All Access: Iyiegbuniwe on defensive improvement

team's ace Joel Ea boontey Way. Joel, you got your first special teams tackle in the NFL last week? How Jack were man? It was great? It was great after it took six games, but um, you know, hey, I was excited and it felt great. As long as it's been since you guys been here, rookies coming in way before the Hall of Fame game, has it seemed like a long time to you? Because it's almost the length of a full college NFL our full college season you've

been through already. Where's your mind at right now? Fresh? Or yeah, no, my mind is fresh. We had a bye week, you know, two weeks ago. So but yeah, coming in from any camp. Um, and people told me before as a rookie, it'd be your your your rookie, it would be your longest year and and everything. So I was ready for that. And um, you know, like you said, college, you know it's almost over, the season's getting close to being almost over. But um no, it's

been good. I've been staying fresh, um, and I feel great. Western Kentucky Hilltopper. What's your definition of a hilltopper? Um? A hilltopper? Because all right, the reason I ask you that because I'm from the Jolia Catholic Hilltoppers. That's the name of my high school. And I always felt that attraction you guys ever since I heard of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. You know, I don't I don't know the history behind that. Um, I have no idea what it means.

But um, our mascot, big Red is like it's like a spirit. So UM, I guess I'd have to go with like a spirit or or something like that entity or something crazy thing. I'man glenn Ellen Glenbard West Hilly. Oh yeah, that's right, I forgot about that. The Castawana Hill is that what they call themselves out there were brought to you by igs energy. Back to special teams because that's where you got to cut your team as a young man in the National Football League in most cases. Heck,

you can talk to Trey Burton about that. Maybe you have, have you? Um no, no, I haven't. But um during training camp, Trey helped me a lot um as far as just learning some of the different techniques on special teams, punt techniques, kick return techniques and stuff like that. So um yeah, he's definitely definitely helped because research his story a little bit or go anywhere him because that's how he had to do it. He had to do it that way. With the Philadelphia Eagles, he was like seventh

on the depth chart. But here's a way to make sure you make the team. And look what happens five years later. You get a big contract and you're a primary focus on offense right now, but you had a ton of special teams experience in college didn't change. You were one of those guys that played everything. Yeah. Yeah, even my last two years, I was starting on punt,

played kickoff. So it's always been part of my game, you know, Joel, I played on kickoff return From the very first game I played in professional fall to my last game. Over that entire span, I never left the kickoff return team. Don't ever look to get off of special teams because even if you're a starter, if you can contribute out special teams, you talk about lengthening in your career because there's a lot of guys that are one dimensional. They're a starter and they haven't done anything else.

So I think for a guy like you, you talk about ten eleven years in the NFL, and you know the success from special teams can help absolutely no, you know echone what you said, I feel like the more you can do And even in college, UM coaches said, you know UM scout's. NFL scouts will look at you if you played supposed teams and you played you know, of course defense, you know that makes you more valuable. So you know same same when you get to the NFL. The more you can do U, the more, the longer

you can play. Did it seem insane though the first time you started seeing NFL special teams because the speed is out of control sometimes and then making that jump from Western Kentucky to the NFL and some of the difficult assignments stay place on you for the different job, because you're doing five or six different assignments if you're on every special team. Right, Yeah, I think the big thing was the technique. So coach Taps during training camp and the OTAs did a great job of just teaching

me the techniques. And so my first preseason game when I was out there, you know, it was just kind of okay. It wasn't as fast or as as bad as you would think, because really the technique is what people probably don't harp on enough, and so um, you know, you might not be the fastest guy or the strongest you have, but if your technique is good, you know, it help helps with everything. So notice something last week special teams. Blood can rise a little bit, right, you

get your blood up a little bit. And this was my view from the booth on Sunday, But I think Sherik McManus something rattled his cage a little bit and you had his arm around him, and as opposed to this captain, this guy who's who's been around a long time, you know, maybe talking down, quieting a troubled rookie or something like that, it was flipped. I think you were calling him down. Am I right? Yeah, I thought that was a veteran move for a rookie. Yeah sherifs. He's

like my big brother. Man, we're very close, and he selled me a lot with the with the process of being a rookie and everything, and so um he you know, he got into it a little bit with one of the players on New England and so man, I'm just you know, I'm his brother. So I had his back, you know, told him now you know we're good, and

just walked him off the field. You know, we're sitting here talking about all the obligations you have, the special teams and the different players you got to work with, and then you throw a whole defensive scheme on top of that when you start when you got here and you're going through three or four different special teams a day throughout training camp, OTAs and stuff, and then you got a bail of him for a barrel of information

that you're learning from defense. Was there was that like almost an information overload or did you have time to digest everything? No? No, I love it. Um, I love um. Just knowing having to know both special teams and defense, it's a challenge and something I look forward to. So I'm constantly in the playbook constantly and in the meetings taking notes. UM, it's great, it's great, and so UM so far as it's been fine, UM, I haven't. I haven't had any issues as far as defensive plays, as

far as special teams plays. UM, I just do a great job of asking questions, taking notes, and then staying ready. Inside linebacker. Do you learn one or do you learn them both? You learn both the more you know, I mean you really you want to learn what the inside linebackers are doing, what the outside linebackers, what the d lineman the secondary. You want to know what everyone's doing.

That just helps, UM, you be a better player and play faster and somewhat inexperienced in terms of the inside linebacker position, because seventeen was your first year at doing it correct for on a full time basis. Correct. Yeah, so there is there a ton to learn? Assion or do you feel it all translates? I feel like it all translates, honestly, UM, outside linebacker. UM, I played on my junior year and then UM inside linebacker my senior year.

I didn't. I didn't see much of a different. It wasn't hard to just um going into my senior year and um coming into the NFL's it's not been a struggle at all. It's been pretty smooth. Tackle numbers went way up though. Yeah. Absolutely, I mean, yeah, this guy, I mean, you popped it on. I mean, I'm sure. I mean it's just like Ryan Pace said, you know, he had to go around the building and say, look at this tape. And when stuff jumps off tape, it

gets everybody's attention. It doesn't even matter, you know, you don't look for it, right, it just pops out and then you go find out who is this guy? You know that that had to be interesting for you to hear because you obviously know what you can do. So but when you're going around a building and the NFL officers and they're showing tape to everybody, Hey, you got to see this, you know, that's that's that's telling me

you're doing something right. Absolutely well. Pre you know, pre draft comparison to Kwan Alexander, you know, when you think about, Okay, what do we portray this guy as? That's pretty solid praise. You know, just thinking about how your athleticism and what it can translate into absolutely absolutely all right, We're gonna take our first break. Joel E. A. Buneway is our guest here on Bears All Access. It's brought to you by IGS Centers. You will continue our conversation after this

break on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Welcome back, everybody to Bears Alt 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 Jonny K Tom there from news Radio seven eighty

and one to five point FWBBM. We'll have the game for you on Sunday nine am pregame noon kickoff against the New York Jets, the third in the four games against the AFC East. Weird, you're just working your way through the division despite the fact you're in the NFC North. What'd you learn in these first two trips through the AFC East in terms of the Miami Dolphins and New

England Patriots and what that divisions like. Yeah, no, it's a lot more m details obviously, and when you start playing these division games and whatnot, and um, you know coaches are harping in on the importance of winning these games, and so we understand that this this next couple of weeks are going to be extremely important, and so we're looking we're looking forward to it and getting ready to

start getting getting these wins. You know, when you prepare for a college game, sometimes you may not be real familiar with the talent because you don't play a team at often. It's just like the Jets, You're you're not

going to see him very much throughout your career. Here with the Bears, when you start learning about a team that you're not very familiar, not going to see very often, is there a little different things nuances that change because of that, or is it kind of you just follow along the pattern that Coach Vick has been teaching you since you got here. Yeah, yeah, pretty much. We uh.

Coach Vick does a great job of of giving us the game plan and giving us the tendencies and everything, and we just follow follow that, having attention to detail, looking throughout the week to have a good practice and get ready for Sunday. Is Danny Trevathan the brain you pick of the active player of the guys that you work with is he the brain that you go to? Yeah, yeah, I picked Danny's brain. I picked a lot to Um.

Both of those guys have done a great job of helping me, UM just get used to to, you know, the different schemes and everything. And I appreciate those guys who should go to to get used to just being a young man on a team full of veteran players. There's a lot of young players in this team, but some you know, and we had Blow Nichols in here a couple of weeks ago, and you know, the adjustment of Hey, you know, you guys are just young men, twenty two years old. Some of these folks have families,

they're married. You know. Uh, do all the young guys hang together or do you tend to hang with some of the vets too off the field? No, we the young guys definitely hang together. Me you're smiling because you know the b Balou Um roquan Um Joshua was another rookie UM insight linebacker, Um Javon Wims. We're all I

think our Roogo lass is very very close. So we all hang out, um outside of of the facilities, and and you know, we go out to eat and do things like that, and so that helps us with the transition. And I'm just staying close. Having someone you know chat with about stuff is important. It's an interesting collection of

characters throwing the rookie class it is, you know. And the offensive said, you got Anthony Miller, who's you know, comes from Memphis, and it's a very proud guy, very very bold guy with you know how he fused things. And ballall is a very we really got to kick out of talking to Ball. He plays like a veteran, He thinks like a veteran, he answers questions like a veteran. Do you notice that about him? Is very mature kid? Absolutely, absolutely, very much. You are very mature. And me and him

have a lot in comment. I remember when I when I first met him, I was like, man, we met you were very similar man, and I think we're gonna and from there, I kind of I was like, we're gonna be cool, We're gonna be closed because what about you guys? Do you have in common? What is it just the way you think? Mentality? Absolutely, I think we're

just the way we go about things. Um, I think we have a very mature mentality, and you know, just being a rookie, you know, there's there's a certain adversity you have to deal with them. So I think we just have a similar mindset as far as dealing with things like that. Since that twenty years that Jeff and I have been traveling here with the Bears, this is the first year that they're kind of a relaxed Um, clothing restrictions on the airplane. You can go a little

bit more casual. So if you took all those rookies, we used to learn a lot about them by the way they dressed, in the way they spent their money on clothes. Of all your crew of guys, is anybody into that wardrobe or is anybody bringing style out that you kind of learned a little bit about him? Yes, you know a lot of these guys you don't know for that long. Absolutely, you know we have a he's being a rookies or anyway, Yah know all your rookie guys. Yeah,

so the rookies. Javon he's got some style. He he goes by juice, so he tries to bring some flavor um every week. I feel like, uh, Roquan has some nice styles. Um. Anthony Miller has a Memphis swaggy. He definitely brings some some swags. So we have a lot of different guys who who mix it up and just do you throw on the tire? No? Do you go tie free because you don't have to? Yeh, some guys are wearing tice. Yeah. No, I haven't won a tie yet. I do have a blazer, a nice blazer I usually

wear um. But yeah, yeah, I did see Givanna had a couple of games, maybe even going to Miami. He was completely styled out, and I was thinking, hottest game of the year. You're going down there, You're you're you're going going home. He's going home. It's what he was doing. You had to represent a little bit, right right, Yeah, I uh, it's good news for Tom because he hates ties. You know what this guy used to do. I don't

think he does it anymore. He take a nice dress shirt like I have on right now, he cut all the sleeves off and then put his jacket. Just you know, I didn't you just this is it, you know what. I was kind of talking about this because you go through a football game and you're most likely you're gonna scruff up your knee, You're gonna scrape an elbow, you know, get some type of cut on you, and then you go put on this dress shirt. Now you got a big blood stain on the elbow or something. So that

part of it. I think it's good for the team to go out there and it's a business trip. You dress, dress business accordingly, go there and play Time's the only guy that I've seen it wear a suit and tie with a baseball caps. Not bad. Gotta project the dome

a little bit, right, got to protect the dome. That's exactly right, Uh, Joel, it's it's It has been fun to watch all the young guys because I believe, and we've had this conversation on this show the last two draft classes in particular, Uh, there is a different type of guy, the maturity level, and there's leadership qualities just

popping out all over the play. I look at Eddie Jackson, for example, He's only in his second year, but he you know, looking at the video of your postgame celebrations, he's in there breaking people down. I Mean, there are a bunch of veterans here, but you know, Eddie's been a go to. You got ter Reek's very confident in Mitch is your team leader, you have leadership qualities. Appears to me, we'll have leadership qualities. Anthony's gonna be a loud guy when he has a chance to be. So

it's interesting they went after guys like this. Clearly that's what they want. Absolutely get that impression. I do. I do. I think Coach Naggie and uh, mister Pace, we're looking for those qualities, and um, they've did it a great job. They did a great job of finding guys who have those And you know the Bear one. Did you know the Bears were looking for you? Looking at you during the end of that command the draft and combine and everything. I did not. I did not know. Um, was anybody

out there like fishing for you? Yeah, there was. There were some teams that were the Bears weren't and so that that was a great surprise for me. Um, just obviously being from Chicago and everything, and um, it worked out. We'll pick up that part of the story after a break here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy. The score. This segment of Bears on Access is orchestrated by CDW CDW people, It'll get it. Jeff, Jonny Act Tim there along with Pause, Rang and Dan Barilli and our guest

Joel Ea Booney Way. I've done good. I haven't messed it up one time yet, You've done great. Huh. It's the hardest thing, though, when you get guys with similarly more difficult names in there tackling each other or banging into each other. I've come up with some some doozies, just let me tell you over the years, because from here to here, from the top of your brain into your mouth, you never know just what might come out.

So if it ever happens, please don't be offended, because I'm telling you that right now, right Paul's arrange, he's laughing. I've come up awards that don't even exist. All the thing about it, Jeff has to learn and a kyer roster of names each week, you know, and it's incredible that how the names have changed, how difficult it is. And you know, you know, even having blow on here, you know, talking to him about his name because you

don't see it that often. And now the Jets they have a running back who went on ir yeah blah, Paul who's been around a while out for the year with a season ending neck injury that could be career ending according to Todd Bull, So the Jets, though they can run the ball, they do have capabilities and running the football. We'll break that down a little bit with Joel.

When we went to the break, you mentioned that you know that you're from Chicago, and obviously when you're in the draft, it's amazing how much attention is focused on everybody in the draft. So you'll learn a lot about all the all the guys coming out every year and then it quiets down. So people may not know about your story, But if you're listening to this show, you haven't heard about Joel and his his journey from Chicago to Bowling Green where he grew up and played his

high school football. Right, you play your high school football there. Tell us your story about the Chicago connection once more. Oh yeah, so Um born here in Cook County, Chicago, ninety five, nineteen ninety five and lived in the city for about two years and then moved to the suburbs in Bowling Brook after that, And I was there for about six years until I was eight eight nine years old, and then my dad got a job at Western Kentucky UM in Bowling Green. So um family got up and

moved there. My dad started teaching. UM, he's a professor, so he started teaching your Western and then UM, pretty much I grew up there from from eight years old till until I was draft did um I was in Bowling Green and uh, I'm back, so it's it's nice to be back, and uh kind of everything kind of came in full circle, so it's great. Was it hard for you eight years old where you're ready to go? Or did you have friends and like just a whole

lifestyle growing. I know it's hard at eight years old, but moving an eight year old when he's got a ton of friends, they don't know if, oh am I ever going to meet another friend? Yeah? No, we had we had a family members here, We had friends, and we did have to leave all of them and start a new life in Kentucky, which was a lot different, a lot different from Illinois. But UM, I made plenty of friends UM in Bowling Green and everything worked out.

You're you're a good athlete. So was football your concentration or did you go down to Western Kentucky probably a better climate and have access to more sports or where you a football focused guy? Um? I played UM basketball, UM throughout high school, played played in middle school played UM football as well. Um, those are my main two sports,

basketball and football. I think I played a little soccer when I was young, a little t ball when I was young, but no, football was definitely the main sport. UM basketball was a clue. What positions you play on offense in football? Yeah, I played a receiver, I played a running back, and I played kick return on special teams. It's it's interesting because when you read the bios of these players when they are Joel size or linebackers, and it seems like every one of them have a great

career as a high school running back. Yeah, and Lance Briggs remember, Yeah, Lance Briggs tore it up in Arizona. Man put up some huge numbers as a running back. Right. And you know then it is you got to kind of make your where do you gravitate towards when it Where is that deciding factor and saying, Okay, you're not gonna be a six one, two hundred and thirty pound running back, but you're gonna be an athlete at linebacker. No,

that's great question, um from me. I remember my my high school coach asked me, Um, okay, you know you're a junior, you're a senior. What do you feel like you do better at the college level? And I was like, um, I think defense, Um is definitely my staple with my calling because I like to hit and um, you know, playing linebacker it is just one of the main positions you get to hit a lot. So um, and it

ended up working out, Um, choosing to play linebacker. Well, he's got the body of Sekwon Barkley over here, or maybe maybe Joel has you know, maybe Barkley has a Joel's body because you don't look like a twenty two year old kid. Yeah, definitely, I've heard. Yeah. I mean, my goodness, I mean you got you had to have loved the weight room or you know, is this somewhat you know God gave you these gifts? I mean to be big? Um, a little bit of both, I think. Um,

I've always loved the weight room. I've always loved working out and taking care of your body, eating right, diet, um, all that stuff. So um, that definitely is one. I think. Also God blessed me with good genetics and whatnot. So um, you know, you mix the two and that's what you get. So is your dad a big guy too? No, my dad, my dad is not my dad and mom or um under six foot and um you know here here I

am six two. Yeah, So you weren't running through the McDonald's drive for you fan in knowledge you ate right all the way. You're one of those guys, right. I mean I spiled myself, don't get me wrong. You know I spoiled myself a little bit. Um, but I wasn't running the McDonald's or burger king Yeah, every day. So what is it now? I mean, now that you're at this level, you can eat as perfect as you want to. Um,

what has been your routine over time? I mean you just are you a guy used every couple of hours, jam the protein down, do as much of that? And what is your vice if there is one in terms of snack food or something something you really enjoy outside my my diets? Pretty um, Jen our nutritionist has done a great job of helping me. I remember when I first got here during l t AS, I asked her,

you know what some stuff I can make? And she send me a whole bunch of stuff that I could cook and um, just snacks and stuff you can eat that are that are healthy and stuff and so um. I know in the mornings, I usually go with some oatmeal, um, maybe some pancakes, some eggs. Um. And then for lunch before practice, I don't eat a lot. I'm gonna have a PV and J sandwich or you know, some pasta

or something. But um, um that's usually very light. And so after after practice, like right now, after um, I'm done, I'll probably go and get you know, maybe a sandwich, chicken wrap, um, maybe a salad to go with that. Um. And then my vice. Um, my sweetness is sweets. Uh, my weakness is sweets. So um, I got a sweet tooth. Um.

I love I love sweets. Who doesn't In the sensitive time of football right now and everything that goes around surrounding the conversation conversation of allowing kids to play football, Your dad's an educator. How was he with you playing football? Did he kind of try to encourage you or discourage you in any way? And how is he now about it? Um? He didn't, He didn't discourage or anything like that. Um. He definitely let me be me. UM, let me choose

what I wanted to do. I played basketball and football. Um, but as long as I took care of my my grades. Um, he was okay with whatever I did, so, um, you know he was fine with that. Um. I did a great job of staying out top of school as well as well as playing sports. So um, we never had an issue. Now, um, now I'm in the in the NFL. He's he's obviously very proud and stuff like that. But um, yeah, I know he's he's he's doing great and he loves he loves watching the games and keeping up with me

and everything. How about mom, Mom, pretty much the same thing. Yeah, MoMA, Mom loves um loves uh um what I'm doing, and she's proud of me. And yeah, pretty much the same. Any other guys from your senior class from Western Kentucky make it to the NFL this year. Yeah, our quarterback Mike Ye's playing for the Cowboys, and then we had a tight end who's playing for the Chiefs, now dion Yoder.

Because they were impressed about the number of scouts that showed up a year guys as pro day, because they talked about the three of you guys, and they had a selection of six or eight of other guys, but that thirty over thirty pro scouts there. It was impressive, and you know, because of you guys were on display. Yeah, no what w K has done a great job of putting players in the league, and um, you know, we hope to continue that. And so you know we're just

you know, good, good fortune and working hard. We'll continue our conversation with Jelle Ea booney Way as we break here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. This Sunday's game against the Jets is brought to you by Doctor Pepper, the official soft drink of the Chicago Bears. Jeff and Tom with Heal and Joel yea booney Way linebacker from Western Kentucky. Bears rookie

fourth rounder Danny Trevathan was a sixth rounder. He had to work his way from the practice squad actually get a really good Denver Bronco team when he started his NFL career. He did it on special teams, they did it at practice and impressed the coaching staff. Kept getting opportunities. So and I had a conversation just today with a couple of the rookies, Dijon Allen, the offensive lineman, and he says he loot to me every single day. He's the nicest guy in that locker. Whom I swear to you.

He sits there, he observes you're so mean. But anyway, you know, I always say, hey, how's it going, man, he goes, Man, just waiting for my chance, waiting for my chance. And when you get the chance, and that's what you're all here for. You know, you're here to win help as a member of the fifty three man roster in the practice squad in his case. And but at the same time, it's got to be tough to wait for those opportunities. So Danny, a sixth rounder, didn't

have that pedigree of a first second round pick. You're a fourth rounder. Um, but does it give you a window to the future and you see how he's doing it and how you're it? Does it does M Staying ready? Staying ready? Um? You know Danny did a great job of that. And you know here he is, um getting getting the contract and getting everything that he wanted. So um, it definitely helps um. Keep you motivated and keep you ready for the opportunity. Don't don't let the opportunity slip.

Just stay ready, stay humble, and when when that chance comes, take advantage of it. You know, throughout any of our careers, we all play demonstration squad, and so is it easy for you to motivate yourself when you have the reps in there because no one has exempt from it, and that's the way you you climb the ladder. Anyways, so when you get that you're playing demonstration squad, you're kind of playing another team's defense, but you see the offensive

talent ahead of you. Are the types of things that you can go through in those practices helpful to your development? Yes? Absolutely, absolutely, Um the effort you can play with great effort, you can work on your techniques, you can work on pretty much all the drills that that you want. So, m I think there's two ways you can go about it.

You can look at it is so you know, I'm on the practice squad or I'm I'm the demonstration team, and you can kind of just go through the motion, or you can use it as a chance to get better work on your techniques and stuff. And so that that's how I view every situation. And so I'm always

working on my game and continuing to get better. How realistic and even back when you played time, how realistic and what effort As you're playing another team's defense, do they want you to be because they want you to play their techniques and coverage and run fits and whatnot. Is it have to hit full metal to the you know, pedal to the metal type of practice to make your offense better or how how do they want you to do it? Yeah? Yeah, Sometimes they they'll tell you, Okay,

this is exactly what we want. We want this is what the player that you're demonstrating um for the week, this is what he does. So they want to exactly like this and that's okay. And then other times it would be like just play how you wouldn't want to play it? And then those are the chances that UM, I used to to get you know, my my work in and work on the things that I want to work on. UM. But yeah, you know, it just depends

on what um, what the uh the coaches want? And how about when you what would happen in your day? Oh well, everything was live, so it never mattered. We didn't never had a relaxed tempo. It was full speed and every drill we did, even when we were going

against demonstration squad. But it's a funny thing about Joel is after practice, I saw Kyle Long and Kyle says man, we got after today, we had a hard So now you're thinking of Joel, who's he looking across from when he's got a bubble as a guy like Kyle, Kyle Long and in Cody and the whole crew of guys. But you know that that's how a guy like Joel, that's how you develop into that starter and all. You know, the future of yourself is when you get to go

against the best of the best. For what sixty snaps on a Wednesday Thursday deal, yep, absolutely, absolutely the um the I think the opportunity is great. Um, you know, getting the cover to read, getting the cover Trey Burton, you know, and all that stuff. I'm going against Kyle and Cody and um Leno and these guys. Man, that's you know, that's a great opportunity and chance to work

on your game and um to get better. You know, last night Jeff and I did a deal with Tred Cohen, and I brought up because I read so much about him. I always read about this Fortnite stuff. Are you a video game guy? I don't. I don't play Fortnite a lot. Um. I do have the game, but I'm more of a NBA two K I play a lot of sports. Um I play, Um, but don't don't doesn't like, don't you play madness like the sports anymore that you're on a team and yeah, like absolutely absolutely, yeah no we do,

we do. Um. Fortnite was was huge, um you know this year and last year. Um, I wasn't the biggest player of it, but um, it was definitely popping. So if there's an NBA, I mean an NBA game on an NFL game or video games, where are you going? For sure? It depends on he's playing, But um, those sports games for sure. Do you ever talk hoops with Charles Leno? The man knows NBA? Yes, he has got

it down cold. So if you want to have a guy talk hoops with you, it's fun for me to be in there to hear this because invariably, especially if you get a guy like Bellamy in there or you know some other guys, uh that, even Jonathan Bullard, you know, they like to, you know, talk about who's the greatest, who's the best, Who's this, who's that? In the NBA. But I covered Michael Jordan during his prime like that

when they won their six championships. I was there for all of that, so it's hard for me to have anybody tell me anything different. But I'm an old guy now, so I get those who love Kobe and those who love Steph and those who love Lebron. Yeah. Um, so you know where do you stand on this? Where do you standing? Who? Who's Who's the man? Michael is definitely the greatest, Um, Lebron I would have to go with this second. Um, I think the six for six um with five MVP or six for six killer. Yeah, that's

the killer right there. I don't think anybody's gonna pass him. Kareem is always up there as well. Um, but yeah, Mike Mike is definitely not. I'm a huge Kobe fan. I like Kobe growing up. Um, but Mike, Mike is the goat. I never saw anybody have a killer instinct leg Mike, that's for sure. Had a great opportunity. I don't know if I ever told you this, but I covered the NBA All Star Game, their fiftieth NBA All Star Game in Cleveland, and every living Hall of Famer

is there. So we're talking Oscar Robertson at the time. You know, Kareem, u El, you name it. They were all there and that was quite the collection, Bill Russell. I mean, if you could put all those guys in they do it. Obviously, you can do it in a video game. Could you imagine putting all those guys on the court together. You can't pick who's your best ten.

Same with the NFL. Oh Man usually the greatest. But you know when I when we talked about it again last night, when you look at the greatest and you see what they are able to accomplish. To me, when you're a professional athlete, it's about what you do in the off season to stay prepared for the season. And I think that's kind of the inspiration you got to get from a guy like because Lebron's not just gonna be good because he's big. He's good because he puts

so much effort into the off season. And that's the same thing you're gonna have to do throughout your career. What's the season's over, he'll up feel good and get back at it. Absolutely No, the off season isn't time to relax and start partying and uh going on vacations. Obviously you can, you know, have a little a little time to yourself and whatnot, but um, that's that's the time to separate yourself, um from everybody else and get ready for the next year. And you always are gonna

have eye on your future too, beyond football. And you've you've made this clear you have hope at one day being a pediatrician. Um. So that's something that you'll pursue for sure. You know down the road, UM, where is where did that of of of medical and you know that aspect of your education, when did that kick in for you? When when did that become something you were

interested in? Ever since I was I was a kid, my parents, um instilled in me the importance of education and my mom being a nurse and my dad being a public health professor. Um. You know, I was kind of around the health profession. And um then once I once I was old enough to decide what I wanted to do, you know, being a doctor was what I wanted wanted to do. And so UM, no, I give

all credit to them. You know, it seems like when someone has the aspirations to be a doctor and they're a football player, it kind of sticks with him because you remember John frank the tight end for the San Francisco forty nine Denis wasn't it was now he Well, he became a doctor. And the thing about it, he always talked about it when he came out of college. Look, I'm playing football, but eventually I'm gonna go to med school and he and that's what he's been able to accomplish.

So it seems like a guy like you that has that for thinking about that is a all that you're going to accomplish. Yeah, it is. It is. Obviously I've been blessed to be where I am now, but um, I feel like that that is what I've wanted to do and playing in the NFL was another goal that I was able to achieve. But it doesn't mean I have to let go of one. So you know, it's something I want to do and I plan to do it.

All right, we'll pick up our conversation with Joel eya booty Way our final segment coming up here on Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. We must thank our guest Joel eya booty Way for joining us tonight on Bears All Access. Ruth's Chris would like to have you have this one hundred dollars gift card to enjoy in one of their chicagol That area steakhouses. I'm sure you'll enjoy a nice steak. You do allow yourself that I do? Yes, yes,

why not? Right? That's one of time's favorites right there. It is. You know that. That's the great thing about it. You have a gift like that. And the what the Bears do for you in terms of supplying food. You know, it's something in the early NFL that wasn't a part of our existence. But you know, the Bears they're all in.

They in terms of technology and everything. They offer you everything you can possibly use to increase your performance, your profession in the length of time you're going to be here, which is cool to see how much the organization cares. Absolutely, there's no excuse for not being the best player you can be. They have everything, and this campus has grown

every day. You guys go out there and see the construction crews here and you know, from the first day of twenty five thousand square foot Bear facility now to campus. Get back there. Yeah, guys, guys are nestled away. Train running by, you know the train. Everybody loves the train. Everybody loves it. Why why just there's some aesthetic value to right you're playing in the just it is funny, it's it is an idelic setting. It really it's beautiful.

Um and the field over there is outstanding up But as a player, and I'm sure you guys this way in college too, when when when you're when you're give than something else to make yourselves better, Like this new structure will be state of the art. It's all designed to help you become a better football player, both on the field and in the classroom and through technology. Do you feel then that that organization or that's college, whatever the case may be, has your back as a player.

They're investing in your in addition to gestr Patre, Yes, investing was exactly word I was going to use. Um Um yes, um absolutely. I feel like it motivates. It motivates you to be your best, to put everything that you can into you know, your your job, and not just go through the motions or or just collect the check. Yeah. You know, you see you see them building this and offering this, and you're like, wow, you know these guys care, and you know they're willing to put in the effort

and the money to do this. So why wouldn't I do the same thing. So, you know, I like what the Bears do because you go to all of that and you kind of get to know your teammates and a training camp setting there you're all close and dorm life and everything. Then you come to Hollis Hall, you get stuck in the dungeon. You get your lockers downstairs. You've got to kind of earn that upstairs, and then finally you make it upstairs with the big locker room.

But it's kind of such an accomplishment that transition is such a sense of accomplishment. You get out of training camp, now you come to Hollis Hall and then you earn a locker upstairs. It's got to be a great feeling for you. Um, do I've accomplished that? You know things were different when I was here, But that's the way it is for you guys. Yes, that's exactly how it was. Um, the dungeon was was the growing pains man. You had

to get through that. And um, you know, when you made the team and your your name was in the big locker room with everybody, the vets and everything, it was a great feeling. How have you taken to vic Fangio. Oh love coach vic Um Love coach vic Um coach Vick does a great job of, um, you know, being personable and and you know, joking around with the guys

and everything. And so I think everybody, um would say he's a great person and um, I've i've I've liked everything about Have you ever studied any of Vick's past or any of the linebacking groups that he's had in his career. Yeah, you know, having gone through those eras with Vic he's always you know, been that guy that's always stayed at the forefront of defense, but he's also been able to transition talent to the way they best

fit in the into the defense. And because you have some kind of unique abilities, Yeah, you run as well as anybody. You got length, he got point of attack ability. So the more growth he sees in you, probably the more fun it is to be around a guy like because he expands your opportunities absolutely, Yes, And then you know, because you're doing special team as well. You know you mentioned Chris Tabor. We had him on the Coaches Show on Monday Night. Uh, he's a fun guy too. I

think people would be surprised. Pretty funny yeah. Yeah, he's got a great sense of humor. But do you get on you guys too, won't us? Yeah, he's definitely, um both, you know, he has a great sense of humor and meetings can be hilarious at times, and then you know sometimes he would get on you, Betty. Betty wasn't too

pleased this week. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, like, um, this week he got on, he got on us, which is, you know exactly what we need him and we we're looking forward to Sunday to bounce back um on special teams and um, you know he's gonna do a great job of making sure we're ready when things devolve like that like it did Sunday and two touchdowns by a special teams unit allowed? Is it snap? Everybody to attention?

Then the following, yeah, it does, it does um as as special teams um is you know, it's one of the three phases, and it's it's a big part man and us giving up to you know, two touchdowns, I'm being a being a special teams player. You know, you just you hate that and so uh, you know we're ready to bounce back and make sure that doesn't happen again.

In colleges you have immediate response with tablets, because you do now, so if if you do go through a play, you can look at the evidence of it right on the sideline. Did you did you have that at Western Kentuckey? No, we did not. How do you like that? How do you like the ability see it? I love it? No, I love it. It's a huge you know, he huge as far as correcting the stakes and seeing exactly what happened. Sometimes, you know, in college you would have to recall what happened.

You're not sure, you know, Coach ask oh, what did you see? And you're like, I think I saw this, But you know, with the tablet, it's right there. You see exactly what happened and explain the situation. Tough for part of two of the Punk Game this week with Andre Roberts, a veteran punt returned number one of the league right now, So that'll be something to keep an eye on Sunday at Soldier Field as the Bears meet the Jets. Out of curiosity, what number you were in

this week on prep team for that fifty eight? Okay, I don't have him all memorized yet, but Darren lee Zack of a linebacker there he can run, and he saw he's made three interceptions already at the linebacker level of the Ohio State kid. You like that kid? Yeah, yeah, he's a good player. Did you get issued fifty seven

when you first got here? So? Um? I had forty five when I first got here, but there was a situation with the with the dB A defensive and so um he had to take forty five, and so um Mark Quimman guy said, Um, if if the number was available, that I would get it back. So that was his number. He loves that number. He would have been proud. You both like the way right right? What number did you want? Um? I wanted sixty one, but I didn't know I was

um retired for Bill George. Um is that yeah? The linebacker? But that's what I was wearing in the USFL, So I would who are sixty one? Yeah? I wasn't thinking ahead, and so I didn't know him. M Ray Early, who was the equipment manager. He just put fifty seven and said you have your USFL uniform? Did you steal the jersey? No? Because when I took my uniform off, I got into my car and drove the training camp. I never had

an opportunity to grab my equipment or anything. I gotta do this because and this is he doesn't like talking about himself at all, but this is something I want you to put this in perspective. Listen to this, tell him and don't don't fudge it. Tell him what you did. Because the us so I started, I started practice on January sixteenth, and I played. That's when the USFL started. We played in the spring, so we didn't play preseason. We had eighteen regular season games and then we had

the playoff. So it did that had My last game was on a Saturday night. After the game was over, got in my car, drove straight to Wisconsin to start training camp on Monday morning for the Bears. For the Bears, so because he had drafted him, but he went and signed in the USFL. So it had a stretch of a year. So and then I finished the season January twenty six of the next year, and had forty six games in between there. But they won the Super Bowl. So that's the last Super Bowl for the Bears. But

he played forty six games in one calendar year. Think about that. Just think about that for one second, and you tell me what your body and your mind might feel after no, no, but again you would do the same thing. You're twenty three years old and you're going, oh my god, I have a chance to go play in front of my hometown, my nervous and this was trying to make a team that I just got beat in the NFC Championship game. There's not a lot of room for rookies there, so just the whole challenge of

making it. But I think, like you, you're inspired every day to be a football player, and that's that's what keeps you going. Yeah, no, that's that's that's a great story, man. That's that's definitely tough. H forty six games in a year, that's right. Plus these guys they didn't they they hit every day, right, I mean they were full. Yeah. Crazy as it may sound now, but that was just normal. That's the way it was back. You could go to these and grab guys like Cody Well, I'm not I

don't you know Cody did. You could bring him and he'd be he'd do it, and Bobby Massey would do a Charles Leno. You know. It's a great locker room, is it not. I mean, even though you're a young guy in it and you're you're experiencing a pro atmosphere for the very first time in your life. You can get a feel for a good locker room. Yeah, I mean to tell me why you feel that way. I know I feel that way. But you know what about

this locker room? I feel like, Uh, when the Vets and the rookies can get along easy, when they can talk about anything, When um, different type of players can condemn your locker buddy, can you can have a conversation with him, and um, when things like that happened. Um, you know, you know it's it's a it's a close knit group. So I joke around with Kyle, Cody um Leno, I joke around with the tight Ends, some Trey um

Dion Sims, I'm brand Brown and curR. You know. I joke around with a bunch of different guys, not just the rookies, but you know, the Vets and some guys with kids, guys with wives. I talk about you know, almost anything you know, and so being to being a young twenty twenty three year old, you know, rookies, it doesn't matter. You know, these these guys we can hold We can have conversations about absolutely anything, and so in

the locker room these days for young men. Um, you know, outside of the Abbeys and football and whatnot, right right, I mean sports is always number one. Um, we try. Politics comes up a little bit, Um, it does, it does a little bit, but um, you know sports music, UM, you know women and and stuff like that. You know, day to day stuff. But you know, coach Naggi always keeps the message pretty clear. Whatever he says is the podium is the right thing to say in front of

the group of guys that he wants to be close. Yeah. Absolutely, And he's done a great job of preaching that, um, day in and day out since um, since I've gotten near and even before that. Um. And so you know, the guys are definitely buying into it. And you know we're just we're a closed group. All right, we'll go get one on Sunday, Yes, sir, will be nice. Joel Ea Booney Way, so please you join us. The rookie out of Western Kentucky making an impact here with the

Chicago Bears. Yeah, that's gonna do it. For tonight's show, for Paul's Ranker engineering Dan really our our producer. I'm Jeff Joniak for Tom there and Joel Iggy. He's gonna have a long career here with the Bears. Thanks for listening to everybody, Go Bears as they meet the Jets on Sunday at Soldier Field. We'll talk to you on the radio and have a great night, everybody,