All Access: Mack discussion and Fencik talks Bears 100

Jeff Johnny Ac along with a broadcast partner from Huge Radio seven eighty and one or five point nine FM WBM, mister Tom Fair and Jim Miller from Sirius XM NFL Radio with Pat Kerwin. I don't know, Big Jim, you know these are vacation times for you. I mean you're working, You're doing the big show this week. Yeah, we're definitely, you know, a couple of select fridays you take off here and there just to get some downtime. But yeah, I mean we're going through the whole league right now.

We're eating now, we're breaking down our time five offensive lines, and we actually just did the NFC North today. We've got the Bears rated as the best offensive line in the division of the NFC North. Well, you know, you think about the changes on the Bears offensive line. You got Cody Whitehair moving to guard, you got James Daniels coming in at center. And it's nice to see the transition with James Daniels because they're going back to a

more conventional snap. Last year at the beginning of the season with Cody Whitehair, they worked on a bunch of different styles and then Mitchell Trubisky had to adjust to that. So now it's more of a conventional shotgun staff Mitchell Trubisky will receive it and more of a spiral type

of motion. And when you look at Bobby Massey and Kyle long In, Charles Leno Jr. The rest of the guys in place with offensive line coach Harry heastand I think it's a wise choice because consistency in the offensive line is five guys plus the backups. And then they had a big change at the tight end position. So when you look at Bradley Swell at the tight end position, it looks like you have a fifth offensive tackle out there. Don't forget don't forget Adam Boys, Don't forget big Adam.

I know the tight ends well, the factor, but we're just going by best five offensive line. That's how Pat and I broke it down and all the things you mentioned, Pat about the depth, and I brought that up to that. I said, yes, Swell could probably still be a swing tackle.

But that's where I said, we need to get on Tom Thare to break down Rashad Coward because I know you like him and where you see, you know the swing tackle, whether it's Cornelius Lucas who could potentially ulfill that role, because I love Ted Larson, Tom because everywhere I remember, coach told me this, They tried to cut Ted Larson anyway they could. Where this coach was and he said everywhere. Every time we signed him, the guy ended up playing like six to eight games he started

for us. Were always coming on Ted Larson, you know, Jim two. It's the versatility the offensive line, because you know, some point during the season you're gonna have some type of hiccup, maybe an injury, some guy twists his ankle. When you got Cody Whitehair, James Daniels, Ted Larson, they're all interchangeable. They can play everyone one of those interior positions. And then when you have Kyle Long that's able to contribute and take part in an off season, gets stronger.

He looks huge out there. So when you see this offensive line break the huddle in go to the line of scrimmage, you're talking about size, strength, and athleticism and versatility. All right, that's the offensive line expert, Jim, who's number one in the league. We haven't gone through all the division yet, but I'll tell you what, man, the NFC East is looking strong. Philly has four tackles, and Dallas

got stronger with Travis Frederick returning to the mix. So they may be the leaders in the clubhouse right now. Jim Miller top there. Jeff Joniac when we come back, Eddie Jackson, the Pro Bowl safety, expected to join the program. We'll also here from Tom Super Bowl teammate from nineteen eighty five. Gary Fenzick joined the program as well. This

is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to Score. Family owned IGS Energy has been a leader in the energy industry for over twenty five years, with the IGS family of companies now for boding electricity, natural gas, and home warranty products to over one million customers. We are inspired to make an impact in the communities where we live and work. Whether our employees wanted to donate their time, talents, dollars, or a mixture of all three, we are proud to

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is Mastory, This is Marson. We're Bears fans at PNC, and you'll find us everywhere in Chicago. We're at the game, covered in orange and blue, cheering at the top of our lungs. We're at the tailgate grilling brots in a winter storm. No matter where you find us, PNC will be cheering on the Bears with the rest of Chicago. We are PNC. We are Bears fans. PNC Bank, the

official bank of the Chicago Bears. Copyright twenty eighteen, the PNC Financial Services Group Incorporated, All rights reserved, PNC Bank National Association Member FDIC. What do you call a truly great beer that's brewed with more taste only ninety six calories and three point two carbs. We call it Miller Light. What are you holding? Miller Light? Hold true great beer? Great Responsibility twenty eighteen, Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Average analysis twelve fluid houses, less than one gram protein and zero grams fat. Relieving pain just got a lot less painful because now in Illinois, you no longer need a prescription to start physical therapy. That means you go straight to your local Athletico and start feeling better faster than ever before. So if you're living with Paine, call eight seven seven Athletico, schedule a free assessment and start feeling better today. It's so easy, it's practically painless. Athletico

physical therapy better for everybody. Bears fans, all routes lead to touchdowns on United airlines. Don't wait for the next home game to see your favorite team battle it out on the gridiron. Take your Chicago Bears pride on the road. With over three hundred destinations worldwide, United's global coverage is a game changer. Visit United dot com to book your travel today. United proud to fly the Chicago Bears and

their fans to every away game. Welcome back to Bear j All Access brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud partner of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gas, and home warranty products to over one million customers across country. Learn more about IGS Energy at igs dot com. Jeff Joni actom Thare Jim Miller with you on Chicago Sports

Radio six seventy the score. Thanks as always to our producing crew, Herb Lawrence, Adam Szinski, and of course Shane Rearden helping us out getting all those little gremlins out of the out of the story here. Jim Miller with us and Jim seeing practice here this every Wednesday over a three week period they allowed the media to come in and so this week was the offense. You can

talk to offensive players, offensive coaches, and oh Man. The conversation significant about the development of Mitch Trubisky and what I love was talking to Dave Ragone. Dave Ragone saying all he's focused on is what Mitch did in the playoff game. Against Philadelphia. Forget about the loss right now. It's about making the plays and crunch time, getting them and putting them in a position to win the game

of the end. That's the confidence builder, first time in that situation as a player that he should be focusing on as he moves forward. That's his new floor. Yeah, well, I agree. I was very encouraged by all the things I heard, especially from Mark Helfritz today too, the Beer's

offensive quarter. But and I mentioned it the last couple weeks of the season, Jeff, I mean, I thought, Mitch, he played a whale of a game on the road in Minnesota the last week of the season, one to drive the dagger into the Minnesota Viing Vikings and shut them out in their home, in their own field. And that dude twice made money throws against the Blitz where

he beat the Blitz. And then, like he said late March versus Philly, that's all you can ask your offensive do, get your team in a position to win the game, and it comes down to a kick. And that's unfortunate how it played out. I know it hurts a lot of people, and it probably hurts you know, the New Orleans Saints losing the way they did, even worse with how that game finished against the Rams, But hey, that's

all you can ask your quarterback to do. But for Mark Helfritz today to come out and talk about just the command of the offense and where Mitch is at, I love hearing that type of stuff. What Helfrid was talking about today. What I liked about Mitch in practice is I like using all the new pieces that the Bears are brought on board. You got Patterson, you have Davis, you have Montgomery. All these guys were actively involved in

the offense. And it was Mitch's accuracy that impressed me most throughout practice and all the drills and all the balls they threw, and I heard a lot of compliments coming out of the coach's mouth that is a great pass. There were some great catches, but Mitch's accuracy was the most impressive portion of practice. Wellitch goes back, Jim to decision making, and I think that's one of the big

keys here. You can be accurate all day long. If you're not making the right decisions though within the framework of the scheme and what's being asked of you as you go through your progressions, then you're really not getting it done. Yeah, I think Tom just nailed you right there. The reason why he's so accurate right now is the reflection how much further in the command of the offense that he has. I mean, when you're playing confident, you know exactly what is being asked of you to do,

hope for is this coverage. I'm doing this for this coverage. It maybe at the same place, say I'm calling you know, Z drive or whatever, play every play I call, but now you're just rolling through the coverage. Well, this coverage, they're doing this, this coverage, they're going to do this, this coverage, They're gonna do something different. And now he's locked and loaded. He's further into this offense where it

just lights up to him. I always say, I always bring it up that it's like the movie A Beautiful Mind with Russell Crowe, where that that picture that play its lights up in your mind and against every coverage, all those things just kind of light up in your head and you're like boom, ready to go. And that's

why he's accurate. Tom. He's confident in the plays where the command of the offense where he's at with it, and when you're confident that, Hey, everywhere, every time I drop back, I've got an answer and I know exactly where I'm going with the football. You are going to be accurate with your passing. And that's what I think is showing on the field right now. You know, it's so beneficial to to the Bears is they're practicing against

the fast defense. And I know, you know, you hate to rehash the eighty five season, but every day when the offense broke the huddle and they were practicing against the eighty five defense and made that football team better and made him have to perform faster and more accurately. And I think that's what the Bears are going to be able to accomplish while they're going against the Bears defense. And yeah, they're trying to put a new portions of

this offense. But last year, you know, we knew that Jordan Howard was here and we all wanted to see a high percentage of runs. Now though now they have so many great pass catchers, I think that percentage is out the window. Now. It's about how often and how accurately can they throw the ball? That is tom there with Jim Miller and Jeff Chioni here in Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score getting you through the preseason here the offseason program, rather you got next week, you

got some OTAs. Then it's veteran mini camp for three days. And then these guys are out of here by the fourteenth of June, so not much time left in this offseason program. Then they get about six weeks before they started training camp, and I think they'll be better prepared. Also, just listening to the brand Childress yesterday, he's in here now. He's a confidant of Matt Neeggie. He had a chance to be in training camp last year leaf for the

it didn't work out. But now back and see what the roots of this offense, how they quickly they grew, and just how Matt Naggie did it. Matt didn't do it an unconventional way, but he did it his way. It's that bu way that he's taught his players, and that's been impressive to see from a guy who's been around a long time in brad Children's fellas well. I think he's a He is a great confident because he has the experience at every level of football. He was

a great high school football player. He's been involved in every aspect of the NFL, from head coach to an assistant coach, and it's just great to have the experience and a sounding board off of an assistant coach like Childers. He's done it all, man. He's very well respected around the National Football League. Certainly, Met Naggie trusts his judgment and his decision making and his coaching ability, and he relies on Brad greatly, and he should because Brad has

done it all. People for you. When he was the head coach in Minnesota, he had control of the roster. Not too many coaches have that ability. Normally it's the general manager that has control of the roster. That's why I was able to cut raind him all so quickly. Remember that quote by brand Childress. I mean, pretty amazing the stuff that he's been through, and what a what

a great asset for Matt Naggie to have on his staff. Yeah, I was very thrilled the fact that he was he was coming back here because Hey, he's a great he's very funny guy. Number one, he's a Chicago guy. Talking yesterday about the fact he's got his parents' time much like yours. Their lifelong Chicago wins. They've been here since the eighties are excuse me, they're in their eighties. His wife's parents are in their nineties, and he has a

love of the game. He was at Wrigley Field on the day that Gayel Sayers left on a canvas stretcher. Then he had a bad knee injury. I'll never forget it. Something that lives with him for a long time. And you was a Chicago win all the way through. Can relate to all that well. I think every experience you have the ability to draw back from, either when you were a young kid or the experiences you grow through, because you're gonna face that scenario sometime in your coach life.

And I think Brad has seen at all. All Right, we're gonna step away. Continue here on Bears All Access presented by IGS Energy. Here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score. All right, Welcome to F one fifty Radio. Chad go, I know the F one fifty kicks button takes name, like how the high strength of military grade aluminum alloy F one fifty thrashes the competition with best in class towing and tort totally saw that coming, Chad, how do you know so much about F one fifty

beating the competition. I drive the competition. Oh, I'm so sorry. The four D F one fifty. It doesn't just raise the bar, it is the bar. Best in class claims with properly configured vehicles the classes full sized pick ups under Rady five hundred pounds gw war based on sports segmentation. What do you call a truly great beer that's brooded with more taste only ninety six calories and three point two carbs. We call it Miller Lite? What are you holding?

Miller hold true great Beard, Great Responsibility twenty eighteen, Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Average analysis twelve fluid outs is less than one gram protein and zero grams fat. Relieving pain just got a lot less painful because now in Illinois you no longer need a prescription to start physical therapy. That means you go straight to your local Athletico and

start feeling better faster than ever before. So if you're living with pain, call eight seven seven Athletico, schedule a free assessment and start feeling better today. It's so easy, it's practically painless. Athletico physical therapy better for every body. If that's old, you mas story you would hear home. If your story is that of an educator wanting to change lives. All of It Online offers masters and doctoral degrees in education and leadership. Take your life from where

you are are to where you will be. To hear stories of people just like you, visit online dot olivette, dot Dusty. This is Mason. We're Bears fans at PNC, and you'll find us everywhere in Chicago. We're at the game, covered in orange and blue, cheering at the top of our lungs. We're at the tailgate grilling brots in a winter storm. No matter where you find us, P and C will be cheering on the Bears with the rest of Chicago. We are PNC. We are Bears Fans. P

ANDC Bank, the official bank of the Chicago Bears. Copyright twenty eighteen, The P ANDC Financial Services Group, Incorporated. All rates reserve PNC Bank National Association Member FDIC. Bears Fans all routes lead to touchdowns on United Airlines. Don't wait for the next home game to see your favorite team battle it out on the gridiron. Take your Chicago Bears pride on the road. With over three hundred destinations worldwide. United's global coverage is a game changer. Visit United dot

com to book your travel today. United proud to fly the Chicago Bears and their fans to every away game. The 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 Sunday night at ten thirty five pm on Fox thirty two Chicago, or watch anytime at Chicago Bears dot com or on the Bears official app. Happen to see Anthony

Adams up here at Hallis Hall earlier today. He won't return any of my texts, but he's saying that he doesn't have my text So do I have the wrong number? Double A. I'm still gonna get this guy back. He's getting he's getting under my skin a little bit. One thing I noticed about you, Jeff, is phone problems are always the other person's fault. And that's one of the things that I've known since grown up with you through

the business. That's a bunch of malarkey. Miller, Hey, I could sell y'all, you know any any borsilly What he thinks of how you respond to text messages. Jeff, you got me good, Yeah, tell him who Eddie Borselli is. First of all, Eddie Porcelli is the producer on Moving the Chains of serious X of NFL radio and for the listeners out there, Jeff and I will beat together

to kick off Bears camps. That's actually where well we'll start the training camp tour is Jeff and I will do a show from from Bears camp and Jeff always is great gracious enough to join me. But that's where he met the notorious Eddie Borselli and didn't return some techs that were very much needed some answering. Let's just say this Eddie's h He's from jerseys That Stan Islands, Statan Islands. So you can imagine his decorum, you can

imagine how direct he is. Yeah, exactly a lot of people talk about Chicago Bears football because there's something that interested me yesterday about Klilmack at the podium, and you know, Clilmack talked about how last year he only had about a week's time of practice before he had to get prepared to play in the first regular season game. I'm

interested now to see how Klilmack. After the OTAs and the and then the training camp, he goes through how much faster he'll play in relation to the back end of the defense, you know, because it's hard for the back end of the defense to play when there might be some uncertainty upfront. And I think that was one of the things. Yeah, he said, I want to be the best linebacker all time. I think this defense can

be a lot better than they were last year. But him individually, I want to see how much better he can be from the start of the season. Yeah, it's the same quarterback they opened up with, but I think the defense is going to have a chance to be a little bit faster. Yeah, Jim, it was an ideal obviously, he admits that. So he feels much better about the situation. So you can talk about with Tom saying and then the Chuck Pagano factor. He says he's already learned things

he never knew from Chuck Pagano. Yeah, that's a great thing. Well, first off, I'm gonna say this. I commend every one of the Chicago Bears players that are there participating at OTAs. One is voluntary, right, Tom, I don't know how you feel about it, But I kind of viewed it as my duty and responsibility as a teammate and obli gastion to my coaches and things like that to be there in the offseason, to work out, to get to know

my teammates, to be around to get better. You know, you look at some of these teams, and no offense to the Jets for for Leveon Bell not to be there for the young quarterback character. They just paid him the amount of money they paid him. It's a new coach, it's a new system, it's and I get it, it's voluntary, but I kind of viewed that as a player that

it's my obligation as a player to be there. And well, you know, I recommend every because there's a high profile personality in Baker Mayfield and when you don't have their receiver who they spend a lot of money with, when O b J, you know he's not there too. And so how what precedence is that set with another first time head coach in the NFL. Yeah, I'm with you. I think it's you know, if you're trying to gel and get better, you know here basically Freddie Kitchens, the

head coach of the Cleveland Browns said it today. It's like, well, what got accomplished today? He goes, he goes nothing. He's behind in the offense, you know, because that train's not stopping. So when they do have their anatory minicamp, they'll throw it all out there and these these supposed veterans who are pros better have it all down. I doubt that Odell Beckham will because it's a whole new offense. So they are falling behind the eight ball as we speak.

All those expectations on the Cleveland Brows. They're behind the eight ball currently. The Bears are not because they've got basically one hundred percent participation. Well Matt Neggie is, he's got their respect. So they're there because it's fun to be here. They enjoy their teammates. They feel what you know I've been talking about, and Matt Neggie has been talking about just building this continue this momentum that they have created since he got here and what they did

last year. You got to keep that momentum going. Talking to Cody White Harry yesterday, big smile to his face about that word momentum. They really feel strongly about where they're headed here in twenty nineteen and beyond. And it's not even just about this season. It's just about the whole future and about this culture that's been created, and they don't want to mess it up. Nobody wants to

mess this culture up right now. And what you said at the outset of this little discussion point about being here for the off season program and it's a responsibility, I'm with you. I just feel that in the next collective barking agreement, you know, Demorris Smith and his gang, you know, instead of talking about saving money for the future and a potential lockout or strike, how about just getting better and keeping yourself healthy through the entire offseason

program and being with your teammates. Yeah, I again, I commend to every player and like you said, for them to hold each other accountable, and again, like you said, for the players to respect the coach, to want to be there because, like you said, it's a fun situation. They want to get better. They enjoy being around each other as a team, and they get it. And like as you said that no one wants to be the

guy right now. You just said it perfectly, Jeff. Nobody wants to be the weakest link in that locker room of the Chicago Bears because they know they've got something special going here. I'm not going to be the guy to screw it up. That's what you got. Guys like Tree calling that. His enthusiasm is infectious and it spills over the both sides of the ball. He's challenging against the defenders he goes against, but his spirit is so high on the practice field that it makes everybody else

filled with enthusiasm in their preparation. Yeah. I love that, and I think you said it best time earlier. How the defense challenge you guys as an offense For the eighty five Bears, that's kind of what's going on right now. I mean, even back you know Greg Blosch and all the great things he did with the defenses. Us guys on offense, we kind of like, hey, we we got to get known for something. You know, we need to do our part as a football team. It's always about

the defense. Let's do our part and hold ourselves accountable. When you go against good defenses like that, it challenges you and it's going to get you better on offense. And I think that's materializing as well for the Chicago Bears. Had you experienced that a bit in O one here with the Bears and weaponed what I learned it. In Pittsburgh, we used to go full out third down conversion. Imagine that defense with Kevin and Greg Lloyd and Rod Woodson

and all the guys that they had there. Our offense, we would go live on third downs and it would get heated because our offensive players. We hated that it was always about Blitzburg and the deep fens. We wanted to be known for what we could do as well. That's Jim Miller along with Tom There, Jeff Jonnyak. This is Bears All Access. Coming up, we'll hear from Gary Fenzick.

He'll join the program here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score It not sold you mess story you would hear home if your story involves wanting to help and heal others. Alive Online offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in nursing and leadership. Take your life from where you are to where you will be. To hear stories of people just like you, visit online dot olivet dot edutory. This is my song. What do you call a truly great beer that's brewed with more taste only ninety six

calories and three point two carbs. We call it Miller Lite. What are you holding? Miller Lite? Whole true, great beer, Great responsibility twenty eighteen, Miller Brewing Company and Milwaukee, Wisconsin average analysis twelve fluid houses, less than one grand protein

and zero grams fat. All right, welcome to F one fifty radio, Chad, go, I know the F one fifty kicks button takes name, Like how the high strength of military grade aluminum alloy F one fifty thrashes the competition with best in class towing and tort Totally saw that coming, Chad, How do you know so much about a fifty beat in the competition? I drive the competition. Oh, I'm so sorry. The four at F one fifty it doesn't just raise

the bar, it is the bar. Best in class claims with properly contrigured vehicles A class full sized pickups under eighty five hundred pounds twar based on four segmentation. We're Bears fans en at PNC, and you'll find us everywhere in Chicago. We're at the game, covered in orange and blue, cheering at the top of our lungs. We're at the tailgate, grilling brots in a winter storm. No matter where you find us, P ANDC will be cheering on the Bears with the rest of Chicago. We are PNC. We are

Bears Fans. P ANDC Bank, the official bank of the Chicago Bears. Copyright twenty eighteen. The P ANDC Financial Services Group Incorporated, All Rights Reserve. P ANDC Bank National Association Member FDIC Family owned IGS Energy has been a leader in the energy industry for over twenty five years, with the IGS family of companies now providing electricity, natural gas, and home warranty products to over one million customers. We are inspired to make an impact in the communities where

we live and work. Whether our employees want to donate their time, talents, dollars, or a mixture of all three, we are proud to make a meaningful difference in our communities. We are IGS Energy, proud partner of the Chicago Bears. Learn more at IGS dot com. Bears Fans All routes lead to touchdowns on United Airlines. Don't wait for the next home game to see your favorite team battle it out on the gridiron. Take your Chicago Bears pride on

the road. With over three hundred destinations worldwide. United's global coverage is a game changer. Visit United dot com to book your travel today. United proud to fly the Chicago Bears and their fans to every away game. Hey, coming up, Bears fans, join us for the Bears one hundred celebration weekend in Rosemont, June seventh through the ninth. That's coming up quickly. Enjoy player autographs, photo ops, football panels and activities for all ages. Get your tickets today at Chicago

Bears dot com. Please come out and join us. It's going to be one heck of an affair and you're gonna get a chance to hear and see Gary Fencing kind enough to join the program here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score with Tom Thayer, Jimmeler, Jeff Jonia, good Even, and Gary. How are things You're excited about seeing some old friends again? Are in a couple of weeks?

I am. I'm actually excited about meeting a lot of guys that well, not a lot of guys, but certainly some of the guys I don't know who are on that list and alumni and yeah, it's gonna be a fun weekend. Hey, Gary, you know when we both grew up in the area and when you came to the Bears, did you feel pressure because you're a homegrown guy or did you feel pressure because it was your second NFL opportunity. I think I felt pressure because of the latter and

the fact that I was a Yale guy. Thank god Jiggets took away some of the heat coming in earlier, was a fourth round draft choice. But yeah, you come in as an IVY League player, it doesn't exactly help your credentials. Well, Gary, obviously such a cerebral player. I mean, we've added a lot of guys from Yale. Dick, Dick turn there's another Yale guy. I mean, come on, yeah, Dick and Mike. Mike Pyle a recruiting me to Yale. So yeah, I mean there have been some some really

good yaleies. But you know, let's say, said Jim, it's I think I remember the first time I started, it was against the Detroit Lions, and I missed a tackle early in the game, and I just remember coming in a huddle and just feeling this real pressure about you know, I don't fit in here. Well, the desire to be great because obviously you got to make the first play in order to make the second play, Gary, and maybe just talk about that, because truly, you look at the

defenses you're on. You guys were thriving or striving to be greatness all the time. Yeah, you know, I was really lucky. And I'm going to see Doug Plank at the Bear alumni reunion and it's well, I guess it's not an alumni reunions the celebration of one hundred years of the Chicago Bears in the NFL. But Doug really taught me how to play, and it was through not coaching me. It was just the way he played. I emulated him and I gave him a lot of credit for getting me as far as I got. Hey, Gary,

when you your first introduction to Doug Plank. We had a chance to talk to him a couple of weeks ago, and he's he is a great spokesperson for football for the Bears in his life. Did you guys fit well immediately together or did it take time? I think I take a little time. You know, I came in is I think Jim said. I was drafted by the Miami Dolphins and made it to the final cut, But I got cut and so I didn't come into I missed

the entire rookie preseason, and so I came in. You know how difficult that is to come in where you really don't have a chance to bond with anybody. You're already into the season and you're just a backup. You know, you're just another player, and so you know it's it's but you know, secondary players. I mean, there's only about eight of you on the team. And so I got to know Alan Ellis and Craig Clemens and Doug and they were all great to me. And you know, over time,

certainly Doug and I got to be better friends. But Doug was already married, and I was living in the suburbs and I was always single and living in the city. So you know, socially, we didn't spend as much time as maybe some people thought. I'll tell you to this day, people still come up to me and call me Doug. And I know it happened to Doug that people call

him Gary. I mean, you know, he's got blond here and I've got whatever left dark hair, and you would think people would get it, but we both understand it. And it's a compliment either way that we were kind of interchangeable, so should have been the forty five zone and not the forty six zone. Well, I'll tell you what, if I knew how famous that I would have been lobbying to call it forty five. Gary Fenzig guest here on Bears Out Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy

to score Jim Miller, Tom Thare, and Jeff Joniac. And you know, referees got it wrong too. Quarterbacks got it wrong. They thought that you were getting hit by by your buddy. But sometimes sometimes a lot more a lot more alignment or other people looking for Doug Plank than forty five.

I mean, We've played a game in Buffalo and Joe Dalamalure, their Hall of Fame guard Doug Chief shot of him so late and glam Lure wasn't sure if it was me or Doug, and he was literally chasing us beyond the line of scrimmage, like like you were in grade score or something like that. And then he beat the heck out of Jim Osbourne for the rest of the game, and then Ozzy was mad at Doug because he knew they'd cheap shot of him. Well, Gary, when you look at it. I love some of the current players, like

a Keem Hicks. The reason why he signed with the Bears is he he wanted to be a part of building something and we've had a lot of great players. Otis Wilson a lot of great Bears on their show and thanks for joining us tonight. But for you, Gary, when you arrived to the Bears in seventy six, when did you realize something great was about to be built here and you were going to be a part of

something special. Well, you know, I feel as though I had three really good head coaches, but I came in with Jack Party and Jack, you know, was a great player in the NFL, but you know he didn't tolerate anybody having injuries at all. But he was tough and it was you. I wouldn't say it was an easy defense, but I was very lucky that when I did start, I played behind the trunk's side linebacker Dug the Phone, and you know Doug, it was just easy to play off of him as almost I didn't need to know

the defense. But it really wasn't until Buddy Ryan. Actually, you know what I tell people this, I think it's true. When Dan Hampton it was drafted in the fourth pick in the first round. Our team changed both offensively and defensively. Dan was a game changer and that was the beginning of the fillers of you know, the great defense that ended up winning the Super Bowl in eighty five. Gary.

In the modern day, defenses, who would have played closer to the line of scrimmage between you and playing because it seems like any other position on defense that's changed more in terms of coverage and responsibility, it has been the safety position. Yeah, I think you're right time. You know, they're just you're playing three and four wideouts almost read down, and that really didn't happen as much didn't happen on

first down in the seventies and early eighties. So I think that you have to be a better cover safety. And so people ask me all the time, Hey, you don't look that big. Are the safety is a lot bigger? Well, with some exceptions, I think most safeties aren't a lot bigger because you have to have the cover ability and also be able to hit. So the strong safety would usually line up, you know, wherever the tight end was,

and I think that's still true today. But you know that, I see what's interesting to me, it was I'm season ticket holder, and now you go to the games, just how deep the safeties line up and they take three steps back immediately. I don't even know if they're reading anymore. Because if you're already back twelve fifteen feet yards and then you take another three steps, you got another three yards. If that guy comes through the middle, you just opened up a lot more yardage in terms of angles to

take that guy down. And so, you know, it's a it's a much different game. It's more pass oriented game. But you know, I still love seeing good hits, although you know it's fifty fifty whether or not that's going to cost somebody ten thousand dollars. What do you think your biggest hit was? Uh? That oneed Jimmy Johnson and h in the Giants game that we had went to go to the playoffs in seventy seven. That was a

a killer hit. That was. It was just one of those you know what I used to talk, you know when Waddle and I would talk at Fox and he got Tom Waddle. He just got laid out on some unbelievable throws by any quarterback, but he got hit by the safety Attampa and I go, oh, what a great hit. You know, Tom got knocked out, hurt his knee and all that. He goes offense a lot. I go, yeah, but you got to admit that that was a great hit.

And uh, you know, Doug and I would be, you know, helplessly out of a game like thirteen to six, there's no way we're gonna score a touchdown? Would be the fourth quarter would say time to have some fun, and they just started nailing people. That was it was a lot of fun. Well it's interesting too because the big hits in safeties now there's a lot more of them that are asked to play linebacker in nickel situations. I mean,

look at guys like Mark Baron. I mean a lot of these safeties are getting paid kind of the more you can do it. It's a lot of big nickel out there today, and it's all safeties in some places. I think you're right. It used to be you know, like Wilver Marshall could have played that role, right, I mean, he just had so much physical talent and can cover anybody.

But you're right, they're they're asking the safety to almost become like a will or something like that, a will linebacker and and you know that there's been a number, I mean probably a dozen of great safeties across the league. Of being able to play that type of role kept you out of playing wide receiver. I know that you got injured in Miami and you had you had the long punctured long issue. What if that didn't happen, what do we be talking to number eighty nine Gary Fenzick

right now? Or were you meant to be a safety? Oh Tom, I was too slow to be a wide receiver in the NFL. The thing I loved. I played wide receiver Yale, but I wanted to play defensive back and I threatened not to come out my senior year if they didn't move me over there. And they didn't buy into it. But the only team that you really looked at my freshman year film, which they don't have freshman teams anymore in the Arguablyague or anywhere else. And Miami said, we looked at that, and we think you

have a chance of maybe being a defensive back. I go, great, I'd love to do that, and so I thank them for the opportunity. Back then, you know the Cowboys, and I remember Rex Current, he played at ohiose as a quarterback. He played as a safety for the Baltimore Coals, and so it wasn't all that unusual, but I knew that that was the only chance that I had. It's funny

because I was a wide receiver. I really did need some, you know, some instruction, and you know, you get in the NFL and there's not as much fundamental teaching as you would think because the coaches kind of make this assumption that you already have it right and maybe you can improve it. And I don't know what I mean.

The line play, I'm sure it has to be somewhat similar, and Jim, I've talked to some of the offensive coordinators in the league and to try to look at a college quarterback and the routes that they run and everything else is so different than the pros that it's almost impossible for them to be able to consistently determine who will be able to make that type of transfer. I'm

glad you brought that up, Gary, because it's funny. I interview a lot of the kids that come out of college, and Luke Falk obviously was with the Washington State Cougars under Mike Leach, you know, and Mike Leach gets known as this just guru on offense, right, So I asked Luke, I'm like, well, what drills do you work on in terms of your drops? Because you guys do a lot a shotgun what about your three step, five step, seven step drops. He's like, Jim coach doesn't teach us anything.

He didn't know anything about drops, and you just assume that the young man's gonna know. And it's it's quite the opposite. I'm glad you pointed that. It's really funny. And you know, people go, well, you know, my coach, my coach for the first couple of years ago. I really like he said, hey, I'm getting worried about you. You know, you you lead with your head. You could get hurt. I go Ross, I was a wide receiver. I mean, I'm opened, you know, helped me out. He goes, hey,

I've got into the technical stuff. He says, you know, either kind of learn it or you don't. I mean, I was like, that was really that was what he said. And that's why I think Doug Plank he was like a player coach for me. Gary fencik Our guests here and I imanimanas with us on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy score. Well the hands worked career interception leader with thirty eight, and that happened over ten consecutive seasons. Gary a couple of more interceptions in the eighty four playoffs.

Do you remember your only NFL touchdown? Let's jog the memory. Yeah, yeah, a short memory, but it was a long run against Denver. If you got a mouth guard and you know, you think, oh, I'm gonna you know, and I see these guys, you know, now look at you know Jackson me what five touchdowns or something. I mean, it's it's amazing. But yeah, I did it at home against tember Back the ball through it, Craig Morton, you got it. You aced the exam, all right,

So you're number thirty on the top one hundred. It was great water cooler talk. It was a great thing the Bears put together. Dam Yeah. I mean I think about that history of one hundred years. Michael. What did McMichael payoff John Pearson Pompey. I wrote them, I go, how did you get up there? You go the game and offer they couldn't refuse. That's McMichael for you. Gary, Thanks so much. We'll see you here on June seventh

through the ninth. Will be pleased to be joining you, Great Gary Fenzick, our guests come on back for one more segment here on Chicago's for It's Radio six seventy to Score. Family owned IGS Energy has been a leader in the energy industry for over twenty five years, with the IGS family of companies now providing electricity, natural gas, and home warranty products to over one million customers. We are inspired to make an impact in the communities where

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So if you're living with pain, call eight seven seven Athletico, schedule a free assessment and start feeling better today. It's so easy, it's practically painless. Athletico physical therapy better for everybody. Hey, join us for the panc Chicago Bears five K Saturday, July thirteenth and finish on a storic Soldier field. Register now at Chicago Bears dot com slash five dight before prices increase. I'm in tight quarters here, Jim. We had a little lost studio change in Time's literally over my

right shoulder reading the copy with me. So I choked under pressure. Oh I'm not. What I'm laughing at is every time I think of Jeff promoting a race of some type, I think about the one time he ran a marathon and was the only guy to go in the wrong direction and had to reroute his course. It just doesn't happen. That's not true, Jim. It was multiple people. But you're like, that don't happen. You're like the top hundred plays of all time running the wrong direct Marshall

or Jim Marshall. Yeah, Jim Marshall. But listen, you know, let's stick to Bears football about that. They don't need to hear my exploits, that's for sure. As we get you set for it, Bears one hundred and the more the that I do research on this event, and Tom and I are going to am seeing a lot of these paneled discussions, you have to you have to go deep. You have to go deep in the history to find some of the stories that have not been told yet.

Hopefully jog some memories, and that's what we're gonna do for the fans. That are going to come out, and we hope you guys all come out. It's going to be a heck of an event. But you'll learn to appreciate what's happened here over a hundred years. You appreciate the humble beginnings, the successes, the failures, the personalities, the characters, the things that made champions, and how consistent that kind

of theme is when you are a champion. And it's really what the Bears are starting to create here under Matt Naggie and you guys both have been a part of successful franchise. Has both been a part of Super Bowls, So you know what it takes and you just start to see it come to life when you try to put it all in context. Well, I hope you know, Jim, I hope the young guys embrace the opportunity to meet some of the historical figures of theirs because they have

they have a great dedication to the Bears. They have a great opportunity to be dedicated to the communities they've lived in after they left the Chicago Bears. And for these young guys not to pick the brains of a Dug Plank or a Gary Fensick or whatever position you play, there are going to be some Hall of Fame guys up there that you're going to have the chance to talk about their career, learn something about, and learn something

about their dedication since their career ended. And it is going to be a great opportunity for the fans, for the supporters of the Chicago Bears, and for the young players of the Bears. Yeah. And I think, you know, just piggybacking off what Tom said, and I think you're right, Tom. The guys where they'll be more than willing to help out their brethren. You know, they want the Chicago Bears

to do well. They want this team to succeed. And I think you're right if you can talk to some of the guys how they went about things, and granted as different eras of football, but football still football. I mean you still got to run, you still got to tackle, you still got to execute plays, The field dimensions are the same, and all those type of things. And I think it is it's something This could be another building block, so to speak, that really unites this team to hopefully

do something special here in twenty nineteen. Yes, and that's certainly a big expectation. I you know now that it's starting to become a common theme that you're hearing back from players, and they voted on this, They voted on this year's slogan, and it is chasing great And so each player is commissioned to find what they're chasing great is, for example tight and Adam Sheen I asked him about

it yesterday. His gotta stay healthy or I have no weight to chase great, Gotta stay healthy hasn't been that way first two years. So his chasing great, stay healthy built from there a guy like Cody white Hair, you know, going back to left guard. Chasing great as an offensive line is an offense what would be yours respectively? As players? You're chasing greats? And did you feel you ever ever

got there? You know, I don't think any player during the time they're playing ever feels they're great, because there's always something else that you can improve on. And you know, when you talk about Gary having to learn Gary Fence having to learn how to tackle properly in the midst of his NFL career, one thing about offensive line play

is it's repetitiously learned each and every day. And thankfully we had a Hall of Fame coach like Dick Stanfeld that was able to relate his experience into making you a better football player. In offensive lineman, there's five guys in the offensive line. There's eleven or twelve in the room, and every one of them have something different about their game. And you see these great coaches that are able to, you know, mold these players into being the best player

they can be with their style of play. And I think that's the challenge to every single person that plays the NFL is never, never stop chasing the chance to be great. Yeah. I don't think you're ever happy that you've reached or have arrived. There's always something you can work on to get better. And as Tom Nosen as

you know, Jeff, football's an imperfect game. It's one thing when you look open up your playbook and it says, hey, you run your route, you go up twelve yards and then cut outside and roll it to fifteen yards or whatever, but it never plays out like that in the game.

Or as Tom would mention, if you know whatever the blocking assignment is in terms of hand placement and three step, five step, the timing of the route and for everybody to execute and literally to have eleven players do exactly what is written up in a playbook on a specific play. I don't think it's never it's ever happened. I've yet to see the perfect play executed. If you were to go back watch a game and evaluate, say the seventy plays you ran on a Sunday, and that every player

executed it to perfection, it just doesn't happen. It's an imperfect gaming, that's what you But you're you're always striving to be that, to be to make the perfect play, to play the perfect game, to play you know, everything that you do to practice perfect, everything like that, And so I think you always try to try to strive to be that way, and it's tough to do. In the NFL, coach Stanfield was around the game for fifty or sixty years and he always, you say, I've never

seen anybody play a perfect game. And all you gotta do is put on the film and start evaluating yourself strictly, and you can find and there's evidence of the of their mentelaire missing an assignment something that really didn't allow

you to play that perfect game. So yeah, it is always chasing to be great, but it's a it's a practice in and practice out week in and week out, effort, chasing great through and the team focus obvious, the team context is winning the Super Bowl and that's really what this is all about, and they're triving to do and part of that will be mandatory miniicamp coming up Big Jim next, not this coming week, but the following week,

a three day mandatory miniicamp. And what do you hope to accomplish when you're a three day minicamp at this point in the month of June. Well, I think it's really just about the finishing touches. You know. Again, you're you're putting in all this this install and the Bears are just probably so much more advanced than what they were a season to go, specifically on the offensive side the ball. You know, I just think they're they're a lot further ahead of the game. And again that's what

Mark Helfer has talked about today. The quarterbacks has command, the huddle, of the playbook, all those type of things, and certainly Chuck Bagano has his wrinkles, and you pointed out that that Cleo Max is very excited about the stuff that he learned, But it's really about the finishing touches.

I always thought like when we did it, at least teams that I've been on, we probably had about ninety percent, ninety to ninety five percent of everything in in the last veteran mini camp and then hey, guys, hit the showers and we'll see at training camp and then it was kind of just polished. So all this stuff has been introduced, then reintroduced, and now this is the final time, and then it will be introduced again at training camp.

Well everything will be one hundred percent. But if they're ninety ninety five percent done with their install the Bears will be sitting in a beautiful position come when they arrive in Bourbon at do you guys? And now I'll start with Tom. Do you guys like the way the offseason and is scheduled leaguewide Again, it's tied and tethered to the collective bargaining agreement. But the fact is that you get it all polished up, but then you go

away for five six weeks. Guys go on vacation. Guys stay in the gym, but there's that relaxation period a little bit mentally, spend some time with your family before training camp, which is very different than what either of you experienced during your playing day. I think you can go through the seriousness of Mini camp and you have all this evidence on tape that the coaches are going to go over and make sure that you're assignment sure and you're not making mistakes or what you need to

be coached down. If you think that you can take six weeks off before the start of a regular season, you're either going to get hurt, you're gonna get cut, and it's going to be more difficult to be prepared once training camp gets here. I think these guys got to take the final six weeks after Mini camp as serious or more serious as they did before. What I mean is, would you prefer it scheduled less time in between the end of Mini camp and the start of

training camp. I don't know. I think it's up to the person because you know, again, you know, we ended the season and we never saw anybody until Mini camp or until Mini camp. Now, we had a couple of days in Mini camp and then we didn't see it till the start of training camp. It's the challenge of being a professional to make sure you're prepared. So whether we're in this the modern day schedule or in your

the old archaic type of schedule. It's all about you being prepared as a professional to make sure you're ready for day one a training camp. Yeah, and that's the problem. It doesn't happen. I personally, I hate it, Jeff, I hate it. I think the coaches have been very vocal that they want more hands on opportunities to have the young players in the build, especially first year players going to second year players. They want more ability in the classroom.

They want more on the field ability to work with these players for them to grow as players and be prepared. Because honestly, even John Harball, head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, he talked about it this last year and he brought it up at the NFL wonners Beans. He goes, when you go to training camp, he goes, we almost have to have a a two week almost reintroduction to get a player in shape so that they're ready to start hitting again. Because as Tom just mentioned, the injuries. Think

about the first month of the season. That's probably the most grotesque football I've ever seen in terms of tackling all the basics that you need to do. It really takes a month, literally, the first month of the NFL season pretty much are the preseason games where teams are just kind of figuring out. Then towards the end of September, you finally teams starting to play a little bit better, where they're caught up on everything and finally in shape ready to play. And now you start to see some

good football, which is a shame I think it. I don't like it the way it is right now at all. Well, we'll see if they could somehow adjust, tweak and continue to grow this game and keep everybody's best interest at heart here. Certainly the safety aspect of the league is paramount, but also you know, help out the coaches a little bit here to get teams ready to go and get

their players put in the best possible position. So we'll come to you again next week on Thursday, that'll be the night before opening ceremonies of the Bears one hundred celebration weekend. Big Jim, Thanks as always. We'll be talking to you next week, and we'll see at the convention for sure. Style's good by friend, always gonna be with you, guys.

That's Jim Miller, that's Tom Thair. I'm Jeff Joniac. Thanks to Super Bowl Bear, Gary Fencik, and to our producers Tonight Herb Lawrence at M Sazinski and Shane Ridden for helping us out as well. Thank you all for listening to Tonight's program. This is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy at the Score. Goodnight everybody, Thanks for listening to this Chicago Bears Network presentation. Bears All Access podcasts are available on Chicago Bears dot com and on iTunes, or download

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