Champ Kelly on NFL QB Coaching Summit | All Access

beautiful Thursday nights. Welcome back to the show, our once a week Bears All Access show with my broadcast partner from WBBM, Tim There and Jim Meller from sirius XM NFL Radio, Moving the chains with Pat Kerwin. Good evening, gentlemen, how are you doing today? Like you said, it's a beautiful day to day, and you know, maybe there's a little bit of conversation on the horizon about sports and baseball being one of them, but you know we're here

to talk about the Bears and what's going on ahead. Yeah, Jim metters conference how today with the NFL owners and they're continuing to plow forward, hoping to play on time. Training camps on time. July twenty eighth, for most teams reporting date. If you got guys that are rookies, quarterbacks, maybe guys that are banged up, they can report a little earlier. But how are you looking at this right now? Because the league is certainly looking at it from a

positive point of view. Yeah, they are, and I think Roger Gondell making a statement today they do plan on moving forward with training camps at July twenty eighth. You know, the unfortunate cancelation of the Hall of Fame game. I think a lot of people expected that between the Steelers in the Dallas Cowboys. So now those two teams will probably report on that same reporting date, July twenty eighth.

And you know, but I think the NFL, even they announced today, depending on the fans and the stadiums, they'll probably have distancing. The first eight rows of every stadium will be off limits. So who's ever got a seat in row nine? They're probably a static because they just moved to the front row. But you know, I think they are. They're trying to anticipate everything, but as always,

adapt adjust, be flexible. But I think much like baseball, they're starting up July first, I believe, so that's not a few days away. The players are on board with it now in baseball, and I think those negotiations are happening between the NFLPA and the NFL right now to make the players feel confident, ensure that they're gonna that they're gonna play what I think is interesting, and I've talked to a lot of players, Jeff and Tom. I

certainly want to get your thoughts on this. If I'm a player and we know the average career is four years, you know, you basically be used losing twenty five percent of that window if they were not to play football, and I think players are willing to take that risk. I think the majority of the rank and file would want to play. I talked to a couple of players today. They said, absolutely, I'm ready to play some football. I'm ready to go to work. They understand that that the

percentages of them unless there's underlying issues. And there are players like James Conner he's had cancer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. There's other players that have the sickle trait in them. There's other players that have diabetes. Maybe they are a little bit cautious and then you know they don't want to take it home to their families, So, but I do think players would definitely take that risk to play football here in twenty twenty. You know, Jim and Jeff.

I was never in the tax bracket where I could say no to playing football. And sometimes that's even the result that you play injured throughout the season because you know that you're not in that level. So when you're talking about some of these guys that are outspoken, you got to see what economic bracket they're in in terms of their roster and how much money they've made. Because I know, coming from my background, I never had the

luxury of saying no, I won't play. It's always what can you do to get me on the field, And that's some of the pain relieving shots that you took before the game, or even when you tweak something early in the season and you overlooked it to keep playing well. Saint safety Malcolm Jenkins, appearing on CNN today, called football non essential and the risk of COVID must be eliminated for him to feel comfortable playing. Fellas, you're going to hear a pocket of these types of guys as well. Tom.

You I did text that to you today and you alluded to the economics of the individual. But is it more than that? Fellas well, There's there is more to it than that, Jeff. But you know, you have to look at it from a young, naive kid like Tom Thare that's going into the NFL at twenty three or twenty four years old, and I have no past, and I think my future earning potential is through football. So then you're young and your naive, and you may overlook

some things you're talking about Malcolm Jenks. Malcolm Jenkins, who's an experienced life guy. He understands more than sports and he's looking at a bigger picture here. I still believe that there has to be some kind of protection from the virus if if sports is going to go on. But again, where are you in terms of your life? And like Jim said, three point two years as a career, you miss a year, you may be missing out on your last season or the one opportunity you have to

make it into the NFL. And I think players, and I agree with Tom, I think players. You know, if I were to make that decision, you know, and if I wanted to put myself in a bubble meeting, I'd tell my wife and kids because I'd want to play football. That's just me personally. I would want to play football for all the reasons that Tom just mentioned. And if that causes me to make the decision of me and my wife and my kids. You want to know what, honey, I think I can. You know, I can commit myself

to six months. Will We'll talk via virtual meetings, I'll talk to the kids, call them all those type of things so I don't put them at risk, and that I'm still able to go to work, do what I love to do and play football because it means that much to me as a player, and you know, I don't have to subject them to that. And some players may come to that decision, you know, the the you know,

all sports are different. You know, from the NBA side of it, in their negotiations the players, because they're gonna be down in Orlando, right the from the NBA players side of it, they thought the NBA was being too restrictive. They wanted to put those players in the bubble and a lot of those players thought, hey, this is too prohibitive. I want to be able to go out and you know, go out to dinner or things like that and do stuff like that. And yet still play basketball, you know football.

They're probably making those negotiations right now. I think one negotiation that is definitely going to happen is you have to have an increased roster You need to have roster exemptions. If a player does test positive for COVID and it's not when or it's not if it's when. I think we understand these players that are healthy and not at risk in terms of the percentage of dying unless there's underlying issues. I think you're going to have to have

roster exemptions. Here is Zekiel Elliott just tested positive for COVID. He said, you know, the symptoms only hit me for about two days. He said, I feel good, I feel like I'm I'm back to normal. So they're responding very quickly. But yet he would be quarantined for two weeks. You need to have that roster exemption for him to be able to sign a player. I don't care who it is, Lashawn McCoy, whatever. Let's say five guys comes down with it, and I don't think that number should be an exact number.

It should be different for every team. If one team has five guys that are quarantine, they need five roster exemptions. If one team has ten. They need ten roster exemptions so that they're able to adapt and adjust if players do come down with the illness during the season. Well, the NFL Chief Medical officer Alan still saying there's active discussion with the union on testing, screening, and travel, emphasizing testing alone quote isn't going to be good enough to

keep everybody healthy. So again, managing risk is a big part of this right now. Fellas guys like Tom Brady and his guys in Pampa Bay, the Lions, and Matthew Stafford today, I'm sure around the league players are working

out together. Again, it's not a violation of NFL policy, but they have been disregarding the advice of the union, which is supported by the NFL, that they shouldn't be working out in groups at the moment, given the spikes around the certain areas of the nation right now, including Florida, Texas, Californa, etc. Well, first of all, Jeff, they do have to work out,

but they don't have to work out in groups. They still have to get their individual self prepared for whatever position they play to be ready for that July twenty eighth date. And it's not like something you can take four or five weeks off and get ready July twenty seventh. You're bait. You're baiting, You're begging for injury. So when you see these guys work out together, the biggest threat

of contact is each of them touching the football. They don't have to be in the same area, and Jim knows that there's more communication at the width of the line of scrimmage than there is in the huddle nowadays, so they can be protective. I think it's all about contact with the football. Jim, would you be doing it right now? I probably would. Jeff, you know, I'd be willing to take that risk. And I think whether it's Tom,

but it's not just Tom Brady. I know he's been the one that's really been the point man, but a Lamar Jackson has done it with the Baltimore Ravens. Kyler Murray flew in twenty guys to Texas from the Arizona Cardinals. That they can work together because they know they've missed a lot of work here this offseason, and that chemistry, that jelly that we've talked about on the show that is critical to your team's success. I think these guys, you know, are trying to get that worked out right now,

and I think they're willing to take the risk. I'm not saying that they think they're invincible, you know. I think they understand that they can test positive, but they are willing to take that risk. And hopefully they're just being smart about, you know, washing their hands and doing all those things, because of course they don't want to go home and I don't think and I know Tom Brady personally, he doesn't want to go home and spread

it to anybody in his family either. But at the same point, much like a young player who doesn't want to miss a quarter of their season, Tom Brady basically said, I'm only playing two more years and he's going all out to make sure that he continues to have the success he is and hopefully he's just doing it responsibly. But they're going to work, do you have They have to, that's the only way you get better at your craft.

That's former Bears quarterback Jim Miller timp Fare with You and Jeff Johnny Actus is Bears All Access brought to you by Igs Energy. Coming up at the bottom of the hour, were joined by Champ Kelly of the Bears after he was involved and invited to a special event that the National Football League has put on, and we'll talk to him about that and more. Our producer tonight, Jordan Mally. Let's step away for a break here on

Chicago Sports Radio six seventy score. Welcome back, everybody to Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud partner of the Chicago Bears, provided electricity natural gas at home warranty products to over one million customers across the country. Learn more about IGS Energy at igs dot com. Jeff Joniac along with Tom There and Jim Miller. Coming up at the bottom of the hour. Champ Kelly of

the Bears talking about a lot of different things. And last week, obviously we heard from the Bears assistant coaches. We played some of those extended portions of those interviews, and I'm gonna do it again here with new offensive coordinator Bill Leezerfellas as he looks at how the quarterback competition might look from his experienced point of view and just being one of the many new coaches in the

offensive reset for the twenty twenty Bears. I don't know if it sounds like a cliche, but you just have to let the thing play out, you know, you gotta let guys earn it. Sometimes your gut tells you. Sometimes you it helps to look at the statistics every day, you know, though it's not a game situation but of practice, and you just take in all the information. I worked for a coach one time, and actually the battle was this was a very old wise coach, one numerous Super Bowls,

and the battle is for the backup quarterback job. And I just remember after one of the preseason games, he came to me, he said, you know, when that guy went in the huddle, I just watched how the team changed, you know. And so there are so many different factors that go into it. Some of it is real statistical and some of it is watching a guy and how

he presents himself. And hopefully we have plenty of preseason games because I think that's the most fair way I think for the guys is to let them play on the game field. That's the most fair. So hopefully, hopefully they get an opportunity to do that, and it could be reduced fellas that will also impact the number of snaps. But maybe there's some compensatory way to make this, you know, happen.

Where they get as many snaps as possible, and we've heard this from head coach Matt Naggy that he's going to try to get these guys matched up with the first unit as much as possible and make it fair. Well, you know, Jeff, one thing you said early is one thing about football, you kind of let the competition play itself out and then you're it's gonna be all figured

out after that. I think that's true for any position, that there's a battle going into this training camp, but it's more unique in terms of the quarterback from because the time that the verbiage starts coming out of their mouth and the huddle, the evaluation process starts when you're an offensive lineman. The evaluation process that starts when you

come out of your stance. You go, you go contact to contact and how long can you maintain that and do you contribute to the success or failure the play. Quarterback sometimes a lot of times, most times when they're throwing the ball is going to determine the fate and the success of the play. So yeah, these battles and football have a tendency of working themselves out. I think there's more decision processes along the way when you're trying

to figure out the quarterback position. Yeah, I think for the most part, it will declare itself. I've been in three way quarterback battles in Pittsburgh. It doesn't work. Try, you know, distributing the reps a third of each guy. It's just to me, that's too hard. Two guys is a legit competition. And I do think it will declare itself. If it doesn't, then that's where you're really come into

the trouble areas. But all the things coach Bill Laser talked about just how the team responds to whatever quarterbacks in there, just some guys, you know, have the ability to motivate and that's part of the job of a quarterback. And statistically, how they grade out, how they evaluate are they going to the right receiver, are they making the correct reads, are they making the correct checks. All that's being evaluated every single day. And I think it'll declare

itself and the cream always rises to the top. And we'll see if it happens here through training camp for the Chicago Bears. What do you want to see? What do you exactly you want to see in this QB battle? And how I mean from my perspective, I want to see how it elevates everybody else on the field as well. You know, Jim, for me as as naive you know, well not naive, just not as experienced at the quarterback

position as you are. For some of us that sit back and you watch the quarterback battles, you know, it's as much as watching the how quickly the ball gets out of the quarterback's hands when you know it's an obvious passing play and sometimes the defense is alerted to it, so it makes it a little bit more different. But I think, like any quarterback or Jim, with your experience, the whether the quarterback made the right decision according to the defense that you had scripted form and the play

you wrote down. A lot of times you can see that decision in the time frame in which they work with successfully or not is some of the obvious you know, the obvious chances behind it. Yeah, there's no doubt, and you know those coaches know it exactly in terms of how the script is and where a ball should go, say versus a certain coverage. And now they've got to evaluate whether each quarterback is only ultimately going to make that decision and they can script those things to happen

so that they can evaluate things like that. But decision making this paramount. There's no doubt about that. Like I said, how you elevate your teammates command of the offense, And I think situational play. You know, has Mitch Rubisky grown in terms of situational play? Hey, when the punt of football? When did not take a sack? There are certain no sack situations. Did he throw the ball away to avoid

putting the ball in harm's way? And I think all those things are so critical at the position, and bottom line is you got to motivate your team and it's about winning games and those practices, whether it's a winning effort day in and day out, those coaches be able to determine, Hey, this guy gives us the opportunity to win because we've evaluated all, he's accomplished it all, and we expected to carry over on the field. As he's going to be named the starting quarterback of this team.

I don't know which one is going to be, but that's where it ultimately has to go. For the Chicago Bears, they have steadfastly avoided talking about scheme and specifics of what it's going to look like I called it an offensive reset, it's still Matt Nagee's overall system that he is taught to them, and they've tweaked it, and we're very excited to see how that's going to look. What do you guys anticipate what it might look like no matter who the starting quarterback is in twenty twenty in

terms of changes, tweaks, whatever. Well to me, I think, and I talked a little bit about this that you know, want Castillo, He's got more experience with Matt nage than Matt from the offensive line perspective has around him before him. Wand Castillo was a more experienced coached before Matt got in to the coaching ranks and then elevate to the head job. I think it starts with the physical play

of the offensive line, Jeff. And if you talk about what these quarterbacks can contribute, how deceptive they can be in the play action game, how dominant David Montgomery can become. I think the one element, and I'm not forgetting about the tight end position because I know that contributions is important, But if they don't have a more aggressive approach at the running at the running line of scrimmage. I think that'll be a hindrance to a lot of other player development. Yeah,

and I do. I think it cleans up a lot of reads for a young quarterback. If you're able to run the football and use the play action side of it, it cleans up a lot of reads and it creates bigger windows from that standpoint. So I do think they need to run the ball a lot better. As Tom mentioned the tight end position. How many shows have we talked about this offseason about it being a tight end centric offense? The Bears address this position. Jimmy Graham needs

to be a factor Cole commit. I don't think he needs to be a star, but he needs to be a contributor his first year and I think they expect big things from him. But that position has to improve and produce more so try to factor in. Go back two years ago when Naggie showed up, had big years from Trey Burton. They want to go back to that tight end centric offense and get that position going because that's where they had a lot of success, because that's

what this offense is based on. All Right, this is Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy. The Score brought to you by IGS Energy, Tom Payer, Jim Miller, Jeff Jonny Ac will hear from defensive line coach Jay Rodgers, and we come back after this break on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score Act Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy. This segment of Bears All Access is also brought to you by CDW. People to

get it learn more at cd W dot com. Jeff, jony Ac and Tom Fair along with Jim Miller coming up around six thirty. We'll be joined by our pal, and he's an enlightening guy, indeed, the Bears Assistant Director of Player Personnel, Champ Kelly. For the time being, let's talk a little Bears defense, fellas, because as as great as the outside linebackers are as outstanding as the front seven is what happens up front, still in the trenches.

Dictate a lot and Jay Rodgers. Last week, it was asked about what specifics he got out of the Zoom meetings that impacted him and a couple of occasions. He twisted it up a little bit for the fellas to enlighten each other. What I did was I put together some clips of the guys doing their jobs really well. And I just had the guys talk the entire time rather than me, you know, sit and install the defense or goal over certain plays. I just had the guys

talk and I'd ask a Keem. I said, all right, you're you're taking on a double team right here, you know, talk to the young guys about what made you dominate this double team. And really for the entire hour and a half, and both both those sessions run and passed. They just spoke. And again, each guy is different. What Eddie does is maybe different than what a Keem does, which is different what Roy does. They're all different body types.

And I know you have heard me say that before, but to hear what works for one guy may help somebody else. And I think that this former college quarterback has a unique perspective. Obviously he hasn't been the guy on the trenches, but why not turn it over to the guys who have and give him real specifics on and which a keem does routinely. Anyway, we know the story. He's done it for Bala Nichols from the moment he got into the National Football League, and Roy Robertson Harris

soaking it up as well. Eddie Goldman. Those guys up front also need to have just another impactful season, and I think with Jay's tutoring and Keem being healthy, it's gonna be big things for the front seven, right, But you know it's about him movement of their style play, their technique, their fundamentals, And yeah, you can learn it from a chem Hicks because he is so dominating and so powerful, and when you look at his tape of accomplishment,

he has a long highlight reel. But then you take a guy like Roy Robertson, then you see these snippet dominant great plays that come in a couple of games. And I think Jay and that press conference referred to the first Green Bay game in the first Minnesota game. But then how he wants to see Roy rob be able to play like that more often. And I think that's the key ingredient here, is because we saw what happened to the defensive front when the Chem Hicks got hurt.

But now you have these other guys that have, you know, similar structure, style, strength, bodystyle, athleticism. They need to start getting the more valuable reps out of themselves that they see a Chem Hicks on his highlight tapes, and I think it's always important, you know, to be you know, listening to the veterans. You know, they may have a tool in their bag they're sharing with you that you may want that tool in your bag to utilize versus you know, in a certain situation or maybe it's a

certain point in the game. Hey, I remember what Keem Hicks talked about this and this was a tip that he gave me, and maybe it's something that you can add to your game. Certainly, not every player is as dominant or as physically gifted as a Keem Hicks, but it's it's sometimes those tips that are really from the neck up that give you an edge or leverage in a certain game situation that can put your play over

the top. From that sometimes it's about playing smarter, it's not about playing harder and just using those tips to your advantage on game day. I'm just fortunate, and I think the Bears are and to have a guy like Keem willing to do that because I remember back in the day, the late Brian Robinson, he was on the rams at one point he said, no one wanted to share any information. You know, he'd asked they wouldn't help them, is they're a fearful of of, you know, helping a

player take their position or whatever. And I think those days are gone in the National Football League, And maybe you guys felt the same way. I don't know, but sharing knowledge is a sure sign of that locker room's tight. Well, you know one thing that about veterans that are really good at what they do, they have to see that a young guy is invested as much as he was

as a young person climbing up the ranks. Because if you have a guy and you can kind of see that he doesn't have the work ethic, the determination, the willingness of the dedication, you're kind of just wasting your breath. So when you see a keem going out to reach out to Roy rob or Eddie Goldman or Blam Nichols and these guys, that's when you gain more of an appreciation from a keem because he's taking his experience and handing it downward. So those guys when they are in

a cheam shoes, they can hand it downward themselves. I don't know if those are completely gone, Jeff, because I remember Lamar Jackson got drafted by Baltimore and I believe the quote from Jill Flecko is I'm not here to mentor anybody. I don't know if they're completely gone. I'm looking at it from an idealistic point of view, you know. But yeah, I mean, I'm certain it isn't. But it is good to have a team full of guys that are willing to step up and ment her, some of

these young guys, that's for sure. All Right, we're gonna step away and we come back. We're gonna be joined by Champ Kelly, Bears Assistant director of player Personnel, to talk about it, even he's got coming up this weekend and also when he was a part of this week This is Bears All Access with Tom Jim. I'm Jeff jony A BYGS Energy on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score placed up to sneakers and join us July tenth through twelve for the first ever PNC Chicago Bears

Virtual five K and Kids Dash. This year, a portion of every paid registration will be donated to Bearscare to support local communities in COVID nineteen relief. Register today at Chicago Bears dot com. Slash five K, Jeff, Tom and Jim back on Bears All Access with Jordan Madley, our producer.

Here Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score please to be joined this evening by the Bear Assistant Director of Player Personnel Champ Kelly Champ, how you doing and most importantly Champ Happy, belated Father's Day to a great girl, dad, three daughters, lovely wife Stephanie. How's the family? Oh, they're doing well. We literally just pulled into my grandmother's house in Florida from a ten hour drive from Saint Louis and we made it. We're happy, we stay, we're safe.

Thank you for the Father's Day. Wish I miss you guys. Yeah, Well, when we're gonna see each other here it looks like it's coming. It looks like it's coming for training camp. But the key is stay safe and stay healthy out there while you're ready for the season. Absolutely. Yeah, So listen. You were a part of a terrific event and invitation

from the National Football League. Same story for the Bears running back coach Charles London, the NFL and partnership with the Black Black College Football Hall of Fame, and it had a great on it And if I'm not mistaken, you've been a part of this before to help strengthen diversity across the league. It's aimed to build coaching and personnel development pipelines. What was it like on Monday Tuesday?

Because it was a virtual obviously can't get face to face, But was it rewarding and what'd what'd you get out of it? You know? You know, first of all, I was blessed to be able to participate in it, you know, especially with the climate of what's going on in the NFL and them trying to improve diversity and race relations in the league and also what's going on in our

country right now. So to be a part of this group, um, you know, kind of the founders of this were Doug Williams and Shack Harris and the College Football Hall of Fame and Troy Vincent Man. They did, they did an awesome job these last couple of days. Hey, Champ, First of all, I read Wikipedia. I see your first names Anthony, and I never knew that. Why aren't we calling you Tony Anthony? Why we calling you Champ Kelly? So when I was raised, when when I was born, the doctor

handed me to my mom. My mother said, we made it, didn't we Champ, and so everyone knew me as Champ from that point on. But when she was asked to sign the birth certificate, she said, I am going to give my baby Anthony as his first name if he's one day to become the president of the United States, And so she wanted me to have a name that, you know, was more relatable. But when I started playing sports, and everybody from my hometown just knows me as Champ

and it is kind of stuff. Hey, Champ, and the event that you participated in this weekend, I read that all NFL teams didn't participate in it, and that you guys are trying to attract more teams in it. Why would teams be reluctant from participating in Yeah, you know, I think that they were probably twenty or more NFL teams and there were out of collegiance, Um, you know, personnel and coaches that were involved in this event. Um, you know, I don't know the reluctancy to allow, you know,

people to have this opportunity. Um, they had, I mean just a tremendous amount of great speakers. You know, they talked about you know, Mike Vrabel talked about building the staff and then you hear you. Jackson talked about the first thirty days on the job. I mean they had one of the best panels that I that I've been a part of, that had Bruce Areas and Um, Javier Lawyer from the Houston Texas John Marra, Ozzie Knews, some

Art rudey Um and Steve Weisch kind of moderated that section. So, man, it was just a tremendous opportunity just to gain a tremendous amount of wealth and knowledge about the game of football. It went so far beyond like race relations This was general like let me prepare you to be to make your football team better and all sort of better your career and advance your career. Ay Champ Jim Miller here, and hey, I love the name. Who wouldn't want to

be called Champ? You know what I'm saying. That's that's where it's just that's where it starts. You're winning everything, my friend, Well, it sounds like twenty two teams did participate. And let me ask you this because as you do, as you get to develop relationships with new people, like you said John Marra, and football has always been that kind of way. It's always been a friend of a friend, or maybe you get a tip or a insight from another coach. Hey, I really like this guy over here,

and and it's always been that way. And do you think with summits like this this coach QB Coaching Summit, that those relationships will help create diversity in the NFL moving forward? Hey Jim, But one thing I would say before we move on is too much as given, much as required. So if you have a name right champ, your standards have to be extremely eyes So there's impression

of that. But when it when it comes to relations in the NFL, man, I truly believe you know the more that especially minority candidates have an opportunity to get to know some of these owners, some of these head coaches, some of these general managers UM. Then these owners, general managers, head coaches will be willing UM to sponsor and hire

UM some of these minority candidates. The one thing that I that I will you know adamantly and firmly say as at their experiencing a summit like this, is that the cupboard is not there. UM. There's a vast, a vast, vast pool of highly educated, highly qualified UM minorities and um, you know that have that have the that have the ability to be great head coaches and general managers and

presidents of of of organizations. And I do believe that that change is coming, and you know, I just want to be on the right side of history when it starts to take place us. What God into the personnel side of it, because we've had great you know, whether Chad Harris or look at Ozzie knew some of the success he's had on the personnel side of it. What interested you on the personnel side of it more than say, the coaching side of it here as you move forward

in the NFL, That's a great question, Jim. I actually coached in the indoor League. I played in a coach in the indoor league. I also became a general manager in the indoor league. And basically I spent four years trying to get an interview, to even get one interview in the NFL. And when I got that opportunity, it was in personnel. And initially I thought, you know, well, maybe I would go personnel and then you know, try

to get into coaching and parlied from that way. But once I got into personnel, I truly realized that I love that aspect of it. I love the hunt. I love finding the player, identifying the traits. I tell everybody the sermon as a gift of mind. I love working and the team of competitive scouts that we have, especially in Chicago, led by Ryan Pastons, Josh Lucas, and Mark Sandowski.

Like I love being that part of that group. And you know, more so than just coaching, and and also you know, coaches were there all nice, a little bit more volatile, and I knew that. I knew I wanted to be a family guy. I wanted to be hold with my daughters every night, and so personnel ended up being a thing that fit my lifestyle better. Bear's assistant Director Player Personnel, Champ Kelly, our guest here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score brought to you by

Igs Energy, Jeff, Tim and Jim with Champion Champ. I see that there were and they've done this. I think of the combine as well for coaches and minority coaches in particular, and they had mock interviews for head coach mostly focusing as I understand, on developing more offensive coaches

for this purpose, offensive coordinator, quarterback, coach, whatever. But did you go through as as being a personnel guy with no question a dream of becoming a general manager in the National Football League, go through any mock interviews because you have interviewed for GM jobs in the National Football

and have been a candidate for them as well. Yes, yeah, so, jeff yees So, I actually did the mock interview at the Combine while I was with Denver in twenty fifteen before I came to Chicago, and then this year they wanted to update that particular interview, so um, this year at the Senior Bowl, I actually updated the interview that

I did for twenty fifteen. I think that's an excellent job, a tool that they provide for upcoming coaches and scouts, maybe even expanded it this year to some guys that are probably be ready for coordinator jobs, because I think it allows you know, owners and decision makers to go to a website or and be able to pull up you know my name or you know, pull up Josh Lucas's name, UM and get a chance to hear us, hear us answer questions, and ultimately hopefully become a little

bit more familiar with us UH and more confident and giving us giving us a job, you know, because it's it's it's so hard inside this lead. You know, you know a lot of people don't know what I do or what I've done, or what a lot of scouts have done, and so so it's hard for them to know unless they go those videos they're really listen in. Well, you were really successful. So it's kind of a natural opportunity for you to stay in the business of football.

But how can people that don't play football start into the coaching life or even starting to the front office life. You know, they're they're they're simple tools um out there. Now. You know what I what I tell a lot of people is before you decide you want to do this, you have to have passion for this game. You can't just like it and expect it to you, right. You have to make it priorities um as far as careers concerned. And if you make it priority, you can be successful

in it. Um. The main thing is if you want an opportunity to get it, to get a job or get a position UM in the NFL, obviously you have to usually you have to have some experience of playing on so considerable knowledge about the game, and you have to be where scouts or coaches are at you know, if you're whether that's the senior bow, whether that's a combine, you have to make yourself no, you have to be there, and you have to distinguish yourself from the several other

other hundred resumes that we get, you know, per week um and sometimes it's hard, but present yourself in a manner that makes the team want to have your trait to develop, to grow and to help their teams get better. Let me let me ask you this, Chap, and I want to go back to the ownership side of it.

Like you said, if you're sitting in front of an owner for an interview and having you know, even at this quarterback coaching summit they were at and the owners that you talked to there, how interesting was it, maybe from your perspective when you hear how an owner looks a thing and what they're hiring, and maybe you thought, man, I didn't think about that. You know, I guess I

understand where the owner's coming from. But there's probably maybe some criteria that whether whether it's general manager or personnel or coaching, that how ownership looks at it and to be prepared for when that opportunity arises when you when you have that in your toolbag that you can present in an interview. Absolutely. Uh. You know, first of all,

you trying to learn from every experience that you go through. UM. I've had a chance to you know, sit down with our owners um, UM, George mccasky and Miss Virginia UM, and just have a tremendous amount of respecting and love for those those guys. UM. And you know, at this at this particular summit, um, Art Rooney spoke about the qualities that his head coaches have had in Pittsburgh. And so from listening to him speak about the qualities and which his head coaches had, UM, he spoke about they

were tremendous um communicators. UM. You know when they walked in the room, they could command the room. You knew they were set apart. They were different. UM. He spoke about Chuck Nole and Chuck no being very calm and a disciplinarian. He spoke about Bill Kawer, you know, basically saying, you know, you have to block out the noise, you know,

don't allow any noise to come through. And they talked about Mike Tumbling being a little bit different he saying, Okay, it's so much noise going on in nowadays world and Nowaday's football that we can't just tell them to block it out. We have to affuilp them to be able

to handle that noise. And so you learn what you know, Art Rooney looks for, what John Marral looks for in an interview, and basically, you know, you just hope that you get an opportunity to put your best foot forward, be yourself like I worked under you know, John Elway and John Fox and Ryan Pace and Matt Naggie and you know it goes home Mike Shanahan. But when I get an opportunity to interview, when I get an opportunity or to run a football team, ultimately, I just have

to be myself. Obviously don't want to take what I've got from my mentors, but I have to be my authentic self. I have to be confident with me, and that owner has to be confident and trustworthy in the vision that we collectively put together and the goals that we sent for our football teams. Kelly Bears, Assistant Director of Player of Personnel or guests here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score with Tom there, Jim Moller,

Jeff Joniac. Before we let you go, I first have thought because when I see you around the building, you're a guy that never has a bad day, or at least if he is, you're not showing it because you got an ear to ear grin and you are a gifted communicator. You are very relatable to the players. You have tight relationships with the players. I see you go to them on the practice field. I laughed, I thought,

a nugget. Whatever. You're a very inspirational individual. So that's my perspective of you, and I wish you luck as you climb the NFL ladder and now reach your dreams. But I'd like it to be here in Chicago, you know, stick around champ you know the rosters looking good. Also, you're down in Florida and you're gonna have an event coming up on June twenty eighth at Browntown Park down

in Florida. Tell us about it and what it means to you because you started something too called heart Power Ink and what does all that take into account for you down there? Jed, First of all, thank you, thank you so much for saying day I don't believe in bad days, I believe I tell myself that I'm allowed bad moments. Obviously, sometimes moments can turn into days, but I never allow a moment to just continually get the

best of me. It may steal my happiness for a point, but I never allowed to steal my joy because ultimately my joy comes from a higher power. And so that's how I live. That's how I live my life. Um. You know. And this Sunday, we're having Black Lives Matter cookout and just informational and ultimately what we want to do in this event, it's just spread unity. There's so much there's so much division and missions for information that's

that's being spread. I want people to be able to talk with authenticity, but I want the entire community, black, white, red, whatever, to be there and to learn together. We're going to eat together, um, and we're gonna heal together. I have a tremendous amount of hope for our country. UM. I believe in the magnitude of the game of football and

what it can what it can mean to healing. UM. And I've been blessed to have been a part of our organization Heart Power for eleven years now, providing you know, camps in several different states for free and in places that are more at risk communities to try to help your back. And that's all I want to do with your back. Let's get it done. Thank you so much, Champ, appreciate your time. Good luck with the event, and we'll

see you soon next month, how about it? All right, I'm ready, bless you guys, Thanks for having me on. All right, Champ. Kelly Bears, Assistant director of Player Personnel, our guest. One final segment to go with Jim and Tom. This is Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Hey, Bears fans, it's important to stay connected now more than ever, and at Motorola, we love making that possible. With the new razor, you can enjoy

staying connected a little bit more. It's a bone, it's an accessory, it's an icon reinvented. Hello Moto. Jeff, Tom and Jim Bears All Access with you for a few more minutes before we hand it off the top of the hour here on the score. All right, I didn't I didn't prepare you guys for this, but I'm just gonna throw it out right now, make you put your thinking cap on real quick. I have an idea where Tom might go with this. But Jim and Tom and I'll chime into, don't worry, I won't be I won't

be leaving you guys hanging out to dry. Name a player on the ninety man or roster that right now that you might be or maybe the media and the fans might be sleeping on right now that we might see a bigger year than maybe we expect from a player. I'm gonna start with. I'm gonna start with Big Tom. I'll go David Montgomery. I think he's the most I think he's the most said, unappreciated, overlooked player on the roster. Why but I think he has a bigger impact in

the league. You know what. You go back and you look at a videotape of David Montgomery, and you look at what he provides. He's got vision, he's got tackle impact, he can hit the hole. He's got the ability to catch downfield and out of the backfield. So the more active he becomes inside and out side of this offense, the better this offense will will be. He's a tough guy. He can be the number one running back on your team. He can play all three downs. I just think David

Montgomery his best friend needs to be Juan Castillo. He needs to learn how this offensive line's gonna work in front of him, and you're gonna see more profit from David Montgomery. Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna go with if the tight end position makes the impact, I think it will. I think the player that is going to have a good year and I think will rebound. And he's dealt with a shoulder injury the past couple of years, Anthony Miller. I think he's gonna be big out of the slot,

is my prediction for him. So again that that shoulder injury somewhat set him back, but had seven touchdowns his first year. Needs to come back and I think he I expect a big year from Anthony Miller. All Right, I'm gonna throw on. I'm going into trenches and I'm going with James Daniels because each year I look at the roster and this is common, okay, as teams have guys enter year three. It's really it's supposed to be

your takeoff year. And I believe that with a new way of looking at things more strength, he is now a maturing player that national football. He came in young and mature as a matter of fact, but maybe a little more vocal upfront with the kind of tutoring he is expected to get, drilling fundamentals like Wan Castio anticipates doing just his body the way he's built. I'm just looking for him to become a guy who's gonna live up to his potential and he's gonna have a takeoff year.

In James Daniels, what do you think about that one? It's a competitive position, Jeff. I mean, James Daniels has to get better as his position, and he's got to get better throughout the season. If you look at Jermaine Fetti, you look at Rashad Coward, you look at Alex Bars, you look at some of the other guys that they have here, there's gonna be competition there. You can again, you're gonna go out there probably with the first team day one. But I don't think the guys behind him

are just a foregone conclusion. It's gonna be James's job to have however he is. He has got a lot of talent, and he's got in terror and talent to play more than one interior position. But you know right now the competition will be a guard all right. Well, fellas are running out of time and I just can't wait to training camp kids here and hopefully all goes well. I know you guys feel the same. Thanks again, as always fellas. I hope you guys have a great west

of your weekend. We'll talk to you next Thursday. That's gonna do it for us. For Jim and Tom and Jordan trut Up and Dan Briley, our producers, Jordan Malley tonight at the Score. Thanks for listening, everybody, and thanks to Champ Kelly, our guest tonight, the Bears Assistant director of Player Personnel. This is Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. I have a great night everybody, and thanks

for listening. 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 Miller Litte