Cut over that DJ Moore zode touchdown touchdown Bears.
I am Jeff, joniha whitz is on.
Donnie go up.
What was like playing for coache Good done.
I don't want to answer any questions like that.
Pressure coming is a big trouble.
Dottie go motes sweat.
Yea Bears et Cetera brought to you by Miller Lte with the voices of the Bears Jeff Joniac and Tom Thayer.
Well, it was a big Bears weekend and can't Ohio what with the Hall of Fame in Shriman of Steve McMichael, Devin Hester and Julius Peppers and a Bears rain shortened preseason went over the Houston Texans. Hats off to the large number of Bears fans who made that trip to twenty one twenty one. George Harvis drive there in Canton, Ohio.
It was a lot of fun. Welcome in everyone.
I'm the voice of the Bears Jeff Jonahack with Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Thayer and our special guest this week is Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower. This episode of the Bears et Cetera Podcast is brought to you by Miller Lte. Richard, how you doing, Welcome and back home? Nestled in got the first Tom and I were talking about get past the Hall of Fame. You don't want to just run past the Hall of Fame.
But now now you get into the preseason and the nuts and bolts of what's going on.
Yeah, well, thanks Jeff Tom for having me. Hall of Fame was definitely exciting. Excited to see all those guys go in and excited to see our players when Devin spoke to him, just how they lit up their big fans of his. And obviously we show a lot of his clips in the meeting room, just to pay homage and to make sure they know the ground that's been laid before.
Hey, Tommy, one thing I mentioned to you, but I want to mention it. Well, Richard's here.
I was there as well, but I was purposely looking at all the players when Devon was speaking, and Jimbo Covid for that matter too. Jimbo commands the room, He's got a presence and they were nodding their heads. That means you knew they were engaged, right, And a lot of guys pictures with those guys, Tom, I know you called with me every one of those nineteen return touchdowns
that he had with us. You were as much a part of it because your excitement was bleeding through almost every one of those play calls.
Yeah.
You know, I spent my whole career on kickoff return and every single game I ever played, I was on it. So I know the appreciation of the performance of their role on kickoff return, and I know the difficulty of the role in the kickoff return game. So all due respect to Devin and all the great returners throughout NFL history, I really appreciate the fact that Devin got its due and his recognition for something that did something really special in his time as an NFL player.
Richard, Will this open up the door for more? There's a lot of returners in this game that have excelled. I mean, we listed a bunch last week. You know who they are? You studied it?
Yeah, Well, let's just hope.
So, I know there's a lot of guys that are inspired and motivated by what Devin did, So Hope.
So when do you how long does it take you to watch the athleticism of some of these players that maybe have never played Special Teams because a lot of them had a star starring role on their college teams. But does it take to the first live action like the Hall of Fame game, or can you kind of get a feel of their athleticism and how they pertain to the different job requirements on the different special teams.
Yeah, I tell you what, Tom, that's outstanding way to look at it. You can tell a little bit, but you never really know until you get them in the game, and as you know, you played, so you know it's different out there's a lot of space.
It was incredible because I think the whole offseason I've been as excited for kickoff and kickoff return because I was that disappointed in what would happen to it. And I think going forward, it's going to be interesting to see how all of you Special Teams coaches approached the design, the development of your guys' type of drawing room, of how you're going to put up the different types of return. So I got to say that the excitement hasn't faded,
But did you learn anything from the initial examples? And I was thinking behind the scenes, I bet you every single Special Teams coordinator is looking at that first Hall of Fame game, just to whether it's getting the timing of contact, the.
How long you got to hold your block, what.
Can be the results of everything that's going to stand behind your guys' development of that one play.
Yeah, I mean we took away you know, differently.
Definitely, you can use different body types with it, and then angles are really important. And then we're you know, we're going to test an experiment with different blocking schemes as we go.
But yeah, you're right.
Everyone was glued in, got a couple messages after, and we'll be glued in here as these preseason games go because we're going to watch every kickoff return there is this preseason.
I mean, just a yes, no answer.
Do you think we'll ever see offensive alignment on the kickoff return team? Because that's what they do repetitiously, and it's like the distance between a guard and a linebacker.
No, I don't think so.
I would be begging you. I would be begging you.
To put me on it unless you come back. I don't think so.
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I know.
I got a release from the NFL.
They call it the Dynamic Kickoff, and they have all the alignments and designed to explain things. I'm curious on those text messages you got where they fans or coaches are just friends of yours and what were their impressions if I may ask, in terms of what they saw there?
Yeah, coaches and coaches just curious about you know, what we experienced live, you know, so uh and then just giving their take on what they saw, like they see it as a big potential for big plays. Although the kickoff team one I would say last week, but if if.
There's a scene in there now it can go quick now jee.
Well, hey listen, somebody put it on Twitter. They broke down and there was just a block away from a big, big run on one of those right, you know which one I'm talking about?
And that that to get you excited though, right, Yeah.
Yeah, it's that we think it's gonna be. We think it's going to be dynamic, you know, and just being a part of putting that thing together is so honored and grateful to work with the competition Committee, Troy Vincent and obviously commissioned a Goodell and Darren Rizzi and John Fossil and all the rest of the especially and coach participated as well.
But we just we're excited.
How did you how did that all come about?
By the way, was it a reach out to you specifically and those other guys or did you put your hand up and say, hey, I want to I want to help out here and figure out the right plan.
Yeah, it was a it was a reach out, so they they basically uh reached out to us, and uh, and I'm more than honored and and and I want to help make the game better for not only our fans, our players and and and the game going forward.
You know, you want to do something good for the game.
When you when this all came about, did you have to have conversations with Cairo in terms of either hang time or lack of hang time, or field positioning or where you wanted to play some football or was that just something that came with the more reps you did, the more you learned about it.
Yeah, I think it's a combination of both. Tom.
We talked about it almost every day, you know, when we could when he was in the building, and uh uh, we're still tinkering with.
It, but it's uh he he.
We're fortunate because he has a lot of tricks in his bag and he could do a lot of different things.
A better tackling kicker ever be inserted in the game through the multiple games that you'll be a part of throughout your career.
Yeah, I mean, we'll see, like, we'll see how it how it comes about. I know that the tackling rate was close to what in our studies. The tackling rate for the kicker was close to what it was in the NFL and the studies that we did. So hopefully he's not as involved, but if he is, I can see it going that route in.
The kickoff coverage team. Is it more a defensive personnel centric because of offensive players just repetitiously in their time as a football player, especially achieving this level, that's not something they're as familiar with as the guys that have a defensive role throughout their career.
Yeah.
I think you could say that, and then you know, you got a few sprinkled offensive guys in there that that like to hit, you know.
Yeah.
Rich McKay obviously a member of the Competition Committee for a long time and sharing that committee. But he said by twenty twenty three only twenty one percent of the kickoffs return and projected fifty to sixty percent to be returned in twenty four, which would add roughly one thousand plays to the NFL season. Eighty percent of the drives last season started around the twenty five, projections this year forty percent of the drives at the thirty or higher
and another thirty percent inside the twenty. Certainly you don't want that as an offensive team, but from a defensive standpoint, backing them up, I'm hoping that number rises for our guys on the defense obviously, and the remaining thirty percent between the twenty and thirty.
Do those Do those all mesh with your thinking as special team coordinator?
Uh? They do?
Yeah?
Do.
Jeff and Rich was awesome to work with.
He's a he's very bright, and all of those statistics. You know that we went through all of that stuff, and that's what makes this so exciting for both sides.
I would recommend to fans doing Tommy as well, be patient. You know, preseason, nobody gonna show anything because I saw some responses to the first eight kickoffs of our of our season. I said, you know, what's our game coming to and blah, nothing's changed. But I know all three of us disagree. It's going to make a major major impact in your viewing and your excitement for football.
Richard, do you think that the Senior Bowl will adopt this type of kickoff kickoff return to get maybe more reps in the eyes of the special team coordinators on an NFL level, or else at least letting it get into the mind of some of these kids that that's the way they're going to make teams.
Initially, Yeah, I was sure, hope.
So I think, you know, the East West game, the Senior Bowl, and hopefully it trickles down to some of the lower levels and they've seen what we've done reducing the speed in the space and helping to get more returns in the game, I would hope.
So, you know, I was reading some of your comments from the podium and talking a little bit about the twelfth man on the field, and I think that caught some people by surprise because it kind of snuck out in the media and not it And so how did you guys go about And I see that.
You said that they are talking about you.
In the sticks that that kickers use, they'll hold the ball up. And I like the option that you guys came to, letting the actual person hold the football for the kicker and then just back subtly back out of there and not take part in the action.
Yeah, how did that come about?
Yeah? Sure, Tom.
Originally we talked about, you know, having the kick and stick out there and an official grabbing a stick, you know, but just you know, after just going through several different conversations using a player that was up front and then you would be sure the player, we said, well, heck, wana, it's gonna be weird, but why don't we just put a twelve guy out there and get him right off and he can't can't impeat the play or anything like that,
And and it ended up working out pretty good. I'm glad we got it on tape so we could see it, because this thing is still a working progress.
It'll be all season, all preseason for sure.
So and the old kickoff coverage, he used to have the luxury of having base your fastest guy on team B some sort of safe, some sort of safety. Do you have that luxury anymore? Or is it a all ten attack plus the kicker.
Yeah. I think it's going to vary, you know.
I think the one thing about it is you could have uh, some of your starters on her that could play, you know, some safety positions and if you need to, or you could have some guys go down and go tackle.
It just depends on where you want to kick the ball, you know.
All right, one more question, would you ever have the kicker get bigger shoulder pads in case they're involved in tackling a little bit more.
It's kind of a serious question, it is.
You know, believe it or not.
We did attack on my circuit two days ago and all specialists were involved.
Did you really how'd that go? How'd that go?
Loved it? Well?
I know coaches love it.
Did the players love it?
That's the question?
Yeah, you know they know the importance of it, Jeff, and they we do it. You know, we don't do it every week, but when we do it, they get jacked up about it.
So there was a good response there.
Well.
The funny thing is FLUS has a very specific way to tackle, so you know, aiming at those hamstrings.
Right hamstring tackle, baby hamstring tackle?
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You know, it's funny, Coach high Towers that how personal kickers take when someone breaks beyond the line of defense and how much how determined they are to make a tackle, because you know, Kevin Butler was a great tackler for the Bears. Robbie Golden made some big hits as well. And I think you know these kickers and punters that attitude, it goes from zero to one hundred as soon as they see a guy in the open field.
Yeah, no question.
You know you name some great ones there, and you know we're just trying to make sure if we're called up on the tackle that we're ready to do it.
You know, is there anymore so the you play the Texans the second week of the Sea and a vanilla offense, defense and special teams? Can you unveil a little bit more against a team like Buffalo that you won't play in the regular season or is that more something that you work on behind the scenes and then when you get to the regular season, you know it's the uh, you know, open up the playbook.
Yeah, I think it's a mix of both, especially with this new kickoff kickoff return rule. But you know, basically, you know that first preseason games, Vanilla is install one day one and then I think you just go to your nixt install. You know, it's try to keep it still simple so the guys can play fast enough, and then you'll keep some cards flow to your best for later in the season.
I would was keeping Tory Taylor out of the first Hall of Fame game? Was that just to give the other punter an opportunity to get involved in the show or are you just holding Tory back a little bit before he gets into the seventeen game stretch.
Yeah, I think it could be looked at both ways.
You know, we kind of we held out a lot of guys organizationally, and Tory fill in that bucket just for because of who he is and where we drafted him and all that stuff.
But I'll tell you what we want.
We wanted to showcase Corless too, man, because he's earned those reps. He's done a nice job in practice, He's earned them.
You guys have done a great job with both of those punters. I think some of the punts that I've seen in training camp, maybe some of the best that I've seen since I've been a part of the Bears. Having a right foot and left footed punter with that type of power, it's a nice luxury for you to have.
Thank you, appreciate you staying that, Tom. We're excited about it.
Yeah, and it's nice to have that.
I know Bill Belichick always had a left footed punter in pre season just to get guys ready for the different spin. But this guy's legitimate. I mean, people been asking me who is this guy? Well, his name is Corless. Waitman, he's got a name. He's not just the other punter, right because everybody you know, I asked Santos, Well, we
had him last week. Actually we had him last week on the podcast aro on Bear's Weekly Pardon Me, and Tom asked him what your impression of Tory and he goes alien that that that's what he said about it. But great punters are hard to find. There's plenty of good punters, and then some punters, you know, have to work their way around the league to get an opportunity
and maybe it connects some way. But do you find it more challenging to find a really great punter versus a great kicker, a field goal kicker.
Oh yeah, I would say.
So.
You know, that's a good point. I mean, it's you're right, it's very hard to find a great one. You know, a lot of guys can do it and do it for a while, but that position is always in flux, you know, because you have such limited opportunities.
So you got to make the most of your opportunities.
Before we let you go, just a little review of some of the guys that made plays in that game. Colin Johnson in on a tackle that was awesome to see because and I know you brought it up on excuse me Sunday that you know, you say, maybe maybe you don't want to be on you know, he wants to stay on the kick.
He knows this is a path a pathway.
And if you don't have to convince guys that it's a pathway, you know you got something good going.
On, no doubt about it. He Uh. I can't say enough good things about Colin Johnson.
Man.
He's a really good person. Uh.
And he's a good football player, but he's a even better person. And I'm just so happy for him and happy that he's a part of history.
Tigh tower.
So you know, when you bring in a new holder to a football program and a kicker, how do you make sure that he has an understanding of where the ball wants to be the lean to it in certain distances, and how do you how do you evaluate a holder to That's that's you know, new on, new on the scene as far as the Bears are are concerned.
Yeah, well, you just you look at all the college for sure, and then you look at all the combine tape, and then once you get him in, you do various different drills with him, and then you let your kicker kind of talk to him and try to educate him on different win patterns and when he needs the ball leaned a certain.
Way or not. But Cairo has been phenomenal.
With Tory, and Tory has really good hands, So that's number one for being a holder.
He has really good hands.
You know, you talked about coach Flus and how he gravitates towards the special teams. When you become a head coach, are you always going to gravitate towards the special teams of the team that you coach?
Oh?
No, hopefully, hopefully, if that ever happens, hopefully the specialty coordinate let me be involved.
He may kick me away from it.
No, he heard that, listen, man.
That phase of football is never going to go far away from you.
Third year with the Bears, fourth overall, also an assistant here in twenty sixteen, but seventeen years experience with the Bears Houston, Washington, and Cleveland and San Francisco. Also in your background, you were an assistant defensive back coach. You were a wide receiver coach at the University of Minnesota, coaching guys like Eric Decker, University of Texas three year lettermen and special team stand out or walk on, and the Shrine game head coach for the East last year.
So your background continues to expand and grow with every passing day and every passing season. How how do you feel about what your career has brought you in terms of these opportunities and how you've taken advantage of them.
Yeah, I tell you what, Jeff, I am eternally grateful to the McCaskey family. I think I've said it before, just for giving me the opportunities, Coach Flues and Ryan Poles for putting me in those positions. And then also I just think. You know, it's a blessing every day. I wake up and pinch myself every day because this is what I always wanted to do, was be around football.
So ever since I was a marketing intern with the Texans.
Is that right?
I didn't know that I wanted a football.
I didn't know that marketing intern.
Yeah, that's how I started. Yep, what is the marketing Interneah?
Wow, that's the NFL's version of a walk on.
That's the version I learned how to operate a pallet jack was my first job.
Oh my goodness. Hey, everybody's got to start somewhere, that's for sure.
Uh.
Well, we appreciate all your time, man, We could.
We could spend a lot of time talking about all aspects of special teams. So much attention needs to be paid to it because and then this is what my beef was about, the fact that Devin Hester was the first to get into the Hall of Fame in the return game. We keep talking about it. It's the third phase.
It doesn't mean it's the last phase. It may be the first phase on a game day, and if you get a special team's takeaway, that's another big chance of getting more winning percentage goes up, So the impact of special teams is significant.
And we got some guys.
Man, we got you know, Vayalis Jones is a tailor made kick returner, his body, the way he rolls.
You got DeAndre Carter there.
You got all kind of options that you're trying out in the punt return game as well. Do you feel comfortable with the choices you have before you?
Yeah?
I mean Ryan Hista done a phenomenal job of providing this talent, acquiring talent, So just happy, happy about it.
Coach I Tyers.
So when we're at ninety guys throughout training camp and then they go to the fifty three game day roster, does it seem like there's a lot less people for you to make choices on and then you kind of increase the workload of a couple of guys. Because even when I sit out there and I see ninety and then after they go to the final cutdown, then you look back on the field, it's almost like.
God, where did everybody go?
Do you feel the same when you're trying to put together all the multiple teams and then the depth of every ivory team that you have to put together.
Yeah, there's definitely a talent, you know, going from that many guys you know down but you just have the mondo to the reps. And then there's certain guys like you know that are going to be here playing for you. So you try to take care of those guys on the front end, you know, make sure they get what they need, take care of the guy in the front end, and then try to see if you can get an evaluation on the back end.
Guys, We're brought to you by PNC Official Bank of the Bears. Okay, last thing interview. Charles Tillmen in Canton after Devon's enshrinement backstage, and you know he was in He said he thought he was in seventeen of those kick returns as a starting cornerback. Like today, if you put a starting cornerback in there, people might start getting upset, like the fear of injury.
Times have changed, right.
Yeah, no, they changed big time. And Charles is awesome every time he comes and talks to the team. I mean, I could only imagine how awesome that was for him to be on the field with Devon.
Just just a phenomenal human being.
Charles is sure is time we got a run.
Richard Thank you so much for all your time and good luck and the rest of the priests and getting this team ready to go.
Appreciate your time.
Offensive line and kickoff return. Don't lose that thought.
Thank you, Richard, do a great job. So really appreciate you. Bears are fortunate to have you. Guys, We're fortunate to have you.
Nice of you to say, Richard, we appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Take care, Thank you guys.
Thank you.
We're brought to you by a PNC official Bank of the Bears. So good conversation, and we could we could have talked a long while with Richard. I would have loved to get in more in the return game in the specifics, but you know, John Johnson had a good return, the rookie out of Nevada, the teammate of catab Williams's best buddy from USC at thirty one yard return.
One thing about the kickoff return, you know, it's it's in such the infancy stages that I don't I think this is something that you and I are going to be talking about all the way through the preseason, and then I think it's going to reignite the conversation before the start of the regular season, because that's when I think we'll be exposed to a little little bit more creativity on the kickoff return front.
Would you like to see some special teams coordinators here in the preseason test certain things out just to keep people aware. Okay, when you got two returners back there, there could be a reverse play, there could be some sort of trickery in, and you know, just stash it away. I know you don't want to give up the playbook by any means, but just put everybody to the test here, just to smidch so you don't just think it's going to be a normal running play.
Yes, first of all, I was serious about having an offensive lineman on the kickoff return team, and I could have them play both sides. I could have them maybe line up on the right side at one time, the left on the other, either part of a deception or point of attack.
So I do think there are.
Athletes that are good enough at the offensive line position that they can play a kickoff return.
Why can they play on it?
Why can I play on it through my whole career and be deep in the wedge. And now when you're at a closer point of contact that you can't be there because that's what you do repetitiously.
And then one other point so and I always think about that.
I think about it a lot more now in this new kickoff. Is why I went to high school. We had two kickers approach the ball.
Wow.
And if you had two kickers where you could one kicked and one was a pursuit guy, it would just create more deception in terms of where the ball is going to go.
Then maybe you have.
To have two returners back there and take one guy out of the upfront blocking scheme.
Well, I know your mind takes you to very different places because it's Tom's thoughts, that's for sure. Tastes like Miller Time go to millernt dot com, slash bears pod to find delivery options near you. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ninety six calories and three point two cards per twelve ounces. I know Patrick Scales did not practice the other day so they brought back lions, the long snap or any concerns.
But I always have concerns when you have a guy that plays a really important role in the scoring of this football team extra point and field goals and how many snaps Patrick has throughout his career. You definitely want him to start the season healthy. So if there's any concern about any type of injury, then get it healed
up before that first regular season game. But I think one thing about Ryan Poles, he does his due diligence and scouting, and if someone's here in a backup role, they're capable of doing what they're going to be, what they're being asked to do.
I rid somewhere that people this is one more about the kick return, and we'll talk about our game and what you saw on tape as we get ready for Week two in Buffalo. The idea that there could be more teams going forward on fourth down because of the return game. Now, if it's a touchback, it's the thirty.
If they get a good return, you're talking about a couple of plays and now you're nearer midfield and facing a fourth down as opposed to a different scenario a year ago, when you're getting the ball out the twenty five. I know it's only five yards, I know it's different. But if these returns start cranking up a little bit, is that one of the consequences of this will more teams go forward on fourth down near midfield and fewer punts.
You know, I mean it's a it's a super sensitive play because what's the down and distance? What is your talent level to be able to have success, you know, and convert it. You look at the Bears, you know, they had a fourth and one in the game the other day, fourth and less than one. They jumped off sides and then went they had a punt, So you know, is it is it gonna be the tush push the Philly play? Is what type of you know, what the you know, what type of talent do you have and
able to have the confidence to convert it? And if you if you don't have discipline on the line of scrimmage and the defense makes aggressive calls and you jump because of it, then you're just back to punting. So I think it all depends on the maturity of your football team, in the confidence the offensive coach has, in the type of play he can call.
Busy hard sets here Flavers for every vibe Celebrate Responsibly Motion Course Beverage Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. So the Bears return to practice on Tuesday, get back in pads, and get ready for that Buffalo game.
End of the week.
What did you see on tape that caught your attention on both sides of the ball.
Discipline and you know, the thing about it is the Bears and throughout training camp because of the way the defense plays around with with their movement up front, the first team offense has been susceptible to have, you know, some penalties at the line of scrimmage. And I thought the group of guys that Flose and his staff got ready to play in the game. They put a lot of discipline on display, whether it's a two minute trill, you know, concentrating on the verbal count at the line
of scrimmage. Colin Johnson being able to have a drop and then rebound with some significant catches. You just know that he's mentally strong and it didn't didn't affect him. I thought the tight end position played really well, even though Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett were not in there. You know, I thought Richard high Tower and his special teams did a nice job. But the more we see kickoff return, I think the more interest the fan base will gain. I like what I saw out of you know,
the defense as after the first drive. I think the defense went back to the sideline, got some coaching points and played a better style of defense from that point on. So there was a lot just encouraging team signs that I think that you can go back watch it on tape, and then specific techniques. I think that a lot of these guys can get positively reinforced within a week's time of making sure what they're doing on in practice can work on the game field.
Yeah, they allowed less than three yards of carry on the run game offensively, some really good numbers eight double digit plays in the range show and to fair But of concern, I guess would be the after effect of that on the offensive line with some players down in the first couple practices. Back at Havis Hall, what concerns do you have leading in that game against Buffalo? And we do expect to see Caleb Williams as the starting quarterback to start the game.
You know, my only concern is whomever is injured, are they going to be healthy by week one of the regular season. My interest is is the guys that are getting reps in place of the injured players. You got to look at this as an opportunity of a lifetime because and when you have three preseason games in the NFL. I know they play the starters a limit amount of reps, but if there is a starter there that has an
injury of concern, they're looking for the replacement. And then who is you know, living up to the billing that they have the capabilities of starting early season games in the NFL. And then when you have a quarterback like Caleb Williams, you want consistency man want you want him to see and understand the guys up in front of him, and they understand him and they understand the rhythm of his count. And I think it plays such a significant role that Week one, the offensive line is going to
be able to hear calebs Cadence. Week two, they are not going to be able to hear Us Cadence. So they have to understand his timing, his thinking. He's a young quarterback and maybe he may think the huddle call maybe three quarters of a second longer than an experienced quarterback would, and then that.
Challenges the rhythm of the offensive line.
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I know there's a lot of work.
To be done before that Buffalo game, another road affair before Cincinnati comes late next week to practice before we play them at Soldier Field. But now it's like a different runway, as I alluded to in the outset here, isn't it.
You're one hundred percent correct, Jeff.
I think when anytime that you put the starters into a game, the evaluation has begun. The seriousness of the evaluation is starting to take place. And it's not something you can just say, oh, it's you know, we got time to we got time to take care of this. No, every single rep that a premium player gets during the course of a preseason game is strictly evaluated.
And if you make a mistake, how do you improve it?
If you make a mental air, do you get back into your tablet and start studying more? And so all these little things that you have to evaluate, from Richard high Tower on the special teams, to Shane Waldron and to Eric anduse Eric Washington and Fluse on the defensive side of the ball. I'm glad you brought that up, because there's a whole nother level of seriousness when you start chipping at these preseason games.
All right, lastly, you were at Steve McMichael's home when he got his gold jacket and bust there with your former teammates as well all his teammates and friends. How what impression were you left with when you experienced that and then left. I'm sure it was on your mind as you were driving back home.
Yeah, it's on my mind, you know.
The first impression is, so you walk into Steve's house and he had his bed pushed out in the living room so there was a little bit more room. And since Steve has lost the ability to talk, when you stand above him and you make eye contact with him and he knows you're there and you know what he's going through, it's you don't even need to say anything. You don't need to talk. It's just allowing each other
to see each other. And you kind of read the appreciation in my eyes to him, and then you see him looking back at you, and you have no idea what's going through his mind or what's happening, but it's, you know, a sad set of circumstances that he's fighting through. On the Greatest Award in this athlete's life. When you get announced by all your peers that you are going into the Hall of Fame, and it's because what you accomplished, it's what you dedicated to the Chicago Bears in the NFL.
And for them to unveil that bust in front of all of us there, it's it's emotional, it's a beautiful job.
Well, it looks just like as a player, exactly exactly, I mean exactly.
And I was so surprised because I've been you know, disappointed in going to the Hall of Fame and looking at the bust of some of the players, going wow, you know, it's not a very good resemblance of him, But when they may see his daughter and Mistya, his wife. When they unveiled the bust, I was blown away of It's just how much it looked like the Steve McMichael who is in the Hall of Fame. Yea, he looks you know, he looks so different right now, obviously for
the disease he's fighting. However, when people see that bust for years to come, they're gonna know what Steve McMichael looked.
Like, here's what we missed and here's what he missed. We missed his speech. Yes, we missed him at the Gold Jacket dinner when you would walk down the long runway to shake hands and get hugs from your fellow Hall of famers from years gone by, and I'm not quite sure how that would have gone down.
It would have been epic, I feel just.
Knowing him, and I think he would not have you know, listen, everybody thinks it's all show. He would have respected the game. He would have respected the moment. I truly feel that. But it would be it would be a passionate delivery and a passionate response.
QUI, Well, you talked about you sitting there talking to Chris Berman before the Gold Jacket and you saw all the other Hall of Famers that were coming in and out of the building. Steve McMichael, ming Maongo, whatever you want to call him, he belongs with all those guys.
And for you being able to be and have a hands on approach to seeing all those guys come in the room, Steve McMichael deserves to walk in that room with that same brash, cockiness, arrogance confidence that anybody can ever walk into a room with, because he carried it as well as anybody when he walked into a room.
Sure did Tom. Thanks.
We'll talk to you everybody on Thursday, our next podcast drop. Then we'll preview what happens against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, New York. Special thanks to Bear Special Teams coordinator Richard high Tower for Tom, I'm Jeff.
Thanks for listening. Everybody.
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