All Access: Whitehair talks offense's development

out of A, Nazarene University and bourbon A, Illinois. Welcome into another edition of Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy. I'm Jeff Jonniak along my broadcast partner from news Radio seven eighty one to five point nine f WBBM. Mister Tom Thair, the edgy Tom fare right now. It's that part of camp at these dog days for a time there. But I will say that yesterday my mom was looking at the new year book of the Chicago Bears and she goes, Cody, I like that name.

Is he a nice boy? My mom's eighty six years old. Is he a nice boy? As we editor say, fellow offensive lineman, one of Time Thayer's favorite guys, the now veteran center Cody white hair stepping in and stepping up today for our Bears All Access show. How are you doing good? How are you guys? Does it feel dog daish already? No? Were the rest of the league just started right? You know, we're coming off an off day. We had a good practice today and I'm really excited

for Thursday. You know, moving around within this new terminology of this new offense. You know, it seems like you play a little bit faster every day with a little bit more knowledge, with a little bit better understanding. Is that the tempo it seemed to you in full pads since you've been here. Yeah, I think you know, as you learn the offense, it's just it helps you play a little bit faster. And you know, as we continue to run these plays, you kind of see the same

thing and kind of know what to expect. So, I mean, you're just gonna play a little bit faster with nature, that's for sure. You're a multiple position player. When you're understanding and digesting the center position, is there enough carry over to guards? So Cody left guard? This play? Is that? Yeah? I think you know a lot of the stuff carries over as long as you you know, kind of know the basics of everything. You can sure slide over there and get the job done, for sure. I know it's

it's something, it's part of your makeup. You're you know, whatever you need, coach, I'm in. I'll do whatever, And same with you. I don't know early in your career, if you had to, you know, do all that too. You know you want to do it because that's what your job is. But at the same time, man, I'm just starting to really get the rhythm right here and I'd love to stay here. Yeah, did that enter your mind? Yeah,

I mean, of course it does at times. You know, you just get more comfortable if you stay in one spot, obviously, But I've always been a team guy and I'm always going to do what they ask me to do, and that's how that goes well. Any thing about your talent is they go and they draft a guy like James Daniels. Okay, Cody can play anywhere? Where does James play as best? And it's kind of neat to figure out that puzzle each year because uniquely enough, you have the talents to

play anywhere. Sometimes that's a curse as much as it is a good thing, because if you are a twelve year center. That's what your life is focused on here. It's it's multiple position player, but you could possibly have a stake in how James Daniels develops. Yeah, you know, And I'm just here to help James whatever he needs, you know, whether it be guard or center. Um, you know I've played both positions, and you know I can

try and help him as much as I can. He's played tackle, two folks, so you know, you never know when the day might now. Have you taken a rep at tackle in your professional career, either in one on ones or team or anything. I haven't not at this because he's grinning me because this is not something that you need right Well, No, you know, it's interesting because I watched traits and linemen that I've played multiple positions. I do the same thing with Jordan Morgan, a young

kid they drafted last year, played tackle in college. Now he's sunk down into guard, and when I watch him do different things technically, I say, Okay, can this carry out one more space? And I look at the same value with you that I would Jordan or James Daniels in terms of center or guard. Yeah, And I mean it just helps you. On Game day two, with only having seven guys being able to play even though multiple positions, and you know, hopefully not missing a beat with that

next guy coming in. Heck, you know you've seen it all. I mean you've seen a lot happen in your short time. What happens on Sundays, I mean, it's it's pretty crazy. What can go south on you in a hurry? Yeah, it does. You know I experienced that last year firsthand, you know, playing three different positions in one game. You know, But like I said, I'm a team guy and I'll help the team whatever we need. You know, what's crazy

is what people don't talk a lot about. You've had three different offensive line coaches, three different personalities, three different styles, three different stress points. I really like what I'm seeing on different tempers, right, And that's the thing about it is everybody wants to talk about going through different offenses. But how about you know, you got a guy like Cody who's learning multiple positions, got a different offensive line coach each year, and now you know you're on your

third system and third coach. Yeah, I can for sure make it a little bit tough. Obviously as an offensive lineman, there's you know things that carry over as well. Um, there's certain little details and little technique you know, a different offensive line coach will bring in. But for the most part, um, you know, the transition has been easy and smooth. But uh, you know, I gotta give it to my teammates and other coaches for really, you know,

helping me through. Did you have the same offensive line coach in college for four years? I did? You did? See? At least you get consistency about the technique they want you to perform at that level. In things, subtleties can change because you know, us watching this offense developed, we're so used to seeing three five step drops. No more. Now it's our po you know, and it's different the way that defensive players have to look at the challenges

they face and trying to decide that is shotgun. I think last year fifty percent of the time that's it shotgun, right, That's that's not a lot that's comparatively to the league. Definitely a change, um, you know, but we're really excited with the offense they coach Naggies brought in and coach Helfrich and you know, all the hard work they've done. It's gonna it's gonna carry over and be really good for us this year. Tom and I were talking this

morning or last night, one of the two. It doesn't relate to the Bears, but it relates to the mindset of an offense lines. So Tony Sperrano passes away suddenly last week and the Vikings now are in scramble mode as camp gets under way and they promote from within and they shuffle things around. Uh. To me, and I said this to Tom this morning, that's one position coach that you just can't just plug in and go. I mean, this is all that's a whole dear. You can move

guys around, and defensive coaches become offensive coaches. You know. Uh, we had Jerry Fontino coaching tight ends, running backs. Yeah, you know former guys up. Andy Reid was a former left tackle for BYU and now he's the head coach. And he's talking about an offensive minded coach that's one of the best in the league, but offensive line coach that's a different breed. How hard would that be for

any team going through that? Yeah, that would be really hard. Um, you know, especially you know as guys come in, you know, newer guys or guys in free agency and you know, they come in and they really study throughout that five weeks of OTAs and stuff of learning that technique, and then you know, right before training camp that happens, and what a sad deal it was. Um, you know Tom Compton, he was here last year, is with the Minnesota Vikings

this year. You know, so we kind of talked to him about it and he said it was, you know, a really sad moment. And you know that they're really going to miss him up there, right he's excellent coach

number one. And then you know, you don't wish any ill will and any team it's competitive obviously, so it'll be it'll be interesting to see how that all transpires over the course of the season because you know this guy right here to my right, Tom there, he talks about his offensive line coach, Dicksta but almost every single day to this day. I mean, he's had that much

of an imprint on him. And I see him with you if you guys said you can't get out of your head of what do I think the bond that offensive lineman have and it takes all five of us to make you know, one play go up front. I mean that's where it all starts. You know, it all starts up there, and you know you got to have all five and you know, turning over to all eleven guys to make a play work. So you know, it's just it's great to have, you know, that continuity on

the line and in the closeness for sure. You know, the coming the personalities they brought Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton, what are those guys like? Well, you know when you get you know, Trey Burton's coming from success, Taylor Gabriel's coming from success and he wants more. Alan Robinson recover from an injury. That is a successful player, Like, how do you you're not they're not an offensive lineman. But how do you get to know those guys? How

do you get to see their personality? You definitely shit in the locker room, m you know, getting ready for practice and you know, games and stuff. But they've been really great, you know, and they've really brought very positive energy from those teams that they've been on that they've had so much success with and just the attitude they bring every day is great to see. Has Matt change the locker room at all? Are you guys still in the same position you were at the conclusion the last season. Um,

he switched it up a little bit. Um as far as guys get, you know, in different spots in the locker room and stuff like that, which you know is good to get and no different position groups. Who's going to be your new locker mate? I don't know. In the off season it was a keym so you know, I got to got to spend some time with the keying for sure. Yeah. Well, you guys spent a lot of time staring at each other across the line of scrimmage and Eddy Goldman for that matter. We'll pick up

that conversation after a break. You're listening to Bears All Access. Cody Whitehair our special guest for tonight's show with Tom There. I'm Jeff Joniac on Chicago's Ports Radio six seventy The Score. Welcome back to Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud partner of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gas, and home warranty products to over one million customers across the country. Learn more about IGS Energy at

igs dot com. Cody Whitehair, our guest, Jeff Joniac and Tom There here on Bears All Access before the break we started talking. You're a locker mate at least you were in the off season with a Keem Hicks. You're facing him and a snarling defensive lineman along with Eddie Goldman, who's a hard guy to root out of there. Have you noticed any change at all in demeanor of the defense given its continu vic back three years, two years in some cases four years together with Vic, certain guys

on that defense, Is there a swagger brewing? Do you sense because I do? Just eyes on it. You're in it, you tell us I do sense it. Um. They're playing really well together right now. Very awesome to see. You know, they were top ten defense last year, and I think you know with that momentum coming into this season and you know, pretty much a majority of the guys stayed the same. Like you were talking, the continuity level, it's just it increases there and helps him play better on

the field, for sure. A lot more chatter from the defense now, a lot more chatter. But you guys, you guys have some guys on offense now they're speaking up too, not the least of which is a guy that entertains me, regardless of what he's doing. We haven't gotten to know him that well yet. You think I'm gonna say tere Com, but I'm gonna tell Anthony Miller, Yeah, he's great about this guy, He's great, um, really good player, you know, really excited to have him and we're really excited to

see what he can do this year. Well, it's gonna be interesting because I think all Bears fans are interested to see what your total offense can do. Because you have the privilege of access to the entire playbook, we kind of get fed snippets of what it's gonna be like.

Is it more exciting and practice than you perceive will take place in the games, because it seems like teams do things in practice specifically, but you really don't see them unveiled until there are opponents in their regular season. Is there a lot in storage than what we're going to see in the games. I'm not. I assume, yeah, you know, And I think it'll be different week to

week for sure too. Is there anything that's caught you differently, like, I mean, do you have any different assignments according to the offensive line? Do you have to hold protections longer? Do you have to hold them wide or do you have a quickness in what you have the way you have to respond to a play or is it the same tempo that we're used to. I'm sure it'll be a little bit more up tempo, you know, but a

lot of it's the same. Yeah, Cody White here, I guess here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score, pausing or engineering. Greg Miller is helping us out pinch hit and uh, you know he's the big man in the department, but you know he's filling in the blanks. Playoff Beard. He's got the playoff Beard going and we're ready to go here, so does Cody By you know. Yeah, you're gonna keep that all year. I'll keep it, yeah, doing right. I don't remember. Do

you have it? Last year? I had it? It wasn't as full. I kind of kept it down. Take it makes your chin strap feel more comfortable, it does. Yeah, So I'm gonna keep it going as long as I can. Here for sure. We got a Hall of Fame game coming up on Thursday, and can't Ohio, First, let's talk about that as a rookie. All rookies they go and to check it out right, So you've already been there or were you? No? No, so all rookies don't go there. I thought they take him there. So for the symposium

deal you're talking. Yeah, Yeah, we didn't end up going this year. We did it interesting at House Hall. We did a kind of our rookie transition program there. Um, I think we were one of the first groups of rookies they didn't go to the Hall of Fame. But yeah, we just did it at home. So I'm really looking forward to seeing that for sure. So yeah, so you've never been there, what do you want to see? You

like that? I mean, what's gonna as a football fan now, because you got to take that part of it now

you're you're paid professional. But now the kidding you walks into a Hall of Fame, right, I mean, you know, growing up watching football, you know, you see all the great players and she you know how awesome it is, and that ultimate goal you're working for, um, you know, is to win a Super Bowl and be in the Hall of Fame as an individual of course, you know, so anytime you can go through there and see, you know, the names of everybody that's been in there is pretty cool.

It's My experience is there is like you walk through and you get to see the busts of all the greats that have been in trine into the Hall of Fame, and you see him in the course of the time, and you know, always up on stage with him. Then you get to see him in person and comparison of looks that they really looked like the person not. But I I was telling Jeff that as you go through the Hall of Fame and the concludes where that has um, every one of the Super Bowl rings that I've ever

been handed out are all displayed together. And that's the one that where body stop and they send they look at him over the years, they look at the size and comparison of some of them. But that's the one exhibit that stops everybody in their tracks. Yeah I didn't know about that. Yeah, that'll be you'll laugh because everyone if you stand there and listen to the conversation from visitors and what, oh my god, look how small they used to be. You know, it looks like your wedding ring.

And then you know, then the newest ones get bigger and bigger and gaudier and gaudier, and Tom, I believe I've seen it once, but he he doesn't bring it out. I don't even know. Do you know where it is? And don't you better value I see that thing? Man, Come on, I know where it can't be very you know, that's a long time ago. I don't have big I haven't taken it out since the Super Bowl the Bears went to against Indianapolis. That's the last time that I've seen it. Did you take it to Indie huh? Or

you take it to my Okay? So we must. I wanted to wear it the day of the game. Um, and I don't know if I did, because it's different. You know, now, Cody your three hundred and forty pounds your fingers, but what you can whack him one. You know what I'm saying is Cody's a big guy right now. So they win a Super Bowl. They measure your finger when you shrink and you get smaller, your finger shrink. Now it spins on my finger like it doesn't even

belong to me. But I would have to have yarn and stuff in the bottom just to wear It's the whole thing is about the ring. It's symbolism. Obviously, what goes into it is what really matters. Hardly. You know, what goes into the ring is the memories that you got to get the ring, because I can go through a thousand stories right now that led up to earning a super Bowl ring and their stories of relevance to Cody with ex offensive lineman or the teammates that you

became friends with for life. You know, won't that be something when it happens. Yeah, it's it's our ultimate goal and you know, just I think we have the talent to do it this year and it's it's it's real exciting year. Force. Have you ever won a championship at any level of your athletic life and any sport? Think it through now. So I won a Big twelve championship when I was at Case State and that was pretty cool, you know, but we didn't make it to the national championship.

But other than that, I mean, I can't remember another championship other than that one. You know, some of these kids on this team, you know, they went fourth straight, They unbeaten high school career, like this guy right about after being a hasban and an ex bear. I would want to be here to be a part of the parade because I think when we went on a parade and eighty five. We are all in experienced at what the parade was going to be an eighty five and

the temperature and everything. It would be unbelievable experience to be an observer of a Super Bowl season and then be in a parade and then be more of an observer, for sure, absolutely, especially in this town, no question about it.

So the reason the Bears are playing the Ravens obviously, two of the best middle linebackers in NFL history are going in ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens and Brian Earlick or two different players, two very different personalities, two different emotional type players, two different sizes, both extremely successful in both piling up the statistics that get you there. But for me and you've I'm assuming you've met Brian.

He hasn't been around that much around the building, but if you did, you'd see a genuine guy, and you know, the intangibles of him being a great leader and a great teammate. Didn't have to be outspoken. It's just how he carried himself and how he cared about his teammates. You have a lot of that in you. You're that type of person. Everybody talks about you in that way. Don't mean to embarrass you, but that's that's the truth of the matter. And those kind of guys in a

locker room are extremely valuable. They're more than just glue guys. But there is an element of that. Do you feel you're that type of guy as well? Yeah, I definitely want to, you know, put myself in that category for sure. Um. You know, like I've always said, I've always been a team first guy. What's best for the team, and you know, always here to help my teammates win. That's that's my main goal is you know, what can I do to help this team win? Um? Like you said, no matter

what position I play at. Um, But if I can bring some of that off the field too, you know, guys can count on me to come talk to about stuff that they need or you know, picking guys up when they're down and stuff like that. You know, I think all that correlates into them having a lot of trust on trust in you both on and off the field as well. Sounds good to me. That's what spells leader.

Cody Whitehair, our guest here on Bears All Access. We're gonna take a break more conversation with the Bear starting center after this on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Sign your child up for a fun, non contact Chicago Bears Youth football camp brought to you by Gatorade and Athletico Physical Therapy. Visit www Dot bearscamps dot com to

save fifty dollars today. Jeff Joni Act, Tom Fair, Cody Whitehair our guest counting you down really to a preseason opener, one of five games on the schedule for the Bears in twenty eighteen. In the preseason, they'll take on the Ravens of Baltimore in Kenton, Ohio, coming up on Thursday. You can hear the game on news radio seven eighty and one h five point nine f WBBM as. We'll bring it to you Tom and I and the gang, and we'll have pregame coverage as well with the fellas.

So it'll be exciting. Good to get back it. Added again, have you talked about reps at all? No, we have, Okay, Yeah, I just assume you're gonna play and whatever happens there. That's the best way to do it. Tom told me a story about his preseason his first year with the Bears, in eighty five one, don't you retell the story. It was different back then because if you were a starter,

you played the whole game. So I never got into a game until the second half of the last preseason game my first year here with the Bears, and I was just assuming I was going to get cut. It's because I hadn't played at all. But but they were playing the whole game, so it wasn't like, you know, you just kind of sat there waiting in the wings for your opportunity. It's different these days, and you know, nowadays they have to get some reps, important reps to

guys to help make a roster decision. You Kyle, Bobby Massey, Charles aren't going to get a ton of work time, but the other guys should. Yeah, it's it's always fun to you know, prepare for those games as well, you know, getting back into the swing of things after having six months off, you know, getting getting against a different opponent instead of practicing against ourselves. So we're really excited. And like I said, I haven't heard anything about Rip yet,

but we're you know, preparing to play for sure. You know, it's fun. One of the new personalities brought here is Earl Watford, and so I had a hard time learning his name at the beginning, and he came up to the other day he says, no one has ever butchered my name worse than you ever, and so that we got things straightened out. But it was confused. But he's been a nice inclusion to the interior. If you offensive line,

he's versatile right in the left guard. He's got some experience, so he's going to be an interesting candidate down the road to be out here fighting for a position. For sure.

He's great. He's a great addition for our offense. Um. Like you said, he can play both right and left and he's even played a little bit of tackle too, So you know, given that you know where you only shoot up seven guys, it's always nice to have a guy that can kind of sounds like a Cody Whitehair right and left center, and he can play tackle if he has to. I don't know about tackle right now, but you know, I'm sure I could do it if they needed me to. And then you get to Eric Cush.

Eric is also another versat old player. Hey, the more you can do thinking, But you know, in the offseason, you guys had that bond of being there together. But when you're including these new guys, has it been an easy transition to bring all these new guys, the young guys coming up as everybody's in a different stage of their life. Some are married, some have kids, some don't. Some guys are you know, just just coming into the league and and and just looking for friendship and uh

and camaraderie off the field as well. Yeah, it's been great. Um, you know, the guys that we've kept are great too, Um, you know, but the additions we've had this year, you know, with you know the rookies and earl Um you know, and getting cushed back healthy and you know Heronous Grosser

two being in that mix. Um, you know, we've just really formed together pretty tight the last you know, five weeks of OTAs and you know, you just it's crazy how you know, everyone kind of you know goes away for the five weeks before camp, but it feels like, you know, our group text message is always going off and we're always you know, keeping in touch and making sure you know, guys are doing the right thing and

keeping up with their workouts and everything. So I think we have a pretty tight group and it's gonna be a lot of fun this year. Hey, can you talk about the importance that I was fortunate to spend a couple of days in the weight room this offseason and it changed a lot. That atmosphere in there is competitive, it's encouraging, and it's a it's a room that you guys are gaining enormous amounts of strength. And I think

it's important because strength is confidence. Talk a little bit about that, because I did see you know, maybe her own'st miss a weight and then you guys all encourage him and he comes and he does even a better attempt. Next I saw Charles Lintel Jr. Do the same thing. Yeah, I mean it's it's definitely been a lot more powerful, you know, Olympic style lifting this this uh, you know, off season, it's been great. Um, you know, it's it's it's you know, like you said, it's different than we

were last year. Um, you know, and it's great to have you know, Jason in there with us as well. Um, you know, And that's what we do. That's that's what offensive lineman do. If somebody you know needs a little pick me up, you're always there to pick him up and that's you know, it gives him a little bit more energy to get that extra rip. But it's nice that it's spilled over the defensive side of the ball.

Going in there and seeing these guys kind of encourage each other, and hey man, the stronger you are as a team, the better effort you're gonna get in, the healthier it's probably gonna keep you during the season. Yeah, for sure. And they've done a great job over there, the wage staff, you know, with doing that. But like you said, I think offensive defensive lineman had need to be you know, tough and grind those you know, heavy weightlifting now to carry over on the field. What was

it like a Kansas State similar? It was very similar. You know, UM coach Sneider kind of had the old school mind of you know, olympical lifting, and well when you're eighty some years old, you got you just got your mind. It's not right, you know, it's just how he was. He believed in heavy lifting, and you know that's what we did. And uh, you know, our our coach there, coach Dawson, did a great job with us.

But you know, a lot of that's kind of came back this year and you know, I've I've kind of had a little bit of background with that Olympic lifting. So is that, like Tom says, strength is confidence for you? Do you agree with that? Is that important? You mean you made fifty one college starts, so you didn't get you if you were banged up, you were still playing. You've start, You've played off thirty two of your games with the Bears. Knock on wood, keep going. I mean

does that matter to you? Does that? Is that helped you? Absolutely? I think you know, anytime you can, you can use your extra time, your extra free time, the time you have, you know, to really take care of your body for one and for two, you know, use that strength and power that we use constantly in the trenches to you know, help your game, enhance your game. Um. You know, so any chance we can get um, you know in the weight room and get stronger, it is only going to

help our confidence out there. And you know we won't have to worry about guys outpowering us or you know, certain injuries due to you know, lack of training. Well, that's what it is, you know. I the competitive sense of strength is something you always try to get out

of yourself to go out there and compete. But there's a couple of times in the in the slippery fields, the first three days of practice when the rain was relentless, or even when it was trying to dry up, and I saw you power or block and then kind of slide a little bit. And the reason that you can recover from that is because of the effort you put

in the weight room. That's what a lot of people only they only concentrate weight room with strength, But weight room is durability in the structure of your body to withstand some of the punishment that you go through. And that's why you talk about the number of games that Cody has started. It's a direct effect of weight room relatable to the sport you play. It makes be a silly question because because I haven't done any Olympic weightlifting, I'm sure you could take one look at me and

see that's not a shock. Does it affect when you're adding muscle over the course of an offseason and I don't know how much you added in this off season. Maybe you're willing to tell us, maybe you're not. But does it affect things like balance? Does it affect your core strength in a way that you feel like you can drop your anchor a little bit and deal with a bullrush down the middle of your chest. I mean, is that tangible evidence showing on your day to day practice,

I believe. So give me some examples, you know. I think with the power clean you know that we do a lot. It's it's basically a full body workout. I mean you you know, if you if you're gonna squat that weight, you know, once you clean it. I mean it's a lot of core too, um, you know, and it and it correlates over to you know, taking a bullrush, you know, taking a few steps, you know, locking in, sitting your butt down and locking your core in. Um, you know. So I think it definitely carries over and

you know, our squats and all this that we do. Um. You know. Obviously up front, your legs have to be powerful because you're constantly using them to move you know, large massive men up there. Um you know. So any chance you can get to to improve your strength is always always a benefit for offensive defensive lineing. One of the most educated weightlifters in the world is here in Clyde Emeric and that's no exaggeration, but he has these sayings that kind of compute to what you're trying to do.

He'll say something, you can't shoot a cannon from a canoe, and that means you have to have the lower body strength and structure to support what you're trying to do up top. In those little sayings, they do mean a lot, and when you think about them, the effort that you have to put in in order to maintain top and bottom equally. It's a lot of hard work. And I always, you know, say that if you're not dedicated to the offseason,

you cannot play professional sports. And that's one of the things that impresses me about a guy like Lebron James. Everybody wants to think he's great, but if you don't sit there and spend you know, fifty forty hours a week in different types of body management, you're not gonna And we don't even know what he's really putting on. But I mean, if you put on armor in the three years here, you have Yeah, for sure, I definitely have. UM.

You know, I've gotten a lot stronger. UM. So if you were ripping to twenty five of the combine to day, what would it be like? I could definitely I'd say probably mid mid to upp twenties for sure, um, you know. And and the other thing is is like, you know guys that come in that are rookies from college, you know, and they don't know what to expect, you know, They're

they're constantly having you know, organized workouts. Well, you come here and you get very little time to work out, so they have to take that initiative to really work you know, on theirselves for the off season and get ready to come back for you know, the most physical part of you know, our careers in training camp and getting ready for the season, right. You know, it's weird

too as you get older. When I remember got into my thirties and I was still playing, then you kind of think, do you know I need to reinvent myself or keep doing the same thing that got me to this point. At one point I did. I said, Oh, I'm gonna lose some weight. I'm gonna try to get faster. And one of the coaches came up to me within the first day, the first couple days of practice, the defensive coach. He says, Tom, I suggest you put that weight back on that you lost in the off season,

and I did. I went right back to eating and gaining weight because it was a bad experience that I thought I knew enough to go through and it was not the right thing. It was the consistency of living by the rules of Clyde Emeric that was gonna help us in our generation. That's Tom There, Kitty white Hair with us as well. This is be all access from Bear's training camp. We'll continue after this break on Sports Radio six seventy. The Score. Yeah. The latest Bears news,

photos and videos delivered straight to your mobile device. Download the Chicago Bears Official mobile app, presented by Verizon. Jeff Joning, act, Tom There, and Cody Whitehair, a third year center out of Kansas State. Our guest pause a wry Or engineer Greg Miller, our producer today. Hope you're enjoying the show. We're getting ready for the regular season to come, and it can't come soon enough. Once the first preseason game comes, Man,

the schedule is all weird. You're playing a couple of days later, like you know, so this game is on a Saturday, and you got a Thursday, then you got an afternoon game against the Chiefs and you're going to Denver. Do you like the idea and the concept? Not that you have a saying it by any means, but as you experience with the Patriots a couple of years ago, practicing against the Broncos before you play them in Saturday

in Mile High Stadium. Yeah, I think it's fun to you know, get out there and practice against a different opponent, for sure. You know, anytime you can get some extra work against, you know, a different opponent's always fun as well. But you know, we're really looking forward to the start a preseason and once you know, you start getting into the preseason games, that season openers right there too, so

you know, we're really excited for that. Back in the day, in training cap we would have an inner squad scrimmage that was live, full go. And I never liked playing against Steve McMichael because I practice against them every day. So now you're gonna go in Denver, You're gonna practice against these guys for four days. He did it in New England. Does that give you an advantage of disadvantage?

Do you like it or you don't like it? Practicing it against the guy and then playing against them, Yeah, I think it definitely makes it a little bit tough because they kind of see what you have and they can kind of you know, plan for that and plan for they they get into the rhythm of the quarterbacks voice as well. Hold something back a little bit, you know,

give him a give him a curveball. And on the Saturday. Yeah. Yeah, and like you said, Tom, um, you know, they get to hear you know, our cadences and stuff and they can use that to their advantage. Well, but you know, it is great competition. It's great to you know, go against a different team too, and um, you know it works both ways. We get to see their stuff, they get to see our stuff. So um, you know, should be an even match at the end of the day.

Not to mention you're practicing in the mountains, Yeah, that's gonna be interesting. That'll be you know, a lot different with you know, the altitude and everything. I think he'll be better by game time than if you flew out there and played the game. I've had that experience plenty of times. But being out there, Yeah, talking to guys that have played in the altitude, you know, they they're like, yeah,

it'll definitely affect you. Um, you know, so I think the few days we're out there before and we can we can kind of um, you know, get used to that altitude and don't don't do it. I don't do whatever you do. He's gonna he's gonna be embellishing, and he's prone to hyperbole. This is not accurate. So the Bears are flying out to Denver to plays play Denver and there's a card within in the seat pocket in front of you, and it tells you about air sickness,

our altitude sickness. So he read it and he immediately go stop, don't interrupt me. So he reads it right, and he looks at me, goes, I'm getting sick. No, no, no, no. I went to the hotel, got violently sick. I dragged a coat across the lobby of the hotel that they gave him a brand new winter coat, dragging it like one of the Peanuts characters. Listen. And we had to do a TV show the first thing in the morning, and it's like thirty below zero, and I got the

window down the stadium. So it's sad to say I had to go on IVY before the TV show. So you know, if Olin Kreutz was around seeing that, he'd say, you know, now I know why everybody says we're soft. He's an IV before a game, and no, honestly, I have difficulty, and I've been there on vacation, so that's why I know. But the one thing you're not supposed

to do code not supposed when you get there. You're not supposed to have a huge meal or several alcoholic beverages, which on that particular we had friends that Tom invited us to dinner and I had both, and so that was a bad combination for me. But anyway, it was not It was not a mental thing. It was a real thing. And he's shaking his head and now you're looking at me. Money that means, I mean, what the heck?

That What that means that the one point two million people that fly to Denver each day and have a meal that they would get. Anyway, let's move on to football, and let's talk about your quarterback, Mitch Trubisky. Um talking to you other day, we did an interview, and you guys are tight, and that is really the essence of center quarterback play. It would be wonderful, It would be

a great story. And this year, third third season as the Bear starting center to have a ten year career with Mitch Trubisky and the two of you go walking down the road together into into history with the Bears. It would be great. Um, Mitch and I you know, like you said, are really close. We've really you know, formed a great bond over this this past um, you know, since he's been here. Um, you know, we really trusted each other. We you know, see see the field and

under one set of eyes. We've you know, we study film together. I think, you know, that's what's that's what's helped us, you know, and our success up to this point. Um. You know, we're really excited to work with him for the season. And like I said, he's great. He's one of my best friends on the team, and you know, we're really excited to work with him. What about him

and what about you? You think has made that such a because you never know, I mean, this is a business filled with egos and where you came from, depending what kind of attention you got in your life as a star player or not. I mean, he seems just like a genuine blue collar He's great Cleveland. He's the most genuine guy I've ever met. And I think the two things that we both have in common that will help this team and the reason we get along so well, is it's not about us. It's never about me, it's

never about him. It's always about the team. And I think if you have a locker room filled guy filled full of guys, with guys that are like that, the team first and all they're about to do is win a championship. Guy's a limit for this, you know, this team, and I think, you know, we have so many more players that are like that this year and we're really excited. You know, there's always relationships within the team that are unique.

Center quarterback is a unique relationship because there's little oddities to their relationship that are always you know, just kind of game consuming and stuff, and it's it's like the different friendships you developed. But you know, center quarterback there they rely on each other. You know, the quarterback is not going to have a successful play without a proper transition between he and the ball, shotgun under center or anything.

So it is it is unique. And center quarterbacks they have different conversations than I would with an offensive tackle or I would with a center. Have has you given you the book The Captain's Class? Have you read this? I have read it. Ye, I read it last year. So this is what I read about this and Bleacher Report.

I've talked about it already. We had Mitchell last week talking about it, and it's just some really key aspects of a gentleman who wrote the book, who studied leadership, and he did it around all the best sports teams you know, on the planet, all over the world, not just United States. Sam Walker's his name. What'd you get out of the book? I just got, you know, every every little piece of you know, information from so many successful you know players and teams and coaches. Um. You

know that that it's all about putting the team first. Um, you know, and that's kind of what I've embodied. Um, you know, It's it's like I said, it's never about me. It's always you know, every story in there, it's like I put myself out there for my team. And that's you know why we were so successful is because what I did rubbed off on other guys. It was so contagious. Um you know, and that's what I took away from that, and you know, I think that's where our teams at now.

I really resonated with you. Yeah, are you a reader or did you read the book because Mitche introduced you to it, and if you are a reader? What kind of book would you? Yeah, some people aren't. I mean, you know, I recently read a book because someone introduced me to it. That's why I read it, and it was interesting and I captured my attention. So I'm nearly

not a reader. But when when a book like that has so much, you know, key information that I can take away that would help me be a better leader, be a better professional, be a better you know man, right, you know, why not do it? And you know Mitch, you know, brought it to me, and you know I

had to do it. During the regular season, you're occupying so much time with your tablet that you don't really have the luxury of sitting down and reading a two hundred, three hundred page book because you probably get eighty pages of information a day when you're game planning, putting a new information, reinstalling and the kind of stuff you're going through. Yeah. Absolutely, um, you know, And if I guess if our playbook was a book, I'd be reading that thing every day, you know.

But yeah, we're definitely you know, did you ever have a playbook? I did, okay, because in our era, that's all we had. We had a three hundred page four hundred page playbook we carried around to every meeting. What a pain in the butt. Now you guys have tablet. Yeah, I think with the new technology and everything, the tablet

is the way to go. You know, it's so much easier for coaches just to push something out to you instead of you know, burning the tape and you know, having to meet up for about the instance, on the practice field, you can run a play, you can have a blitz and you can look at it thirty seconds.

That's so great, you know. I mean it just helps you, you know, get to that mistake right away, ability to improve it as an instant away, because you're gonna see that same blitz eventually, you know, in that same practice. So if you can see where you made a mistake and then fix that mistake and not make the same mistake, Um, you know, it only helps you out. Cody white Hair, I guess we're gonna take a break big time the

other side. Yes, you do. You get the lead off the next time big time with Tom I'm Jeff and Cody white Hair. I guest on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score this segment of Bears all Access is orchestrated by CDW. CDW people who

get it. Jeff and Tim with Cody white Hair here on Bears all Access Ravens Bears coming up on Thursday and getting ready for that Bears practice tomorrow, little walk through Wednesday and then truck out to Cleveland and then drive over to Kenton and check out the Hall of Fame and then enjoy a battle with the Ravens and as the honor the great Bryan or Lacker in a Hall of Fame career. All right, time, I promised you the first question of this segment. Let her rip. I

want the unnoticed in practice. You know, you guys are installing a new new offense. There's a lot of information that's transferred all over the place. Vic Fangio has been pretty relentless against you guys. He hasn't taken it easy. I see a lot of sophisticated blitzes out there. Good for you? Does it catch you off guard? Or does it make meetings longer when you really have to transfer

all the information? Get it right? It definitely helps us out, you know, anytime we can see a variety of stuff, you know, it only helps us, you know, learn the offense a little bit better and a little bit quicker, you know, and like like you said, Vis, you know been pretty relentless with us. And you know, like I said, I think it helps us, you know, learn the offense and move a little bit faster. So you have Vic Fangio's defense thirty four based defense. It's really multiple front defense.

I think it's hard to just pinpoint one term on any defense. But now you practice against a guy directly over your head in Vic's based defense, are you now that you practice against it every day? Is it becoming different than when you practice against a four three defense throughout your your past career when you're undercovered or uncovered as a center. Yeah, it's definitely different. Um, anytime you have a guy head up on you, it's you know, obviously you have to get the snap to the quarterback

first and foremost, but you know he's on you very fast. Um. So it's really you know, helped me over the last you know time, being against Vick's defense. You know, really work on my hands, um, you know, because with that guy being head up over you, you have to have quick hands to keep them off you and pass off twists and games and all that um, you know, so

it's definitely helped us out. And you know it playing against a you know, a four to three is a lot easier for the center, I feel like, so if you're practicing against that, you know, head up nose every day, it's it's great for us. So we talked about at great length about the physical improvements you've made over the course of your stay here and over the course of your career. Uh, there's the mental part of it, and then how about the ice. Training your eyes to see

what you need to see and see it properly. Yeah, I think coming on, I think that's a big thing, and especially for the center to see, you know, different rotations. And like I said, you know, with with Mitchbeck there and trying to help him out, and you know, that's one thing we've really worked on is is you know, that relationship on the field with you know, seeing under one set of eyes so that we're both on the same page without having to have a board meeting up

at the lonely scrimmage. You know. But that's I feel like your eyes are just as important as the strength or your hands or the physical part of the game as well. Well. You know, you've you've played with I think four different sets of offensive guards just in training camp, with the different people moving in and out of line up in some hiccups with injuries and stuff. When you how do you get everybody to talk about that that eyes thing where everybody is makes make sure everybody's on

the same page. I think it all comes back to technique. Um, you know, as long as you know you're gonna be in the same place and when you guys go, when guys get in there and you're work an individual, as long as you're consistently in the same place, I think you know that's an easy transition. Two offensive starters have played all sixteen games last two years? Can you name him?

Charles and Cody? Correct? It's not a hard one to ask, really because you guys have been super durable and I have been there the whole time, and you guys are both growing together too. I mean, Charles to me is

really a great story. He's a seventh round draft pick who started a right tackle and it didn't go well right away, you know, at training camp, and it forced him to look at himself a little bit differently and have the desire and the guts to go and go after it and move over to left tackle and bam, he's not missed a snap in years, and you enjoying him and seeing him develop at a position where if you talk to scouts and you talk to pro personnel

directors and I've talked to plenty, you know, they put first round necessities on certain positions. Quarterback, corner, pass rusher, left tackle. Yeah, maybe doesn't need to be the case when you got a guy like Cody Charles Lenno Jr. Working his tail off to be a professional in this game. Yeah, he's done a great job. The guy studies film a lot. Um. You know, he's using everything he can to help him

be a better player. Um. You know, he really has taken that you know, weight room and that strength, um, you know to help him on the field as well. Um, he's done a great job. He's he's a good leader for our offensive line, um, you know, and he's helped me ever since I came into the league. Um. You know, he was a starter when I came into the league two years ago, three years ago, whatever it was, um, you know, and really kind of took me under his wing. And you know, on down days when I was down,

he was there to pick me up. And you know on days where he's down, I'm there to pick him up. So, UM, you know, we have a great relationship and he's a great leader for a room. Are you generale, sorry, Tom, are you generally a positive guy? Because you say down days offensive line? I mean you can have that. You could have some really nightmare scenarios. Um, even in practice. How do you handle that? What's your personality to deal with? Um? When I make them that type of situation, right when

I make a mistake, it kills me. It really does. I try not to let it show. Um, but you know that's hard. You take it, take it. I take it to heart. And you know, I never want to be that guy to let the team down. And anytime I feel like I make a mistake, I let somebody down. I let my teammates down, and you know, I let my quarterback down, I let my coach down. UM. You know all that. So I try to stay as positive

as I can. And and I think the thing that I've really, you know, tried to do that this last year is really have that mentality of move on to the next play. Um, you know, don't let one bad play carry over to two, three, four or five and so on? Did it? You know? And I've really tried to work on it and it's definitely helped. But did it did it? Sometimes? Yeah? It carried over. It did

when I was younger. Yeah, how about you when you play? Yeah, I mean I tell you, what if you go through a week where you have a lack of confidence in your one on ones, or you get beat quickly in a game and a one on one that you don't know if you can even recover, and it's hard to get that that mental confidence back. But what your offensive linement? Okay, with this multiple personnel grouping offense, is there a definition to the offensive line? Is this a power offensive line?

Is this a physical, finesse offensive line? You know you're our pos when you you know run have a run pass option, you got to fake it as much as if you're running the ball. I think our thing is we're physical, you know, tough team. I think that's what you know people would say about our offensive line. We're tough for physical you know when you're gonna get our best shot every time, and you knows, as long as we're playing under one set of eyes, we're gonna be fast.

We're gonna be physical and we're gonna be powerful. So I think that's, you know, our motto for this year. And per Matt Naggie obsessed, obsessed to what you do. That's right. And you know, Coach Naggi has been great. He's been a great addition to this team. Very you know, positive guy with a great attitude, you know, and we're very lucky to have him and what he brings to our team. And you know, we're really excited. This week on Inside the Bears, the rookies visit Soldier Field the

first time. In former Bear Israel de Donage talks about creating a comic partnership with the Bears. Inside the Bears Saturday, six pm on CW fifty Chicago, Sunday's at ten thirty five on Fox thirty two Chicago. You can also watch show segments online at Chicago Bears dot com around the Chicago Bears Official app anytime. Cody, we can't thank you enough. It was enjoyable. We could talk to you for another couple of hours, but you've got things to do and so does Tom. Right, I'm out of here as well.

Thanks to Paul Zurang, Greg Miller and all of you for listening. We'll talk you next time on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Goodnight, everybody, thanks for listening to this Chicago Bears Network presentation of Bears All Access. Podcasts are available on Chicago Bears dot com and on iTunes, or download the official Bears mobile app. Bears All Access has been brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by CDWPNC and Ford