know, kind of starting to love the game of golf. You know I can say, because he definitely has the book. But um, you know I have got a chance to

play with him. Um, you know it's kind of cool, you know, him just just starting, you know, I remember, I remember, you know, when I was in his positions. But um, and I have been watching the US Open. Uh. I actually got a chance to watch it today. I didn't play, which which is surprising. I get a chance to play a lot this weekend. So um, so I did get a chance to watch it, and uh, you know I enjoy I enjoy watching it a lot. Everything about golf. I love Kyle being being a compact guy.

I think it's you know, hand eye coordination, you're a little bit closer to the golf ball. But excuse me, when I got I had a chance to see Bradley saw play golf. He's a big guy. He's making the transition from tackle to tight end, but he's got really very good hand eye coordination and he's got a good golf swing. Does it surprise you sometimes when you see these big guys that are are so coordinating in such

a difficult game. I think I've been a little lucky, you know, having been around Bradley and you know, seeing type of athlete years in golf, so it kind of you know, when I see other people, doesn't surprise me because he just sets stand the standards so high for those guys, you know, to where I believe that it's possible for him. But um, you know, yeah, like Brody has a great swing, he's very athletic. Um you know

you mentioned the position changed the tight end. You know, just knowing that, you know, that's that's that's that's what makes you you know, I think that he'll actually, you know, do pretty well at that. And you know, I'm looking forward to it. Well, Kyle, just from the competitive aspect of football, and Tom's talked about it. In the eighty five Bears, they would go against the number one defense, you know, whether it's OTAs and things like that or

through the training camp. And I brought it up too. We used to do that in Pittsburgh when the Blitzburgh defense, we you know, in order just to challenge ourselves to get better. And here you're talking about the Bears offense going on on year to it and did not that it's you know, it's anything adversarial, but it's intense. It's it's it's healthy competition when ones go against ones in practice, and I'd like to get a feel for you for how competitive it was this year this offseason when would

go at once, it's very competitive. And you know, surprisingly, I think a lot of it starts with coach Nag He's just as competitive. I know, it's the guy. I know, it's the players aren't there competing against each other, but ultimately it's those it's the coordinators, you know, calling plays against each other. And uh, you know, I feel like you know the way I look at it, you know, our our defense is it is really you know, competing against a competing with coach Nagy as well, and um,

you know he enjoys it. He gets into it. You know, he wants he wants his guys to do well, so he doesn't really he doesn't really like when when Womenking plays on him, but he understands, you know, it's all fun and uh like like you said, a good a good competition, Kyle. Full of our guests here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy eight score. This is Bears All

Access with the indil seven o'clock tonight. How is it they're gone in terms of the transition into a veteran like haha, Clinton Dix and also Buster Screen, not to mention some of your rookie defensive backs back they're like Duke Shelley. Yeah, it's all good. It's it's good to get those those you know, a couple of veteran guys you know, just add to the puzzle. Um, you know, with the knowledge that they had, um you know, from from playing for so long. Um. And I feel like

those guys fit in well with our group. You know, not only know the guys, but also the young guys, you know, getting to teach us you know, everybody can learn something from someone, so, um, you know, I think it's definitely been to two good editions and uh, we're looking forward to, you know, moving on the training camp.

And then, Kyle, did you learn anything new about Chuck Pagano throughout this whole process of the OTAs in the mini camp and as us as Bears fans, we really haven't been you know, haven't been introduced to him in a regular season podium yet. So what what type of guy do we as fans expect out of coach Bagano? Um, I will say, I'm sure that'll be it'll be perfect

comment for when you all really do get introduced to him. Um, but I think I think, uh, you know, we have, we have learned a lot, you know, just which as you would expect working with a working with him every day. UM, you know, I think I prefer you know, you all to get you alls, you all the introduction to him. But I would just say, you know, he's a great guy. Uh, And you know, I think I think that's that's that's

really that's really a that covers everything about him. And then I think you all realize that way, Yeah, you all get a chance to meet him, Well, you know, not to give anything away, cow, but you know, just to get a feel for how how you know. I'm sure he's explained you guys, Hey, this is what I believe in, maybe principle wise or scheme wise and in

certain situations. Do you think you've gotten a good feel in terms of the line of communication and how how you expect him to call a game without giving anything away with I think we have a I think we do have a good understanding. Like I said, I don't think I don't think too much has changed from last year, you know, which I think is good for our team. Like I said, we've we've had a couple of new additions,

both on off inside any side, um you know. So you know, I think we'll still have that same identity. Um you know, I think that's what everybody on everybody, from everybody on the team once, from from top to bottom. All right, Kyle, we're gonna let you go. We really appreciate taking a few minutes to wrap up what has been a heck of an offseason. A real good feel about this team and where it's headed, and we're looking forward to seeing you in Burbenaks. Right. Thank you have

a great great five weeks. Kyle Fuller, the Bears All Pro cornerback with us here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Hey, Chicago Bears 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 Sun tonight at ten thirty five pm on Fox thirty two Chicago, or watch

anytime at Chicago Bears dot Com. Around the Bears official app as we get you that for Bears Football twenty nineteen, take some phone calls if you like. Threety four sixty seven sixty seven coming up in just a few minutes. Veteran Mike Brown would join the program. Let's start with Mark and Michigan City, Indiana Welcome and it Bears All Access. Mark, Hey, how are you doing? Jeff and Jim and Tom Good to chime in with you again. I am totally baffled

by the Bears kicking situation. They have three guys that can't constantly kick a forty two yard or in practice. It seems to me every Division one college kicker could walk on as a free agent. And boom nine out of ten from forty two yards. That's an average chip shot.

I know, you know it's NFL football length. You know, you're not talking length to you get past fifty two yards and you're just and when talking about just practicing, it seems totally mind boggling to me why they don't got guys who can knock nineteen out of twenty from forty two on a constant basis, even a walk on free agent. Don't be too baffled, because there's a lot

harder when you get to this level. The pressure and the mindset and all that, and the way they are positioning this, they're they're making it quite challenging for now. Just the two guys left and Elliott Fry and Eddie Pineto. So I would love to see that happen that way, but it does not happen that way throughout the league. And these guys take time. These young kickers take time. That's why they bounce around, right, boys. Yeah, but you know that you've got to think about the conditions that

you're kicking. In Chicago. You can take some of these excuse me, these college guys, these college free agents, whether you draft them later or they are free agents, and they can come out of the sec or they can come out of these perfect kicking conditions of indoor stadiums and then all of a sudden, you throw them out there in Chicago in October, rainy night when they're retiring the jerseys of Buckis and Gale says, and it's a

trerenial downpour in the field. Conditions are awful, or if you're fortunate enough to make it them, the playoffs and the conditions are on addictable. So it's it's a lot easier to judge these guys when you're you're taking them on the combine situation because you're kicking indoors in Indianapolis.

But now put their team behind them. And this has probably been the most difficult kicking outdoor spring that the Bears kickers have gone through in a long long time because the wind and the conditions have been so horrific out there. Yeah, it's a lot of rain, and you know we've seen, yeah, you've seen a lot of kickers. It's not just the young rookies you know here. You know, look at Minnesota a couple of years ago they drafted

Blair Walsh. He misses that key playoff kick against Seattle, and all of a sudden he shipped out of town. Because it just sometimes it's just one thing that Jeff talked about that they can mentally take a turn. Remember when Chris Boonio was with us with the Bears and we could we could even kick field goals at practice. It was so demoralizing. It was almost like what happened with a Roberto Aguayo with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I mean, it was hurting in our practice. Dick Urn literally he

missed everyone. We had to call practice, just send it in and not even do special teams anymore. And let me ask you about that real quick though, because you know Matteggie, he alluded to such a thing that, yeah, you could feel the air come out. Because if if it's not working with the three guys you get out there, you know what's next. It starts to play in the psyche of the other other guys on the team. So

it clearly did with you guys. Yeah, well, I just remember we were I remember remember, I remember talking to you guys on the plane ride home from San Diego. We played the Chargers. He missed an extra point. Extra points back then were not even thirteen yards. I remember um, and I felt bad for because he was my locker partner.

He come in the next day, gim sorry, but he literally it really changed the tide of six games that year, and that was I figured where you was ninety nine, I think is what that was, and it changed the tide of six games that think about I say it all the time, who has a bigger impact on a game than a kicker who has the least amount of reps. They may be on the field six times and they're deciding wins and losses. You know a lot of times you too, you're making a transition after the kicker's been

here a while. You think of Carlos Squerta after the transition from Kevin Butler, and they ended up losing that game in coach Wanstead's early coaching career because they were out there searching for that next kicker, and that search is not as easy as just finding a guy that is kicking in great conditions. Yeah. Well, the good news is it all ended on a positive note. Today A couple to forty yards by Pineto and Elliott Fry, and you could see it on the faces and the reaction

from the other guys. They were relieved. It's a good way to end the offseason program and head into training camp where the competition will escalate even more. All right, Coming up next, the great Mike Brown, which join the program. This is Bears All Access in Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Join us for the PNC Chicago Bearts five K Saturday, July thirteenth, Finish on a storage soldier field registered now at Chicago Bears dot com slash five

k before prices increase. Jeff and Tom and Jim Miller with Yougo sports Radio six seventy the Score. About a half hour ago in tonight's program, awaiting Mike Brown, the Bears All Pro Safety and Mike ready to join us on the program. I'm certain safely tucked away out in southern California after a great trip to Chicago, Big Mike, how much fun was that this weekend? Yes, it was

a great weekend. Actually, we got a little of June gloom they call us, so it's been cloudy pretty much most of the day, but it's like seventies, so it's nice. You can live with that. You can live with that. Mike, one of the biggest thrills I had of the weekend was was seeing you out there with that big grin, that smile, talking to your buddies, seeing your beautiful wife,

and you're introduced to your two beautiful kids. You got a great family, got great and it was just great hearing you talk about your kids, much like Peter Tilman talks about his or other guys do as well. Now that you removed from the game and so forth, it means everything you tell you, doesn't it. Oh yeah, it definitely gives you like, Yeah, I guess that's to me, that's what life is all about. Like, I guess I never understood how much my parents really cared about me.

I knew that they loved me, but just to see, like, um, you know how I feel about my kids and the joy they bring me and and and how difficult it is so m yeah. So it's just the culmination of a lot of things. So just being able to bring them to that event was amazing. I'm telling you, it's going to be life changing for them. And so this is cool, you know, Brownie. One of the greatest compliments I think of anything that you hear throughout this weekend,

because when you're talking about the organization. Beginning in the twenties and up until that day, I heard about a few players that hey, this guy can play in any era, And you're one of the guys. They keep saying that this guy can play in any era. How complimentary is that to you? To understand how meaningful not only the impact you had on the Bears, but the ability to play in any era of football, that's just uh, that's it just confirms what I think I've always always known

is that, Um, you know I can play football. I know that that's something I can do. Of always confidence with that. Um, I think it's just something I was born to do. Um. But you know, when you're when you're doing it, um, you're just thinking about playing the game and uh just being hardcore and all that kind of stuff. For me, that's the way I played the game. But now when you get back to the to the people part of it, and I think you have to

step back from the game to really understand it. But now, um, just being around the guys and knowing the type of impact that I had on those guys, I mean, had a lot of guys come up to me and say some really personal things to me and to me. That's uh, that means the world to me. I'm a really emotional guy. So there was a lot of emotions going on this weekend, guys. Um, and so it was good to get back and uh, just to be a part of and just recognize what

the Bears mean. Man. It's just really cool to be a part of. And it was just a special weekend man. Well like special weekend. Mike Jim here, good to catch up with you and and I went to step firsthand. I remember, you know when the Bears drafted you in two thousand, you were you were the only rookie that started opening day. Wasn't Brian Urlacher, it was Mike Mike Brown out there that that opening day. Yeah, that's that's that's a factive mind. Um. Yeah, so yeah, um, I

think I was ready to play. Man. I had a well that's what I mean, what was what was going through your mind? Here? You go through training camp, but I you know, there was a buzz with I just remember, you know, going against you saying, man, this guy's gonna be really good. This guy can play. Urlacher can play too, but the safety there's something about him. And then lo and behold you're out there. What was going through your mind? Were you just going what? What was you know? What

was I to you? Um? Like, at first it was it was overwhelming. I knew I could play. I knew I could play. I'd like I just I knew I could play football. Just knew that, And it was overwhelming at first. Just the speed of the game was intense for me, especially the bigger people, the offensive lineman, the way that they moved. I mean I had to It took me, you know, the mini camps and the training

camps to really get use to that. But once like that clicked in, just knew like where my eyes had to be, and like the movements that I had to make just had to be a little bit quicker. Once I got that down, I knew that. I mean, I could play ball and it was just about just playing. But m yeah, But like I said, I think Nebraska I was trained, like I was around a lot of pros when I was playing in college, Like, our practices were really intense. We had like one hundred and fifty players.

So we're on defense. Uh you know, there would be three scout teams. So right after we're done with one player, another player was coming and you know, and uh, the defense we ran was complicated. It was had a lot of pro principles, a lot of checks with movement, a lot of checks when uh, you know, formations brought. So I understood how to communicate. I could recognize formations and recognize with you know, the breaks and if movement happened, where to put people. So with that part, I was

I was prepared for that. Mike Brown, our guest here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score after a great experience at the one hundred weekend, and it filtered into the did you did you go into the golf tournament? I don't know if you went to the golf tournament, but oh no, you know, golfer's just a long walk ruined. That's not my file. I'll like, I like going to the golf course and just watching, but like NA like playing that. Damn. I'm just I can't.

I can't do it. My mind won't let me do that kind of stuff like that. You know, you know, I played baseball, and that's the one thing about baseball that bothered me is just so much failure and I just I just couldn't stand that. Oh my goodness. Well, we've all experienced to failure part on the golf course, that's for sure. All It might beg to differ with you though, because he's the act of a golfer. I've seen him. I've seen him sling that stick. Now, he's

a pretty golfer. I mean, but that's that's just not something that's ever interesting, guys. It's it's kind of weird, but it's just nothing that doesn't even I don't even want to play, so it doesn't have to bother me. So then on Tuesday or Monday rather, you know Tuesday Tuesday, uh coach Nagie and all the alumni were able to watch practice. What were your takeaways from watching a Matt

Naggie run. Granted it was uh min can't practice, no pads, But any takeaway because I know you're watching, Yes, definitely, I'm watching. The first thing that I'm always gonna watch is this, uh the vibe of the team and just like what kind of energy did they bring? Um, you know, the camaraderie, like what are they talking about on the sideline? Is a football or something else? And you know, we have a whole bunch of guys out there, you know, the young guys are out there too, but just are

they interacting with the young guys. Are they're trying to teach them because maybe some of these guys can help them. And it's obvious. It's obvious that the team is a team that care about winning football games. Doesn't matter who's doing it, doesn't matter you know, who's in. There's expectations, and they have a lot of fun. To me, that's the one thing that stands out is they have a

lot of fun doing it. And I think when when you have that, especially uh, you know, in the upper level of football, professional football, it's a professional, but if you can have fun doing it, it makes the professional part a little bit easier to try to attack, you know, handle. So I think, well, I'm excited about the team. Now, those expectations. You never know what happens when you have a lot, you know, high expectations. Some teams can't handle

their expectations. But it seems like this group of players, uh can handle it um. And I'm excited because I think it's gonna be a special season. I mean, it's gonna be a tough one, but I think they're gonna be ready for it and ready to shine. So it's gonna be fun to watch, especially for Chicago. I know Chicago has been waiting for it. You know, Mike Matt Naggie always says, hey, you just be you, whatever type

of person you are. How for you in your career, how long did it take for you to have that outspoken confidence in the locker room because you know, it's kind of a unique territory for a lot of people. But when they close those doors and it's just a player, you never hit your emotion, you never hit your passion, and you had a way of talking to that entire group that Did that start from game one or did it take time throughout early portions of your career. I

think on the field I always had that. I definitely didn't say much when I was a rookie when as far as the locker room came around. I think when you're a rookie you have to find out where you sit in like who the leaders are. It was obvious who some of those leaders are, and I think I really do believe Dick Gerron had a lot to do with that because in my second year and me and Brian were named captain's and I doubt if we both

were voted in as captains by the whole team. I think maybe that's something Dick Geron did, but uh, you know, I relished that role. Um. I've been a captain on most of the teams I've ever been a part of. UM It's something that I like doing. Um. It's not easy for me, but I'm very Uh when I play

the game, I have high expectations. Rather when that's on the field, I think that's the only way you can win, and so I make sure that, Um, you know, I try to do it by you know, doing it on the field and working hard and doing all that, but also saying a few things to help motivate people, I guess,

and just just accountability. I think when the whole team is accountable to each other, just lift everybody out, well, Mike every performance wise, well Mike as you just as you just enjoy the game as a fan now and you watch it. It's hard to watch a game when you've played it because you kind of still I find myself going into the excess knows what gellet's an underfront. Oh they brought too drunk, you know, Yeah, yeah, definitely, But now how you watch when you see the safety

position and how it's Yeah, it's it's changed today. There's more responsibilities on safeties today and why they're probably coveted around the NFL then probably ever and that this game has ever seen and what what do you see of the evolution of the safety position when you watch the game currently today and what safeties are asked to do

because they're on the field. Um, it's just the athleticism of the safeties now are it's not really Um, it's just because there's there's not there's gonna be a lot of open space now. And if you look at the size of the athletes that the receivers, right, they are humongous human beings and they're super athletic and so without you know, you can't really be physical through the middle of the field, so you have freedom of movement, and so you need to have their guys that can move

very well. So I don't think I would be able to play safety right now, just because of the athleticism of the receivers um, and especially how the rules are married. So it's like my like I got out right when all the rules are trying to kick in and like how you play and like with the physicality, So right, now it's definitely you have to have really really athletic, super athletic um safeties to match up, and the corners have to match up as well. So I just see

the athlete that's coming in. It's just a bigger, better version of the athletes that I've seen, you know. So, I mean it started, you know, like Randy Moss and then it was Megatron, you know what I'm meaning. So it was like, you know, it's kind of the same player, but just a bigger version. That's what I see happening. So that being said, what would a young Mike Brown in twenty nineteen draft class? What position would you play? I'll probably be a special teamer kickoff, it would just

increase the personal protector. Yeah, I'll probably be a special teamer trying. I mean, might give a lot of effort and all that. You know. Just yeah, it's just I just I just see them. The athleticism definitely is something that jumped out to me. I think, uh, just being around you know, the team that you know that's out there now, I'm just like, man, he's some spectacular athletes and just exceparate Turbo. Turbo is a little small, but yeah, I mean I just I just see the athleticism of

the game. Offensive lineman, defensive lineman, and just and then super incredible athletes. So that's what I've definitely noticed as far as the game. How how has changed? Go tell that offensive lineman from Cincinnati. Yeah, you jacked up when he was coming around the corner and he was like, now they're big and fast and agile, like he couldn't move in the box. I never forget that, Mike, if I'm not mistaken, that was the game they started calling

you Big Mike. Big Mike, Yeah, I think what my favorite? You know, Olden gave me my favorite nickname, which was Little Evil. Like I like that one, like Little Evil. With a hundred games with the Bears in this the one hundredth anniversary season. Always a pleasure, Mike, great di visit way over the weekend. Nice talking to the death. Hey come on again some time, all right, buddy, All right,

Mike Brown, our guests. We'll continue on Bears All Access, brought to you by Igus Energy after this on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Just about ten or eleven minutes ago before we turn things over here on the score. This is Bears All Access, Jeff Joni, Act, Tom Fair, Jim our guests here on our host I should Sarah guests, Mike Brown Special Teams. Really fellas that that man, as you said, could play in any era.

He'd find a way. He'd find a way big, Tim and Jim, you know what he talks about, the big in the size of the receivers and everything. Like I said, we've seen him hit three hundred and thirty pound offensive lineman and take him off his feed. The only thing that had a bigger, bigger receiver would present for him would be a bigger tackling target. And I think that's the main way Mike would transfer his talent from one

era of the next. Yeah, I think, if anything, he'd probably played more in today's game because you look at um who is at La LA Chargers. When they went in and played Baltimore in the in the playoff game, you know they ran the RPO offense, right Lamar Jackson was on the field. What did the Chargers deploy They

went penny personnel, penny personnel. They went with seven dbs. So, if anything, you're Mike would probably be playing even more even if he was in the box, says as a nickel linebacker because you know, at that point the Chargers had a couple injuries to their linebackers and why but Gus Bradley, their defensive coordinate, went with that time's dime personnel which is six dbs and sometimes he went penny and they went into Baltimore and basically shut down Lamar

Jackson in the R RPO offense. So, if anything, I think Mike Brown would probably played more. You know. The funny thing is that that Chargers team, they do list three starting safety, so they do play a lot of that, you know, and then that's you know, they got that

Derwin James, an outstanding player himself back there. But uh, you know, I just remember the very first mini camp practice, veteran mini camp practice, and Mike b is yelling on the sidelines telling guys where to line up and to basically, you know, get moving a little bit. You know, he was a leader from the moment he stepped down the field.

I'll never forget it. Well, I think we you know, you know, you kind of reintroduced to this through the through the Bears the weekend, and you know, he says he's an emotional guy, but he's very passionate about having the opportunity to play for the Bears and to play professional football. And then when you ask him a question that's fifteen twenty years removed and it still brings him

to tears. That right there is evidence of how much it meant for him to be on the field with his teammates and how badly he wanted to be there for every game he had the opportunity to play. Tom remember if some of those conversations on the flights, I

remember the same. You know, when he injured himself in San Diego a bird apparently hit the wing of the plane, and so we were stalled there after that opening week loss, and we're on that plane forever, just sitting on the tarmac, and he sat with you and I going over the emotions of the injury, going over football in general, what it meant to him. It was one of the most impactful conversations I'll ever remember on all these years of

traveling with the team. Yeah, it was crushing. It was crushing to us because it was crushing to him, and it was crushing to the team. But you know, you see the guys throughout our our time with the Bears that have these you know, injuries, situations that haunt them throughout their career. But you know, Mike is kind of unique in the way that he wasn't afraid to show that the passionate side in such a manly atmosphere. And

it's it's nothing, no slight to anybody else. But Mike was not a high he was not as afraid to hide his feelings. No, it's well, I just remember him as a teammate when he came in his two thus you just you knew, like you said, he was an emotional player, played with a lot of intensity, came to work with a lot of intensity because he cared it's important to him. And you can you find that out about your teammates and Tom Jeff, you guys have been around it where you know certain guys are just wired

a certain way. And he showed it. And he's going to bring his intensity every single day because he cared about football. It was important to him. But he played it with the to me, just the right temperament, the intensity that you need. And you know, I know he gained respect from from our locker room very quickly with what he was able to accomplish so early in his career. Starting really that opening game, you know, you know Jim

and Jeff. I think maybe in kind of a more introverted way, Khalil Mac maybe the same type of personality, because from the second he got here, from the very first nine on seven, I saw him have at practice, the way he hit the ball carrier and the way his expression, his preparation, his practice habits. There are a lot of similarities between the two. And I'm sure Khalil, the more he's around his teammates, the more comfortable he

feels in the locker room. Hopefully he'll be able to express himself behind those closed doors in a way that maybe we're not We may not be privy too, but the way his teammates should see him. There's a bunch of other guys in this team I feel that also carry that same kind of emotion in them, and they may not be it may not be verbalized, it may be just you know, Cody white Hair's one of them.

He works harder than anybody. He's here NonStop. He's worked himself into a position where he can play two positions at a high level. You look at I think Roquant Smith's going to be that guy. He loves the game, and that's the first part of it. You got to get the guys who love the game. It doesn't ever feel monotonous, it doesn't ever feel like work, and it's an escape in many regards. That's what it was for

Brian or Lacker. I asked Cody that today, you know, because Tom and we've had this discussion before, I said, I said, Cody, if if it was a pinch and the Bears needed a left tackle, could you line up at left tackle and play? And he said it without hesitation. He goes, Yeah, I'm not the longest guy and all

the measurables that you need for the position. He goes, but yeah, Jim, I feel confident I could line up there and if if the Bears needed me to play two or three game stretch, I'm confident I could fill that position nicely. How about that? What does that say about that young man that at Case State he was a left tackle, comes to the Bears, he's guard, he's center, moving back and forth now back to guard, hasn't missed a game, just lines up and plays, does his job.

And you want to what that guy knows every assignment, And you want to what I would guarantee if the Bears had to put him there, everybody on that team would feel confident that Cody White here could come through and play that position. I agree, he'd be like a

Matt Light, who I played with at New England. Matt Light wasn't the longest left tackle, didn't have the longest arms all the bs you here, but yet Matt Light went against White Freeney every time and shut him down, shut him down every single time, and he was a great tackle for the New England Patriot. If you want to sneak in a couple of phone calls before we get out of here, please feel free. Three four sixty seven, sixty seven. This is Bears on Access in Chicago Sports

Radio six seventy to score after today's minicamp practice. It was light one today, a lot of red zone work, and then the kickers finished up by making a couple of forty yard field goals and everybody walked off happy into the offseason. But overall, here's how Matt Naggie felt about the whole three day thing and the off season in general. The balance of working hard, getting better and improving from from last year, which I thought we definitely did.

You could check that off, but then also keeping it fun and making sure that we as players, as coaches, we build that bond. And so so for me as I continue to grow is I'm not I don't like monotony. I don't like being able to have you know, it's the same person coaching all the time, same it's the same words that are coming out of my mouth. I

like to change things up. So with these guys, it's easy the first year, getting into the second year, Let's do some different things and we'll do that, and we'll continue to do that in training camp too. That's a head coach who knows how to take the temperature of his team at a young you know, he's a young he's still a young coach. He's got a lot of experience, but a young head coach had just always seems to know how to take the temperature of a team. Fellas

engage the right thing to do. It's been that way since he got here. And I think everything that focuses how you're going to make the team better. It's never about the offense. It's never about Trubisky. It's about the entirety of every guy that's going to hand and making sure that they win games, and like he conclude the mini camp with those kickers, you know, not only did it make the kickers feel more like part of the team, but I bet you they ended their mini camp with

a little bit more confidence coming into training camp. And so I think the importance of the overall project that Matt has undertaken with Ryan Pace and the entire staff up there, he always understands it's about the betterment. I don't think that, you know, he's got to really gauge the room anymore. I think he's kind of earned it at this point when you look at coach Naggy because again, as much as he's evaluating players as a first year

head coach, last year, players were evaluating him. And now they trust him. They trust him because they see the results, They see what he says comes true, they see what his vision is and they want to be a part of it because they trust him and they know it and they believe it now. So he's got him. To me, he's got him. He doesn't got to gauge the room.

They will follow this coach now from here on out because they believe what he says, and he backs up what he says with how he performs, and this coach loves his twenty nineteen draft class, Fellas. I think probably the biggest thing when I think about the biggest thing would be that they're just all extremely mature, you know, That's probably what comes to mind. And then so they take being mature out onto the practice field and they

always they look to improve. And again I'll go to our first pick this year with David Montgomery, and just for him, he's quiet, but yet he's so motivated in a good way. Riley. Ridley has come out here and with Anthony Miller being out, he's gotten a lot more work at the zebra position and so he's getting more reps. And that kid is just so laser focused Montgomery, you know, Jeff, I think that's kind of the obligation of these players because they look at what they're surrounded by. There's no

other players that are superstars that are jacking around. There's nobody out there that's unfocused. From the time that they come out of the weight room and come out of the locker room, go into the cafeteria, it's a it's not that type of atmosphere. It's about being focused and being prepared. And I think a guy like Montgomery puts the pressure of a first rounder on his shoulders. I

don't care where he was drafted. He has expectations of himself to be able to provide this team with the talent that they went and reached up and drafted him for. I'll tell you what all I can say is is uh college coach. So he was the best route runnerund the team, and I believe King Butler was the Cyclo's top receiver. Got drafted by Arizona. He'd take Montgomery over Butler. And I'll tell you another thing. I tell you another thing. You Jim would love throwing to Riley. Ridley, he can

run a out as well as any veteran. Well, they got a I'd say this all the time. Pat's always like, you know, they're comparing Minnesota because they got feeling and digs. I said, the Bears got eight of them, eight receivers that could all play and they can all go. Baby here to talk to you guys. We'll talk to you on Monday. We got another version of All Access coming at you. That's gonna wrap us up for tonight. Thanks to Kyle Fudder and Mike Brown, Herb Lawrence Adam Stezinski

for Tom Fair, Jimmer, I'm Jeff Jonny Ac. Have a great night, everybody. This is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Goodnight, 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, Athletico Physical Therapy, and Ford