Teven Jenkins adapting to NFL | All Access

Welcome to Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy. I'm a broadcast partner and the fittest X card in the NFL. Mister Tom Fare from news Radio seven eighty one oh five point nine FMWBBM. Good evening, Tom. How you feeling you're doing well? Yeah, Jeff. You know, just to analogize what you're saying about coming to a town near you, you get an indication of the crowd support from the golf tournament this weekend. You get a little bit more experience in the crowds and the stadiums filling

up through baseball. Now with the announcement that at least twenty eight of the thirty stadiums around the league are gonna have full capacity. It's really making the momentum for an exciting sports season, and so I'm glad they make the decision. I hope people are responsible, they stay safe, and it continues to be safe for the sake of the fans that want to be a part of it. So I'm really I'm really happy the direction that people are going because the fans are resilient as the players.

We thanks always to our producers, Brandon Fryer Tonight of the Score Studios, Jordan Trup, Dan Bally as well. Coming up shortly, it's six or eight. Former Bears quarterback in Sirius Sex, m NFL radio host Jim Millerwood join us for a few segments. Is always in the case at six thirty. I know Tom will be excited. We're gonna let you have the floor in interview Keevin Jenkins, the second round pick out of Oklahoma State, trying to win

that left tackle job. Tom will be interested to hear things are going for him because I'm sure it's a blur right now a little bit, yeah, but he has to come in with the confidence and the frame of mind that it his job to lose and I think again, and I always, you know, kind of refer to my own experiences in the time that I've had with Jimbo. After he was drafted, he knew that he was going to be the starting left tackle day one, and that was because of hard work and self confidence and it

turned into a Hall of Fame career. So I hope Tevin is as inspired as Jimbo was because he plays a huge role on this team. However, with the athleticism in the future of Justin Fields and I'm not ignoring Andy Dalton or Nick Folds, this is going to be a multidimensional, wide open offense. So Tevin Jenkins, no matter what side he would have to play on, he's going to have to be versatile. So his first opportunities are going to be on the left side, So we'll hear

from him as well as promising rookie class. I mean, I think we all agree that at most of, if not all, these guys and maybe some modern drafting guys, will be able to make some some significant snaps here in twenty twenty one, and that is something we're looking forward to. These are these are football players. They brought in here, real all around versatile football players at a minimum special team's contributions. Um. There, and we get two

weeks votas beginning next week. Media availability the next couple of Wednesdays, so we'll be able to get eyes on who's available out there and watching how things are going on the grass once again, so that's always a good good time to check things out a little bit. And then you got the veteran minicamp that you know at wrap things up on the seventeenth of June. So we only got a couple of more weeks here before the break for training camp, but it's gonna come fist fast.

We have There are there areas at all that you would like to see a player added right now with experience at any particular position to make you feel better about the depth of that position or the competition level. Wow, that's a great question. Yeah, and you know there is you know, UM, I'd like to see a lot of competition at cornerback, just because it's one of the more difficult positions to unveil. Um, you know, a player that you know is able to come in and compete and

just increase the competition at the position. I think at the wide receiver position, because although we Darnell Mooney burst out of the scene, you got Alan Robinson in kind of a fragile position being on the franchise tag. And I think guys like Javon Wims and Athony Miller have under underperform to the levels that we always think that we see they're going to perform when we sit out

and watch them at training camp. If they could perform during the regular season like some of the training camp practices we've had, then those guys would provide size, depth and speed. So I do think, you know, quarterback development here, you gotta have you gotta have some of those wide receivers step up to the plate. Well. I think dem Bird is an addition to keep an eye on it as well. And you know, I want to see what's

going on with Riley Ridley. This is a fourth round pick, and we seem to always lose him in the conversation a little bit. He hasn't had many snaps and now this is your three. This is your three for Riley Ridley. Yeah, but you know the thing about it is is these kids that are talented in college can't just come out of college and being a pass receiver after being a

better athlete than the competition they're playing against. Now, with the responsibilities of the wide receiver because of the exterior offensive game, they have to be as important in their role as blocking, as a fullback, as a tight end, as an h back. Maybe not as an offensive lineman, but if you're going to throw a screen right at them behind, they got to be able to sustain in

a block. And that was some of the things that Riley given the opportunity, whether it was on kickoff return at one time or some wide receiver screens, he's been able to do that, but he's got to do it with such regularity that he can be counted on to be starting in the game. All right, we're to take a break. When we come back, we'll be joined by Jim Miller, our guest every week here on Bears All

Access were brought to you by IGS Energy. Sevin Jenkins at the bottom of the hour, This is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Welcome back to Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy. Choose clean energy for your home at IGS dot com because every good

choice adds up to a better world. It's a better day when we could talk to Jim Miller, former Bears quarterback from Serious Sex m NFL radios, moving the chains with his buddy you know you're yeah, Pat Crow, and I was going to go in a different direction, so I decided to forget about it. You know, the brain just doesn't always trigger every day for yours, truly, Jim, I am certain you don't have these problems day to day. I take my Ginko Bloba. Come on, Jeff Getagon, I

gotta do something. Hey. You know both of you guys have you know, parts unknown in your bodies now? Tom just finished up congratulations on a new hip, so he is good to go this week and we can't wait to see him ropin and stomping around big Jim. Well, that's good. I'm hopefully hopefully everything would win as well as what you thought it would. Tom. I mean, I had one that was recalled that was not fun, so I had to get it again on the same side,

So think goodness. The second surgery went better than the than the first one. Yeah, you were my inspiration, Jim, because I saw you limping around one time and asked what the issue was, and you told me about a hip, And you know, I think it's you know, for a lot of people, it's inevitable. I'm not gonna blame it on anything because I asked the doctor, is this because of seven hundred pounds squats or three point stance or collisions?

And he says no, because I've had forty and thirty year old guys in there that have been way worse than you. So it's just part of life. And I'm just, knock on wood, super fortunate had the quality care of a of a great team or a you know, a great doctor to do the job. And I'm up on my feet room rolling around my house with a walker. I have a walker. I will walker. I don't want to tell you what else is attached to it, but

I do have a walker. He doesn't take you know, he will not take any assistance outside of a medical professional. So I've I offered time. He needs me to come down help you out a little No, no, he doesn't want any part of that. So anyway, good to have you back on your feet soon and running around making

making havoc like Havi Bayez today, which was unbelievable. By the way, if you hadn't seen that play in the third inning with two outs in Pittsburgh, you know, on a routine ground or to third I don't know if you saw it, Jim. I know it's not football, but Havibayez is a magician. That's how I gotta say, got out of trouble and got to run across. Well. You know, that's the great thing about announcers because you really never

know the next word out of your mouth. Because that's the first time in my sports viewing life I've ever seen that. And I know that you wanted to add live this segment with a joke at the beginning, which I'm glad you didn't, And it's just like an announcer of any sport, you really don't know, oh, the next word coming out of your mouth. Yeah, and Jim, I'm sure you've had that many times in your career too,

probably in your own huddle. Yeah. Well, I mean it just it happens sometimes, you know, um, you know, but for the most part, guys take it a stride. You know, if it's say you screw up something or maybe you didn't address something right. And you know, I think everybody understands that everybody's gonna make a mistake here and there, every every now and then, and like most good teammates that they forgive you and you move on and you know, but but some can be pretty laughable moments that they'll

never let you forget. Right, So let's forget it. I'm gonna use that as as a bridge to a football analogy here, because it's something that bias brings to the table that causes pressure on a routine play. He made a defensive player think instead of react. And you know what happens when you think you're beating football? So are there players on the Bears that cause that kind of trauma the opposing player because you just don't know what

a guy's going to do. In this case, by as Walk being brought back all the way to home on a routine grounder and then dodging the tag and allowing run to score and then causing everything to bow to pieces. One of the worst plays as you ever seen. Really, I have never seen a play like that. But are

there guys that cause that on the Chicago Bears. I think there's a guy like Roquan Smith that people don't really respect his speed until he runs down a wide receiver on a sideline route or he has an impact tackle at or behind the line of scrimmage, or he gets into the backfield a sack of quarterback before he can have his his second reaction. He's one of those guys that you know, once you realize his speed and his tackling ability, you kind of speed up the thinking

process when you know you're isolating on him. Yeah, I think I think you know, in football alone, I mean that speed can cause you to do some things that are different. You know, because of the speed that Tom is talking about, it gives you very little time to think. You know, there's some teams out there, and I think the Bear's linebackers are good. I think we know that

they've got good speed inside. When the guys that they have with Roqua Smith and Danny Trevathan, I'd probably say a couple of years ago that those guys would be considered one of my two top inside. I like guys like down in Tampa, like with Devin White, and they just resigned David down there. I mean that's a team. I think when you look at Tampa with their speed,

I think it's it catches you off guard. And it's certainly caught Kansas City off guard, right because those tackles got demolished because Shack Barrett and the other guy Jpp. I mean that was just a field day that I think they took advantage and caused those two tackles to think a little too much. I'll take this one and you as an offensive lineman, Tommy can appreciate it more.

But the long arm when he gets it in on an offensive linement that Khalil Mac uses to get to the quarterback, because it puts a fear a little bit in the offensive lineman if he doesn't get his hands on him first. And Khalil Mac with that ability and strength to just toss somebody out of the way using that long arm to get to the quarterbacks, would it makes you refeat? You think your pass set for the

remainder of the game. As an offensive lineman, you figure if I don't jump the counter or extend my hands and try to get my hands on a Khalil before he touches me, because he has the power and the leverage to take you away from your stance and get you immediately off balance. And once you get into the head of an offensive lineman and they're thinking, like we say, if you think you're beat, if you got to think

how to set with Khalil that in your trouble. But remember last year in the Minnesota game, and I think it wasn't a Kindallville door when he was playing on the corner and he tackled Dalvin Cook to the outside, and Dalvin Cook had so much respect for his ability to tackle him in the open field or else it would have been an eighty five yard touchdown that Dalvin Cook got up and shook his hand because he respected his ability to react and stay in a good tackling position.

Could a confidence level of a player diminish in training camp if a veteran player repeatedly beats him day after day, and you know, because he's just a better player right there? Could that? Do you guys believe that that could could a bad training camp for a young player last in

entire season. Jim Um, that's a good question. No, I you know, I'm just thinking back, you know, because you know, I just remember when I was young with the Steelers, and you could have some bad practices, right those are some pretty good defenses, you know, where Rod Woodson or Colonel Lakers, one of those great players is picking you off. And I don't think I ever lost confidence or anything like that. But I think it is true where you know, a bad play can lead to a bad series, which

is a bad half to a bad game. You know, those things can happen where you let it snowball. But I think you have to be able to pick yourself up off the mat and understand, hey, this is part of the process. You're gonna fail at some things, but you're getting you know, you're gonna continue to get better once you learn from those mistakes. So I don't think it can lead to a you know, an entirely a

bad year. I know some guys that have had bad years, but normally it's going to be something else, whether it's an injury or something like that that could cause you to really tailspin, so to speak, and that can get

to you emotionally and mentally. You know. I just know from my standpoint, like the one year where I played with the torn rotator cuffs and my arm just I couldn't make the throws that I would normally make, and that that's kind of a blow to your ego where you're dropping back and you're like, I could make that throw prior, but now let me just check it down here and get a positive play, you know, so that that can grind on you mentally. I do know that.

That's remember getting public I remember getting publicly criticized by Dicka after practicing against Steve McMichael because Steve would practice so hard, he'd be so physical that I had I never had confidence in blocking him. However, it carried over to the game where I had more confidence in the game that I didn't practice because Steve was so good. And there's some comments that I can't say over the year that Ditka used to say in front of me

while he was addressing the media. And we used to have these inner squad football games inside Platteville Stadium where it was the scariest game of the year because not only were they physical and we were playing against a great defense, but Steve was such a great player that, hey man, he knew he knew our offense as well as we did. He knew how to handle things and he got at it. So, yeah, the worst day of my football year every year was the inner squad game

against McMichael. That's no joke. It's funny stuff. All right, We're gonna take a break. We'll be right back. Coming up at the bottom of the or we'll be joined by Tevin Jenkins, Bears a rookie tackle a lot of Oklahoma State. This is Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. The Chicago Bears Network presents Inside the Bears, brought to

you by Verizon. Anthony Adams and Lauren Screeden cover the world of Bears football on and off the field every Sunday night at ten thirty five pm on Fox thirty two Chicago, or watch anytime at Chicago Bears dot Com or on the Bears official app. With Tom Thayer and Jim Miller from Serious Sex M NFL Radio. I'm Jeff Joniat. Coming up in moments at the bottom of the hour. We'll be joined by Tevin Jenkins, the Bears rookie tackle. All Right. A couple of things that we're taking care

of this week by NFL owners. One, Tom a rule that expands the area where blocks below the waist are prohibited. So now there's a newly created tight endbox within two yards of the traditional tackle positions five yards either side of the line of scrimmage. So blocking or taking on blocks below the waist outside of that's fifteen yard penalty. So you're an offensive lineman thinking about this the first thing that happened. How about on a screen for example.

Is this going to alter the blocking techniques for players on polls or being on the move outside of that now tight inbox and the same defenders as well, because they're not going to be able to approach it the same way. It's going to lessen the concern by the exterior defensive players with the fear of getting a body

thrown at their legs. Because this was a technique that we practiced repletedly with coach Dick Stanfeld, whereas we pulled to the outside, he would point to a bag one or the other and we would literally throw our body into the bag in roll towards the defender, so at least that he had to focus his attention down at

the body and try to defend himself that way. However, in the modern realm of football, a lot of these offensive line coaches kind of teach players to stay up on their feet and they try to be continuous with their block. So I think there's some pros built into this, And you know, on a natural grass field, it's easy to throw your body because it's a soft landing. But back in the day when you had those old AstroTurf fields, you would come up with turf burns all over your

body because of it. But it's also a technique we used regularly and regularly to the point where defensive linemen they would man, they would not be in favor of you using that block. So I think it's gonna help them, but it's also going to promote the athleticism and offensive lineman and Jim. Then, in turn, the officials now are envisioning what are artificial boundaries here, So there's gonna be

some variance on that I would think. I would think, because it's a new rules it'll be much like how they've called it in every other preseason, right, they called a point of emphasis. Right, they try to get the point across to the players, and then once week one starts, not that it's thrown out the window, but they're much more tolerant in not throwing a whole bunch of flags when necessary. But you know the game's been going in this direction, you know, you think a cut off box

on the backside. That role came into existence a couple of years ago, like those EMO weaves call emo blocks and man on the line of scrimmage where you could go take their legs out, even though if it was on the back side of saying outside zone run, you could be able to do that. So that's been taken out. Now this this to me comes into play like if a z or flanker or receiver is digging out a strong safety, because you gotta remember those safeties rock and roll,

free safety, and strong safety. Sometimes they rotate and they come up in the box that area that Jeff's talking about because there's five yards beyond the line of scrimmage or in the trenches that is going in now two yards outside the tackle or tight end. So those safeties can come up in rock and roll and sometimes those like a z or flanker coming in half motion, they what we'd call dig out the safety. And sometimes like guys like Marty Booker, he just flat out take the

dude out. You know, he's going he's blowing out his you know, going low on his legs and could take him out. So you're gonna seem probably more of guys standing up from that standpoint as those receivers know that they can't do that anymore and It's like, like Tom said, you practice that way now, right. They want everybody up so that you're not rolling into legs and guys are blowing out acls and and things like that. So you practice that way, and now it's just going to be

converted to the game a little bit. Now those receivers have to be a little bit tougher. They'll just have to block a little bit higher. I mean, Jeff, I think, in all fairness to the game, if you're going to do it to the offense, you should do it to the defense. Do you remember when John Alread got his knee blown out? He catches that out route and the first thing, that defensive back is reacting to his path faster than the tight end can get his head back around.

And by that time, that defensive back is having just a serious impactful shot on the tight ends knee while his legs planted, and you see the horrific injury. Some of these guys a face because of it. So I do think they have to explore this. You know, that type of tackle or that low body hit. That tight end doesn't have his sightline focus to the defensive back. Yeah, well, defenders are not going to be able to do it to pig your offensive players, you know, when they approach

that box. And so it will be interesting, all right, the vaccine, So Commissioner Goodell says thirty of the thirty two teams rates of more than ninety percent for the top two tiers, and the protocol for anyone working in football operations, that's staff. He's not saying what the rates are for players right now. The other two teams over

eighty five percent. And then if you're not vaccinated as a player or personnel, you got daily testing, the masks, the facilities, physically distance quarantine after exposure, no meals in the cafeteria, everybody else, mostly back to normal. Jim as a as a player. From a player's perspective, is that enough incentive, beyond other medical issues or concerns, or religious beliefs or whatever it may be, to get the bulk

of the players on teams vacs. Well, you're probably going to see, say, if you're a Bubble player, if you're a player on the Bubble, now, god forbid, if you come into camp and you didn't get the vaccine, and let's say you test positive, say the first day of training camp, right ten day, what is it ten day

quarantine or is it fourteen day? You'd missed your whole training camp, right, that's what you do if you had a positive test, and so you you potentially wouldn't even have the opportunity to even work out your team because I think the cutdown dates, uh start where you know where they go from ninety too. I think it's eighty five and then then the eighty and or then the fifty three. Excuse me, yeah, twelve days before the season opener.

So it's a pretty good chunk. So I would think this is going to be a business decision by by some players out there too that may be reluctant to get it, but say, hey, you know, I don't know what. I'm probably a bubble player where I've got to give myself the best opportunity to make this team, and maybe I'll go get to vaccine because if you test positive due to COVID, you may not even be able to step on the field. So you're gonna go to quarantine,

You're gonna come back. Cutdowns are already done and it's over before it started. Yeah, Hey, Jim, we'll pick that up on the other side of this break and we'll talk to Tevin Jenkins when we return. This is Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. This segment of Bears All Access is brought to you by Athletico Physical Therapy. Visit Athletico dot com to request an appointment in clinic or virtually and start feeling better tomorrow.

Jeff Jony actom Thare, Jim Miller from Serious Sex NFL Radios, moving the chains with Pat Kurwanana with us here on a Thursday night. Feels a little bit like fall coming in as opposed to summer heating up the next couple of days. But they're still working up at Hollis Hall and little football weather won't hurt the rest of the week as they get ready for their OTA's coming up. And we'll be talking to Tevin Jenkins out of Oklahoma State in a few moments, Jim. The quarterbacks still maintaining

the headlines in the NFL right now. We got the return to full health for Cincinnati's Joe Burrow. It seems saw some highlights of his OTAs looks very good with his footwork and everything out of you know, see how it all works out. The Bears meet him in week two if he's ready to go. Patrick Mahomes at his surgery, you got the Aaron Rodgers developments after his ESPN Sports Center interview. You got Lamar Jackson and Jess Allen hoping

for extensions in Baltimore and Buffalo. Is this monopolizing your airwaves as well? The quarterbacks in this crazy thirty two team NFL. Yeah, it's interesting. Pat and I just went through to rink our top ten or top five or ultimately we had the top ten, then we narrow it down to a top five of our top five quarterback rooms around the NFL, and the Bears came in rated really high for both Pat and myself. It came in

definitely in the top ten. That came out of just out of my top five with because I still have Houston as long as Deshaun Watson is on Houston. I had Houston at number five. Bears were at six. For me. If if you know, if he's traded, Bears would move into the top five. They've got good depth, they've got quality guy I said that have played a lot. Plus you look at justin fields and what he adds to that room. And Pat also had the Chicago Bears in his top ten. There are teams out there like the Jets.

They have all their quarterbacks have no experience at all. You know, here he draft Zach Wilson, they got Morgan, that's there. They've got guys who haven't even played. So that is a bad situation when you look at a team like the New York Jets that don't have a veteran there to help out a young signal caller. So I think the Bears came in pretty high. Hey, Jim, we're gonna stop you there on the Quarterback Talk. We're gonna slip to the offensive line room of the Chicago Bears.

We walk him in for the first time on this show here on Bears All Access. So with Tom there, Jeff, Jonny ak and Jim Miller. Tevin Jenkins, the newest Chicago Bear offensive lineman, second round pick out of Oklahoma State. How you feeling tonight, Tevin? And thanks for joining us. How things going up at Hammis all these days as you adapt to NFL football? No, first of all, thank

you for having me. You know, I'm doing great today and like I said, right now, I'm really trying to adapt into the culture and all the great people we have here you know, I'm making to feel like home and I'm just excited to keep on the lake of relationships and excited to be in the building. You mentioned culture,

It's always big, especially with the offensive lineman. I know, and I know you're You're getting along quite well with Cordy white Hair, and culture is important for him who comes in and how it off fits like a puzzle. If you were to describe the culture as as a newcomer to this organization, as a young man who played at a high level at the Oklahoma State how would you describe what you're feeling right now as a culture of the Chicago Bears as of right now is definitely

a very close knit group. You know, we take care of each other and we're basically put our head down and work everywhere we go. You know, that's one thing. We're all like, we're all joking outside, like outside the fields, and as soon as we hit the field a tall serious business mode. And I'm starting to learn from all the other guys and older guys like the and everybody, and let say, our culture here, I feel like it's a great thing to be around and it's just like

going to stay. I feel like it's just a bound of great people that are here to lead, lead by example. Doing a kind of a two part question here, how emotional was it when you finally had an opt out realizing your dream was going to be in the NFL and when you did start your workout routine after you opted out? Was everything left tackle centric for you? Or was a kind of a balanced approach to right and

left tackle. Most of the things I did during when I was about when I want to go a train was just mostly a mainly only left tackle and that was because of how like a month of memory, how easy it would be for me to give my right

hand stance. So I definitely worked on only left because that's one thing I need to work on my game because I want to be that type of versatile player and being able to incorporate being able to play left and do that their whole offseason, I feel like they made a big difference for me, And definitely what's going on right now with Howard practice, that definitely feel like

it's helping me improve day by day. Uh. Tevin Jim Miller here, congratulations, welcome to Chicago, and uh, you know when when you were preparing for the draft and maybe you were interviewing with, whether it's gms or coaches, did you get a sense of any area that you need to work on. Maybe it's your kickstep, maybe it's hand placement. What did you really focus on that in areas that

you felt you needed to get better at. Uh. One thing I always came back to was my focus on my balance and my focus on my base, and those two like they tend to connect to each other also, so when you're like, you lose your base, you lose your balance. So the whole time I was working off season, I was definitely working on both of those things and keep on like come those conversations like you said, that would kept coming up, So I definitely had to put

an insist on that on this offseason. Tevin Jenkins our guest, the Paris rookie tackle here on Serious XM. Uh, that's serious XM's Jim Miller. This is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score with Tom there, Jeff Joniac. Tevin, thanks

again for joining us. Uh, when you think about looking at this left tackle position, do you have to compartmentalize a little bit because left tackle obviously a premier spot in the National Football League and go through the process as opposed to thinking about, oh my, this is one heck of a responsibility as a young rookie coming into the National Football League to try and win this spot and protect the most valued position in sports personally, personally

for myself, I guess I could say that any position I wouldn't. I wouldn't necessarily any position is more important other. But I mean as the public views it as, but as myself, you know, every position, all five is very important and you need to have all five clicking at the same time and be then for girls me or whoever will be or how I was gonna play out. Uh, I know that there's best five people will be on the field and then uh that's how it's going to be.

But how how was the transition between uh wand Casto? As an offensive lineman as I was in my past, you kind of transition your career, your time in college and all that through multiple offensive line coaches. But his coaching technique is very explainable and and you have that opportunity to learn it. So how initially, how has that been with you and coach Castile? Uh? I think it's

been pretty good for me. You know, there's a lot more things that I did not know that he brought up, and I'm pretty sure I will not be allowed to say it because I'd be getting wrong with me do it anyways. But other than that, you know, there's a lot more, a lot more like technique stuff, a lot more reasons why and everything like that I did not know beforehand. I do now, and I still take expanding my knowledge of the game, and I'm just keep on

ready to keep on learning from them. Well from that standpoint, because you know it really, like you said, it's just the building block right now and the foundations are being laid and then it'll start going faster once the pads come on. But from from your standpoint, what are you going to do once the ots are done with? What will you be doing in between the time between here and training camp for to getting ready for your first camp? Uh?

First looking for a place to live, and that's when first almost and then between there, I'm most likely if I can, I don't know how to play out and I haven't asked any questions, but if I can, I was hoping to stay around the Chicago area, work out here, keep on trying to work works some longline stuff, around here doing stuff that I can stay around the area, and if not, I'd probably go find a facility I was used to when I went to go opt out one down the X, So somebody end up going back

there if I have to, and keep on trying to train myself to be a better player when we come back into the training camp. Well I should have asked you that first, Tevin, because you bring up a good point in finding a place a little I mean, I don't know the population of Topeka, Kansas or what was that Oklahoma state? I mean, how you know, have you been in big cities before and lived in a in a big city before, and you know, to assimilate yourself to a different area. I mean, maybe just talk on that,

touch on that a little bit. Uh yeah. For me right now, it's just about you know, finding that right spot around here, you know, especially with my girlfriend coming, you know, we're looking into many different areas and doing all that and just excited to really find out more about the city and more about the surrounding areas as well. Tevin Jenkins, our guest here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score a couple of more questions before you

let you go here tonight. So I'm in Iowa State grad. I was a big day of Montgomery fan coming out. Watched almost every one of his games, and uh, the Cyclones in the in the uh, the Cowboys had some memorable shootouts and some memorable games over the last few years. Um. I think about the seventeen game, and I don't know if you were you played that year, but I don't know what your role was in that game. But do

you uh, have you had a chance at all? The talk of Montgomery about some of those battles in the Big Twelve because there was some high scoring affairs and some really good ones. I think you took three of the last four games against them. Though, yeah, you would say, what year was that again, seventeen seventeen, that was my race are freshman year. I wasn't really that was almost I was there. I'll traveled to the game. I wasn't

playing that game. That's a I think. But I have I have talked to him a few times, and I haven't mentioned any of the games before because I personally haven't played against them. But uh, both say we're us, feel like we're connecting a little bit, and then just keep on trying to go. Uh, you know that bondage between every player that I meet on the team and

keep on growing relationships. Is that critical as well to be that guy for the backs to have that kind of relationship because you get to know them at a different level and maybe they ask things of you that would help them get through holes that you're trying to create. Yeah, you know, just having that the chemistry, you know, just even on certain plays, like knowing where he thinks I'm will go and I know where he's gonna go, and

just having that play stall off each other. You know, that's a big That's one big part of football just as of itself. You know, just having knowing your your running backs, tendencies, your quarterback, anybody's tendencies that have the ball other than like your other responsibilities. Just there's just a lot of things. Knowing that other people's responsibilities in the field other than yours, you know, that's what helps you expand your game and helps you get better at football.

So being back in the huddle for the first time during rookie miniicap, we are all sitting around there watching practice, and you know, there's a lot of different stories about the transition from players from their last college days into there at the beginning of their NFL career. But here you are high expectations on you left tackle. Now you're in the huddle. How how was it for you? Because hey man, this is your goal in life to be a great football player. How was it to be in

that huddle with the rest of the guys. You know, It's feel great. You know. I'm started looking around and saw like some big names like just and everybody, and then, uh, I felt good to be you know where I'm at. You know, I felt good to put on the helmet and have the Chicago Bears logo on it, and just to be in that huddle. I felt blessed enough just to be there. And uh, you know, honestly, I just

felt happy in the moment. And then as soon as you know, I started as soon as things started rolling, you know, I had to give my brain process and all the plays that we went through and everything. So I didn't really have that much time to I would say, glorifying the moment because I have to get to get ready to start going through the plays and uh, but say other than that, I'll just say it's a big, big deal for me. Internally, well, final one for me

to have them appreciate your your time. How quickly do you think you can you can get into routine? I think we you know, I don't want to use all the cliches about creatures of habit and we kind of all have our routines to get ourselves ready to play, at least at least I did as as a former player. But how quickly do you think you can get in that routine where you're locked and loaded? Uh do you mean?

I just mean, like how you pre how you prepare, Like when you go into work at day and you know it's going to be a practice day, to get into your routine to say, all right, you know I've got everything in place where I can have a successful practice today. Granted you're gonna make your share of mistakes. But to get in that routine where you're just mentally of the right mind to prepare to go out there anytime you step between the lines. You know, I think

I'm answering question. I think it takes me about an hour hour and a half beforehand, you know, just to mental compare myself, if that's that's what you're asking. But i'must say I'm doing all the day as a kid, and to prepare, like, you know, I go over to playbook again. I like, like I stood down in the locker room, go over my phone. I have my phone. Uh, I have pictures of them on my phone, just to

go over through plays and stuff. And then uh, and then after that, I go roll out my like my whole body just to make sure my whole body's warmed up and everything, even though we're about to do a whole stretch before practice, and just so just to be able to make sure I was locked in and make sure my body's uh full preparation mode to uh, let's say practice that or aiming in the game. All right, Tevin, We'll let you go a final thought real quick though.

You know, as young players that we've seen come through, it's it's always an interesting dynamic when you're entering, especially now with veterans involved, and you'll have a veteran mini camp here in a couple of weeks. But are you able to do you feel comfortable just being yourself personality wise yet or you you feel like you know, it's like anybody going to a new office, they got to get acquainted with their their peeps and understand what the

environment is. Sometimes it's difficult for players to do that right away. You seem to have that personality to be an easy transition. Yeah, you know, it wasn't easy transition, know the first us, the first few les, the first few hours I was there. You know, I felt like

it was a welcome moment. You know, they were talking talking to me, trying it to know me if you lived in and but we have a few outgoing people, you know, they they're time enough to even just reach out to me and just make sure I was accustomed to the program and to people around us. And I already started getting into jokes, you know, inside jokes and everything with everybody. And I feel good about it, and I feel good about the transition. Well, very good. Glad

to have you in Chicago. Looking forward to seeing you next week at OTAs. And thank you so much for all this time today. Appreciate it. Yeah, it's no problem. Thank you for having me. You're welcome. Tevin Jenkins Bears new rookie tackle. We'll have more with Jim Miller in Tim there after this break on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The score. This segment, it bears All Access is brought to you by DW people to get it Jeff Jonny Act, Tom Fair, and Jim met a big Jim

Tevin Jenkins. Uh, really really comfortable and talking about things. He sounds a little bit like a veteran player already. I know he's got a long way to go and at that position, what are the biggest challenges you see for that transition? Um, I know, I think he's gonna be fine. I think you know, he's played both tackle positions and like he said, he's working on the areas of that need the focus and that I believe he said.

And when we were talking to him, he said, what kept on coming up is working on my basse in my balance and is time will tell Like me, as a quarterback, you're not going to be an accurate passer unless you're in balance to throw every time you throw, you need to be in balance. And uh, you know you got to make sure Tom can really expand on this more than me. You don't want a bass that's too wide where you know you can, or you don't want to be too top heavy and things like that.

He was talking about bend and things like that, and so he's working on that that sweet spot for him, and Tom, I'll probably turn it over to you to talk about because you know, you don't want too narrow a base, you don't want too wide of a base. But he seemed like that was one area that that at least teams that interviewed him that he needed to work out and get a little bit better at. And

he'll do it. He's too good of an athlete. I mean, this guy growing up played basically every single sport baseball, football, basketball. I mean, he's a good athlete for how big he is. Oh, he really is. You know, Jim and Jeff and we kind of say this top thing that's funny, and they always say, if you think your beat, that's what that's what he's got it. Tevin's got to get rid of

the thinking part of it. And Jeff, you asked him, how long does it get take you to our Jim, get acclimated to all of your assignments and understand what your responsibility is against every single defense, and then you're gonna be able to use all those traits that he's displayed at the rookie Minicamp that he's capable. He's got the feet, he's got the punch. He's got the strength, he's got the size, he's got the balance. But it's about making sure you understand that system so well that

you're never breaking the huddle thinking about your assignment. You're breaking the huddle only getting ready to incorporate all your traits in which the scouting department has already investigated him for and that he's already proven that he has. So that's the dividing line between all football players is knowledge or a lack of knowledge. If you sit out there and you have repeated mental airs, those will get you cut. If you have technique airs, that's going to get you coached.

So that's what Tevin is up against is making sure that when he gets an opportunity to get the downtime that Jim asked him about after everything's over, you got to invest so much time within your tablet that it almost is nauseum. Because Tevin is going to be expected to come here day one of training camp and know this system equally as well as Cody equally, as well as James Daniels and Sam and Alex and Jermain Effetti. He's not going to have a time where he can

make critical mental mistakes. Because they need him up to speed by the time they visit the rams. Do you see any potential with young players, especially tackles, things that they fall into a bad or rut early on that come back to haunt them at some point in the season. You got to be able to get out of your stance with such quickness and precisions because you know, Jeff, you were talking about the move by Khalil Mack. If you give Khalil Mack the advantage where he has that

eighth of a second step on you, your beat. If Robert Quinn is getting parallel with you while you're coming out of your stance, you're beat. And that's about it. It's about the efficiency of the gift that you are given. And that's the reason you're playing offensive line is you've

demonstrated the skills. But it's about making sure that you're doing him in the exact reference to the snap count, that you know coming out of the huddle, that you're moving just as fast as the center snap in the All right, I can give you guys a chance to talk about this ahead of the show. So it's kind of get you off guard here a little bit. But a few remaining moments with Jim Miller. With Tom there, Jeff Jonik will turn it over soon to Anthony Herron

tonight to talk more football and Cubs. I'm sure White Socks are playing tonight as well. If there's a player that you absolutely have to see become more than what he's been to this point as an impact player, who might that player be. I'm going to lead off that's okay because you touched on at earlier and I'm gonna say Roquan Smith because he's been outstanding. He's got Pro Bowl potential. He seems to be getting better every single

year as long as he stays healthy. I believe this guy is the limit for this particular player because he is a very smart football player. Can run sideland to sideline, he com blitz, he could do it all. But the next step is becoming that leader, that voice on the defense at that position and really exercising that aspect of his game, and that, to me is the big development for Royal quant Smith in twenty twenty one. That's my player. You guys might agree with that player or pick another

one we'll go to. We'll go to Jim. I think a player that has to step up and I know he was on the trade block at least what was

being reported. I think Anthony Miller, Riley Ridley, one of those receivers has to step up in my opinion, you know what, I think there's been a level of frustration where they leveled off, and I think you got to take the next step because a lot of this game, especially in the Bears offense, it is a lot of three wides and so granted they've got some new guys there like the mere Bird, but in Marquis Goodwin and

the guys that are there. But I think those players, you know, they're drafted by the team, I think they're expected to take the next step and they have to be impactful players. Quite frankly, more is to be expected of those young receivers. You know. To me, it's Eddie Goldman because you know, with guys like Trey Roberson or Already Burns, they were injured in training camp, then they start their rehab process to get back on the field.

Eddie Goldman wasn't going through rehab. He had the ability to work out and stay in condition and get ready because he opted out. So Eddie Goldman has to come in just as if he was a new shiny toy that they just drafted in the first round this year, and he's got to come in and step up to the plate immediately. He doesn't have a growth process to go through. He doesn't have a grow up time anymore. Eddie, Eddie Goldman got a new contract and he's got to come in and he's got to be a dominator on

the inside. He's got to make things easier for a Keem Hicks, for Mario Edwards junior from Bealal Nichols, the other defensive lineman playing alongside of him. So I'm really really interested to see what Eddie Goldman's gonna contribute from day one. Yeah, I agree with that too. That's a great point. And you know, it's one thing, as you say, to be injured, and because of the apt out, you had to look at it as an injury somebody who

was not going to play. But I wonder what that mindset is like for a player to have that year and not play because of these circumstances but not be injured. What the mentality is and when they get back into it, where is the hunger Is it going to start showing itself immediately when they get into training, camping and even in these ota So that'll be that'll be something to watch. There's a lot of things to watch. Great point by

Tom there, Big Jim appreciate it. As always. We're gonna let you go and we will talk to you next week. All right, Jim Miller is out of here. Even he didn't even say goodbye. He didn't even say goodbye. Anyway, that's gonna wrap us up. Thank you so much, Tom, and for Jim Miller and for Tevin Jenkins. To our producers Brandon Fryar, Jordan tread Up, Dan Balley, that's gonna do it for tonight's show. This has been Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy of the score.

Have a great night, everybody. Anthony Herron is next. Thanks for listening. Did 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 Lite