0:00

Cut over that DJ Moore encode

0:03

touchdown touchdown pairs.

0:06

I am Jeff Jonihack wlitz is.

0:08

On Dottie go hus

0:10

Car What was like playing

0:12

for coache gooddowh I don't.

0:14

Want to answer any questions like that.

0:16

Pressure coming is a big trouble.

0:17

Donnie gos Motes sweat.

0:22

Many

0:25

Bears, et Cetera brought to you by Miller

0:28

Lighte with the voices of the Bears, Jeff Joniac

0:30

and Tom Thayer.

0:32

More bricks being laid on the road of the twenty twenty

0:35

fourth season, the one hundred and fifth in Chicago

0:37

Bears history. With the start of Rookie Minicamp

0:39

later this week, and we welcome into

0:41

episode sixty seven of the Bears et Cetera

0:44

Podcast.

0:44

Jeff Joniac here with Super Bowl winning

0:46

Bears.

0:46

Guard Tom Thayer, a broadcast partner and our

0:49

special guest this week, who had a

0:51

memorable rookie season for the

0:53

Bears back in nineteen ninety, the sixth overall

0:55

pick from USC, the NFL defensive

0:58

rookie of the Year, a three time Pro Bowler, Mark

1:00

Carrier aka the Hammer. The

1:03

Hammer. You know, we're old

1:05

school football here, so we love the big hits

1:07

and you delivered plenty and you know,

1:09

tell us the story of the Hammer though, where that came

1:12

from.

1:12

Well, it's funny because you know this

1:15

generation and then my kids who are

1:17

My son is twenty eight, my daughter's twenty six, they

1:20

have no clue about this. But it's funny.

1:23

You know, people my football

1:25

life people know me as Hammer. Everybody

1:28

else outside of that know me as as

1:30

Mark. And my college life everybody know me

1:32

as aircraft carrier. So

1:34

it's funny how we all have a

1:37

different world. But how Hammer came about,

1:40

you know, at the time, people have to understand

1:43

m. C. Hammer was really big at the time

1:45

in early ninees. He was big, you know,

1:48

was blown up in

1:50

the nineties. But how I got the name is

1:52

in practice and then sometimes in games,

1:55

mostly in games, I would hit Chico

1:58

Ron Rivere a couple of times the signatory.

2:00

I just nigged him in.

2:01

The back friendly fire, friendly.

2:03

Fire, and uh. And

2:05

I remember Chico one time telling me Mark,

2:08

I you hit me one more time, I'm gonna kick your ass

2:10

on the field. So and so

2:13

so the person who actually really named me gave

2:15

me that name was U was Ron Rivera Chico.

2:17

He named me hammer because I was hammering those

2:19

guys in the back of times it was

2:22

empty hammer was big at that time.

2:23

So that's when I ran with that theory.

2:25

You know, Mark, I was, you know, just

2:27

kind of reminiscent about your career

2:29

and thinking back about when you came aboard, how

2:32

you're drafted from USC. But then

2:34

I also saw a video of

2:36

you and the first highlight they showed

2:39

of you was launching into a tackle,

2:42

and so it made me think

2:44

immediately, Okay, the funds

2:46

that you would have had to supply the league for

2:48

some of the hits that you had

2:50

oh and fifty. Yeah,

2:53

but you know what, what, because you're so

2:56

still involved in the sport and

2:58

the way that the game of the safety have

3:00

to morph into a more legalized

3:03

hitting, do you think they're

3:05

kind of making the tackling target

3:07

too difficult for the safety

3:09

position?

3:12

Well, yeah, well for anyone really,

3:14

it's just so hard Tommy and

3:17

Jeff. Is that because they

3:19

and I get it why they're doing it. We all understand

3:21

safety. Safety is always going to be a big part of it,

3:23

not just for the not just for the person

3:26

you're hitting, but also for the players hitting.

3:28

But what happens is you don't take an

3:30

account what the other player, the

3:33

one you're going to tackle, what he

3:35

might do, meaning how he might react

3:37

as far as dunkling not ducking

3:40

going hot when

3:42

those split second situations happened, I might

3:44

have a target on you right around

3:46

your belly button, but if you react

3:48

and turn a certain way, I might nail

3:51

you in the side of the head depending on how you react.

3:54

So you know, Mark and it kind

3:56

of will I'll eventually lead

3:58

into Caleb Williams.

3:59

However, would you think of the school that you

4:01

came from.

4:01

You think of some of the guys that played the position before

4:04

you, guys like Ronnie Lott and stuff. When

4:06

you play a position at USC

4:09

that has Hall of Famers and

4:11

some of the best that ever played the position

4:14

like that, do you have to carry

4:16

that on to your USC

4:18

career and then carry that out of your NFL

4:21

career. Because I'm so familiar

4:23

with the rivalry between Notre Dame and USC,

4:26

and I know a lot of the great names that have come

4:28

out of USC, But when you think about

4:30

the position success that's come

4:33

out of at USC, the

4:35

safety position is.

4:36

One of them.

4:37

Yeah, I mean we talked about the SC

4:39

greats. Tim McDonald, Ronnie

4:41

Dennis Smith. Both those guys should be

4:43

in a Hall of Fame, and I think obviously Troy Paul

4:46

malve isn't a Hall of Fame. Dennis Thurman

4:48

another one who set the

4:50

standards. My big

4:52

thing initially when I went to USC, Tom

4:54

and Jeff was I just wanted to be I

4:57

wanted those guys to come and when they

4:59

saw me, I felt good about

5:01

my play and that I was owning up

5:03

holding up my of the legacy

5:06

and the defensive backs. That's all I wanted.

5:08

I just want to be included in their name. You

5:10

know, the best

5:12

is always subjective. In my mind,

5:15

Ronnie Lott's one of the best football players

5:17

ever played in college or pro. But

5:21

I just wanted to make sure when I played and

5:23

I represented the USC that those

5:25

guys felt really good about my play

5:27

and how I did. Now the flipside

5:29

of that, as you take that to the NFL,

5:32

as we came after ninety three and

5:35

the CBA start changing and they start putting more

5:37

emphasis on safetyes the rules

5:39

of safety in the game, and

5:42

you're going out flying around hidding people,

5:44

especially leading with your helmet. That became

5:47

a final offense. And you

5:49

mentioned earlier it talked about target and

5:52

I'm all four and I coached

5:54

an NFL for ten years, so I had to

5:56

teach guys how to hit

5:59

proper ways of hitting the target. And

6:01

you you know, you always have to lower your target. But

6:04

if you're going again to part that,

6:06

the NFL doesn't take it, because I

6:09

don't think taken consideration. Is

6:11

is that I'm going at you, Tom, and

6:13

I'm aiming at your belt buckle, your

6:15

belly button, and I'm going and all of a sudden

6:18

you see me and you embrace a turn or something

6:20

and drop your body, drop your head or something,

6:23

and all of a sudden we hit helmets. I

6:25

can't control that. That that that

6:27

was an instinctive of reaction.

6:30

That wasn't my target. There's one thing about

6:32

believe I mean, and they've gotten better and

6:35

you and I've had it where I've left

6:37

my feet, go airborne and trying to

6:39

just knock the guy out. But

6:42

the difference of now where you're trying

6:44

to target and bring your target down low. You

6:46

do that, but sometimes you can't control

6:48

with the other player and how it reacts and then you're not

6:51

And when that happens, I think

6:54

when they study it back in New York. They

6:56

have to be a little bit more cautious of Okay, how

6:58

did this happen? Did he leave his bed?

7:00

He was he going.

7:01

Projecting out to don't take a guy, try

7:04

to hit a guy in his face? Or was

7:06

he least trying to aim the right way? And the reaction

7:08

of the player maybe cast some of that.

7:11

Mark carry our guest here on the Bears et Cetera podcast.

7:13

This episode of Bears et Cetera, it brought

7:15

to you by Miller Lite Tastes like Miller Time,

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Celebrate Responsibly, Miller Brewing Company,

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ninety six calories

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and three point two carbs per twelve ounces.

7:25

The Bears picking you at number six,

7:28

and at that time it was okay to pick safeties in

7:30

the top ten.

7:30

Nobody was wigging out, right,

7:32

nobody.

7:33

Was wigging out. But and

7:35

so you were one of them. H what's

7:37

that I made?

7:39

The trends started going downward after that.

7:41

Yeah, it sure did. Caden Bodok

7:43

out of us. He picked in the third round this year

7:45

by the Houston Texans. When you got

7:47

to the Bears, they then decided,

7:50

okay, we're going to part company with a four time pro bowler,

7:52

Dave do it, the late Dave Doors, and so he went

7:54

on to the Giants to make room essentially

7:57

for you and put Sean Gale down

7:59

to strong sae. So, as a rookie,

8:03

what did that do for

8:05

your pressure? Because you're on a

8:07

veteran team, they're looking at you to be the last

8:09

line of defense with a great pass rush,

8:11

and here you take the ball away ten times.

8:14

Well, first, let's you know, I have

8:16

to pay respect to to double d

8:18

Dave Dorrison because even

8:21

when I came in, one of the first people to really

8:23

reach out and help me get

8:25

acclimated to the NFL was was

8:28

Dave Dorson. I mean Dave, and

8:31

he knew the business, knew what was going on, but

8:33

that didn't stop him from really helping me try

8:35

to get acclimated, help me learn the

8:37

defense, learn the NFL ways. I

8:40

owe him, you know a lot, and he you

8:42

know, he kind of knew what was going on, but I didn't

8:44

stop him from really

8:47

helping me get get get

8:50

assimilated to NFL lifestyle.

8:52

Go figure a nore name guy helping the guy who

8:54

I thought. But if my old Dave,

8:58

you know a lot for that, I have nothing but positive,

9:02

uh, respect and admiration

9:04

for Dave, but what he did for me for my

9:06

career. But coming into the Bears and

9:08

Tom was part of that team, it was still

9:11

a lot of those eighty five team that

9:13

still hovers even today in

9:16

Chicago, hovers big on the loom,

9:19

loom large in the city and rightfully

9:22

so. It was it before their time.

9:24

The characters that they had and how they went about

9:26

doing you know what they did and knew

9:29

what you were going to do.

9:30

Uh. And to come in.

9:32

There and and and replace

9:35

a positive a popular player that

9:38

was that was tough. They didn't and they

9:40

they they got after. They got after

9:42

me pretty good at times, and not because

9:44

they didn't like me. Is that what

9:47

I've learned at the time, And I tell

9:49

this to players when

9:51

I get a chance to mentor him. They weren't

9:53

harsh on me, especially in training camp early,

9:56

because they didn't like me. They just didn't know me and

9:58

they didn't trust me. Yet they had to. I had

10:00

to established a trust with those

10:02

guys, with the veteran guys, with the Hampton It's

10:05

a singletary Richard

10:07

Dentz, Big Michaels, those

10:09

Ronald, those guys, Sean Giellismith. Those

10:11

guys didn't know they could trust me yet. They

10:14

didn't know. I mean, in case point one time.

10:17

Tommy probably won't remember this. It's late

10:19

October or something, early late October.

10:22

We're going out for a walk through. And I got

10:24

all I got my footage, sweatshirt,

10:27

I got all sweatshirts, float pants, I got everything

10:29

on. You know, it's only what maybe sixty

10:31

sixty high degrees or something for a California

10:33

guy, but like thirty five and I'm

10:35

going out to the field with all that gear

10:38

on, just for a walk through.

10:39

And these guys are looking at me, waiting

10:41

as me and Tom knows that. You know, Jeff, that

10:43

old facility was.

10:44

You walk up a hill a ramp to the field

10:46

and ever sitting there looking at me, and they're like, what the

10:49

hell are you doing?

10:49

I said, what do you mean? I'm going for the walkthrough? What

10:52

the hell you got all that? Take that?

10:53

Go back in that uh and go take that crap off.

10:55

You're not walking out here with that on. I don't like

10:57

to screw you guys. I'm going out here because I

11:00

need to. I want to go to walk through. You can't tell

11:02

me what to wear. Hey, and

11:04

finally hey, either you take it

11:06

off, We're going to take it off. I know, I

11:08

got smart. I went to and I was I

11:10

was somewhat mad, went through practice, but Mike

11:13

Singletary came over to me afterwards. Mike afterwards

11:17

and put his arm you know, and say, young man, as he called

11:19

me, young man, do you understand what they

11:21

were doing? I said, Mike, they were trying to test

11:23

me. They're trying to pump me. They try to see the Bible, you know,

11:25

just try to see. They just want to pump me. Said

11:27

no, it wasn't nothing had to do with had nothing

11:29

to do with that. They were worried

11:32

that they see you coming out in sixty

11:34

degree whether dressed, trying to stay

11:36

warm. They're worried that

11:39

when we go to Green Bay in December and

11:41

it's thirty below, you're

11:44

not gonna be Are you gonna be worried about staying

11:46

warm or be worried about doing your job. They

11:49

want to know you can that they can trust

11:51

you. Because I was called me and Mike gave the signals.

11:54

They want to be able to trust you, to know

11:56

that in certain situations that

11:58

you're gonna be they can trust you.

12:00

To do your job.

12:01

If you can't do that, they don't want

12:03

to play with So that was kind of a lack of lesson

12:05

for me for football establishing

12:07

trust. They wanted to know they can trust

12:09

me when it counted on the road, in

12:12

tough situations.

12:13

You know, Mark, when mini

12:15

camp starts, it's I don't know if you guys even

12:17

had a rookie mini camp, did you guys? Yeah,

12:23

So what advice would you give this group? This

12:25

selection of five and a lot of undrafted free

12:27

agents and a lot of try out guys.

12:29

They're going to try to make the roster.

12:30

This is their first introduction to the playbook

12:33

and how things will go when the veterans

12:35

get going in OTAs and on the mini camp.

12:38

Just the acclamation period. Some coaches have

12:40

decided to say, hey, you're just gonna

12:43

have here for one day. Here's the acclamation

12:45

go back. We're going to go OTAs with the vets.

12:47

Do you think there's benefits for guys

12:50

like Caleb Williams, Roma Dunze, Karan

12:53

Amidaji all these guys that are

12:55

coming in this week.

12:57

Well for the opposite for the quarterback, I mean, this

12:59

is your guy. You need to get him

13:01

as with your veteran guys as soon as possible,

13:03

because he's you've already established

13:06

this is our guy going forward. They've done a

13:08

great job Ryan Bulls and the group in Cunning

13:10

Heaven, who I know, well, I've done a great

13:13

job of assimilating a really good

13:15

positive group around of

13:17

this young quarterback. So you've got to get him

13:19

going with those guys as soon

13:21

as possible. So you've got

13:23

to get him going. They didn't go through his lumps and

13:25

bumps him justin. And the biggest

13:27

thing, and I'm sure I'm curious

13:30

that Tom felt the same thing, is

13:32

the speed of the game. Understanding

13:34

the speed of the game. It's one thing you're hit gonna be spinning

13:36

no matter what because you're getting to new

13:38

targeting, new language.

13:42

But the speed of the game is

13:44

so much more mentally

13:46

faster than just physically faster that

13:49

you have to get that. You've got it quicker you

13:51

get I remember leaving mini

13:53

camp after our mini camp, going

13:55

home, you know, upset, telling my mom,

13:57

I don't like to do this. Everybody,

14:00

Tom, Tom Waddles of the worlds

14:03

were moving faster than me. Go figure that at

14:05

that time, because you were trying to

14:07

process things. You know, I'm trying to

14:09

process things, but it's process so much faster.

14:12

The physical will come. It's that processing

14:14

the mental part of the game so much quicker

14:16

and adjustments on the fly is you

14:19

you You can't duplicate

14:21

that. You just got to get thrown into the

14:24

fire and then work to figure it out

14:26

and just take take a step at a time. Take a step

14:28

at a time. Learn from the aventuroom. Guys

14:30

ask questions because that's the best you're going to

14:32

do. Because they know you're going to be our guy. You

14:35

need to know they can be that

14:37

they can count on you. That you want

14:39

to get You wanted to learn, you want to get better.

14:42

You know, Mark, the first time I rented the

14:44

line of scrimmage in nine on seven up in Plattel

14:47

and the singletary and the whole crew

14:50

were standing in front of me, McMichael hamp

14:52

Richard, and they called the offensive

14:54

play and I

14:57

the speed at which I saw those guys

14:59

move, I kind of thought to myself,

15:01

I don't know if I'm capable of this.

15:04

But then a thousand

15:07

reps later, then you start figuring

15:09

out, okay, I can do this.

15:10

This is what I got to do. This is where I got

15:13

to be and all that.

15:13

So just from play one

15:16

to play one hundred to play one thousand,

15:19

your whole mindset changes, and I think that

15:21

really affects the

15:24

value of where you're giving your self

15:27

confidence and where you can go. But

15:29

there's one thing I wanted to ask you about Caleb,

15:31

because you talked about all the great safeties

15:34

that have been at USC and

15:36

kind of the pressure of the position, the

15:39

pageantry of USC football,

15:41

And I've been there in some big games

15:44

in the coliseum and you see the movie

15:46

stars standing on the sidelines, you see

15:48

the cheerleaders, you just see the effects

15:51

of USC football. You think

15:54

in the modern day football, something like

15:56

that and the success that Caleb has have

15:58

has had, it'll help him

16:00

acclimate to the outside

16:04

of the responsibilities of the

16:06

on field stuff because

16:08

of what you've already been exposed to in

16:11

the star studded

16:14

part of USC football.

16:16

Yeah, I think from a social standpoint,

16:19

this kid is because he's been in that spotlight

16:21

comedy since he was in you

16:23

know, high school, going to Gonzaga outside

16:25

of DC and going

16:27

to Oklahoma. I mean he played in the

16:30

top pick, a five star pick, a

16:33

recruit played at Oklahoma, which

16:35

has a great tradition. Then he goes to USC which

16:37

is that and only does have a tradition. He has a social

16:40

tradition that you talked about,

16:42

and then come to Chicago. I don't

16:44

think that part is going to that's

16:46

going to be such a bomberser. He I

16:48

mean, he just when you see him doing different

16:51

things, like you saw him at the Cups game the other day,

16:53

and he's okay

16:55

in that scenario, he's so far knock

16:57

on wood. He's able to deal with that.

17:00

Now. What he's going to have to

17:02

see, as we all playing for

17:04

the Bears, is when there's when

17:06

you get in and everybody loves you,

17:08

and then you go through. You don't have success

17:11

right away and love. The

17:13

beauty of our fans and the Bears fans

17:15

is that they're passionate about the team. They're

17:17

going to be there good, bad, or whatever, and

17:19

they're going to express theirselves whether you're doing good

17:22

or whether you're doing bad. Just be able to

17:25

you know, understand you're going to get

17:27

that, but block that out, not take

17:29

it so personal, and just stay focused on

17:31

the job a head of being trying to be successful within

17:33

your teammate. I think from the social

17:35

standboard, I think he'll be fined. It's

17:38

just him being playing

17:41

for an NFL team and dealing

17:44

with the social you know, that

17:46

society that comes with it playing

17:49

for the Bears and being a quarterback. Just

17:51

be able to handle that. I think once he's

17:54

able to deal with that and stay focused on

17:57

being you know, just hey, worry about winning,

18:00

worry about your teammates. That other part will

18:02

take care of yourself. That I think you'll be okay.

18:04

Mark, carry our guest here on Bears et cetera

18:06

podcast or brought you by PNC Official

18:09

Bank of the Bears and game day snacking calls for good

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18:20

some today at your local grocery store.

18:22

Game Day is guak Day. He's number seventy two

18:24

on the Bears one hundred list is put together by Don

18:27

Pearson and Dan Pompei. Twelve spots

18:30

ahead of Tom Fair.

18:33

But wait a minute, one spot behind butt Head? How

18:35

old? How did you get behind it? Kicker?

18:37

I didn't even notice that one. Tom,

18:40

tell him, tell them what you always say

18:42

when you're going. It's brought up the year on the

18:44

on the Bears one hundred list ahead of.

18:47

Jay Cutler, one

18:50

ahead of Jay Cutler.

18:52

But I'm one behind Kevin. But head there's

18:54

a difference.

18:55

Yeah, there is definitely definitely a

18:57

difference.

18:57

I mean that means and I'm thirteen, right,

19:03

we didn't look at it that way.

19:04

I feel better already.

19:05

Now, Oh my gosh, how

19:08

much did you watch Caleb? How much

19:10

did you watch pac twelve football? Did you watch any

19:12

roma doonsay? And as a safety? CN

19:14

that guy big and strong

19:17

and a fifty to fifty ball catcher with speed,

19:19

joining Keenan Allen and DJ Moore and

19:21

Cole Commett and Gerald Everett and DeAndre

19:24

Swift and Khalil Herbert. I mean,

19:26

everybody's all the analysts are saying,

19:28

this is the most ideal situation

19:30

for a rookie quarterback and for that matter, a rookie

19:33

receiver to make an instant impact.

19:35

You couldn't get any better scenario, correct.

19:38

I mean, they've done a great job of building a team.

19:41

I mean the new NFL these

19:44

days is you want to be successful

19:46

early. You have to take a chance on

19:48

a young quarterback, but you better have the

19:50

pieces around him while he's on his rookie

19:53

deal, so you can go out and pay

19:55

and get the pieces needed to.

19:59

Be success.

20:00

I kind of think about coverage and the

20:02

way the defensive coordinators inside the division

20:05

are thinking. So the Bears break the huddle

20:07

and they got Cole comment at the line of scrimmage

20:09

and they got rom Keenan and

20:12

DJ out as a

20:14

safety. Are you covering?

20:17

Are you covering Cole or are

20:19

you playing deep?

20:20

Well?

20:22

A lot has to depend on you know

20:24

what, what do you have? What do you have upfront? I mean,

20:27

the game is so much different now, Tommy,

20:29

as you know, it's so much more spread out.

20:32

There's so much more rules to allow offenses

20:34

to.

20:35

To be able to take advantage

20:37

of what the defense.

20:39

And one thing everybody talked about,

20:41

like against Brady and Peyton Manning

20:43

and guys like that, is that they knew

20:45

the defense as what as they knew as you did, almost

20:48

because they knew where you're in maner's own and

20:50

how you rotating to. They understood

20:53

where the weak spots are the defense. And I'm

20:55

a big proponent. I was very fortunate to

20:58

learn under try and boat Buddy's

21:01

son and defenses. And I'm a big proponent.

21:04

Hey, all right, we're going to go in this game. What

21:06

are we taking away? Well, we're going to make sure we

21:08

take away to run. To make sure we take it away

21:10

to run, but they can't do that, And

21:12

then who and who do we need

21:15

to make sure we don't get beat over top? But do

21:17

that and then you just got to rally and make adjustments

21:19

as the game go. As part of the game on Sunday, it's

21:21

always about adjustments. But you can't

21:24

just worry about who you are. You double

21:26

ta dj more, you double the team and allen

21:29

or comment or something.

21:30

You got to figure out that.

21:31

Okay, we've got to do this, stop this run,

21:34

make sure the receivers don't

21:36

get on top of us, and just see if we can make

21:38

it. Just grind it out patiently and

21:41

make let them if they're comfortable

21:43

enough and pishing up and mark their way down the

21:45

field and see you and then play get red zonet

21:47

a red zone defense and see what.

21:49

We could do.

21:50

But if you just hone in on one person,

21:52

one thing with that with the way they're off

21:54

to set up you know, you'll

21:57

you'll get your head spinning. You're playing you were playing like your

22:00

terminology, play like you're

22:02

trying to play down here or playing uphill u

22:05

you catching on your heels all the time. So you just

22:07

got to be solid. You gotta hope you've got a good personnel.

22:09

They get pressure on the quarterback,

22:11

and uh stop the run and

22:13

then make sure you keep everything in front of you.

22:16

Now you're coach Mark Carrier, but you're on

22:18

the offensive side of the ball. What are

22:20

the first you know, five things

22:22

that you're gonna get Caleb acclimated

22:24

to so he can expedite

22:26

this learning process.

22:28

Oh that's now, that's a that's a that's

22:30

a good question, obviously, and it

22:32

sounds med you, it sounds

22:34

silly, but being able to get in and out

22:36

of huddle kid, making sure you haven't received

22:38

because I mean, just that alone saves

22:40

you a lot of How many times have we seen over you guys have done

22:43

a ton of games where you know, quarter

22:45

coaches are calling coming out of a timeout, having

22:47

to call another timeout, or coming off a dead ball,

22:50

and you're you're not set, your office ain't ready

22:52

to go, and you got a burden time out so just

22:54

that alone, just be able to control, get into huddle,

22:57

let him know you it's your huddle,

22:59

taken froll of the huddle. Don't be intimidated

23:01

by these guys. You've got to be the man to

23:04

make sure that's that one for me. But obviously

23:06

as a you know, as a quarterback,

23:08

as a safety, has got to be number

23:11

one making sure and then the terminology

23:13

making sure you understand, I'm calling

23:16

Lincoln Riley right now and asking, Okay,

23:18

what does he do well?

23:19

How does he do this?

23:21

You've got to make it as simple and

23:23

easy for this kid to make

23:25

sure for him going forward, and then as he learned,

23:28

then you build the office from there. So I want

23:30

to I want to get that, and I'm making

23:33

sure throws. Matchups,

23:35

everything's about matchups. Where with this offense,

23:38

you've got it, like you talked about earlier, who

23:40

do you who do you take away?

23:41

What are the matchups?

23:42

Where?

23:43

Where? Where's

23:45

your outlet?

23:46

Understanding where your outlet is and knowing

23:49

that, hey, you're gonna have someone deep, someone in front,

23:51

someone over your tight end, someone over the ball, someone

23:53

in the flat. You got outlets,

23:55

don't nothing out there? You know, be

23:58

afraid to drop it and take what you can get. Uh,

24:01

and I want my running game, my tight

24:03

end into my running game as I always going to be the quarterback.

24:06

Best friends, so make sure you got the running.

24:07

Game outside the offensive lineman.

24:10

Yeah, sorry, yes, besides you, guys, Hildeburg

24:13

van Horn important you guys, You

24:15

guys.

24:15

I love you guys. You guys.

24:16

Don't be a loud way.

24:17

You guys used to let me work out, which you guys late in the year,

24:19

late in the days, I thought, But

24:22

yeah, I get my running game because

24:25

my best friend's gonna, hey, take the pressure

24:27

off that running game. And then the other thing with

24:29

Caleb I want to do is, hey, don't be afraid.

24:32

You're a good athlete. You move around.

24:34

It's okay to keep your eyes. It eight there. You

24:36

can start to scramble, but don't be afraid to take

24:39

off and move and get

24:41

party of the yardists. Just don't take a side,

24:43

don't force it. You don't have to to stay.

24:46

Just we can get those few things

24:48

going there. We'll have a good office. You've

24:50

got a good personnel around you.

24:52

All right, you had ten interceptions as a rookie,

24:54

and uh, did you think you're going to get ten interceptions

24:57

the rest of your career like this was no big

24:59

deal because you had the pass rush of of

25:01

Hall of famers. As it turns out to be,

25:04

you wound up with thirty two. That's a big number,

25:07

but you know it stuns me. Like Paul

25:09

Cross in the NFL at eighty one interceptions

25:13

eighty one, Kevin Byn's

25:15

got twenty eight. Our new free safety.

25:17

Yeah, at that time we're throwing. Wasn't a premium

25:19

that wasn't.

25:20

Yeah, exactly, it was the run game.

25:22

It wasn't.

25:23

So you know what, I think I was the only

25:25

one in the whole state

25:27

of Illinois he realized that you're not going to get ten

25:29

interceptions in your career. Everybody else

25:31

thought because that it's funny and I'm

25:34

curious to Tommy's thought of him

25:36

as individual is that I tell people all the time,

25:38

I played better, only had two interceptions.

25:41

My second year. I played better.

25:43

I grated out much better my second year

25:46

than I did my first year, just because I

25:48

had a better understanding of the defense. I knew things

25:50

better when I did. I couldn't tell you

25:53

when I'm old too, I've been hitting a head too.

25:56

But after that rookie year, I

25:58

couldn't tell you all lot of things that went on.

26:00

I didn't know.

26:00

I was just going on instinct and making sure I was where

26:02

I needed to be. For my second year, I had a much

26:05

more grafts of the defense. I knew anything.

26:07

I saw things better. I was in better position,

26:09

a lot more, I made less

26:11

had I grated out, like I said, way better

26:14

than I did my rookie year.

26:16

But I didn't have the interceptions. You know.

26:18

I ended up actually broke my wrists the second

26:21

game of the season that year,

26:23

So I played with a broken wrist the whole year and

26:25

have surgery to end of

26:27

January. But

26:30

it's just that's just the reality. So you make

26:32

adjustment. Part of the game is making adjustment.

26:34

People make adjustments, people understand the

26:36

defense. You as a player, you have

26:38

to make adjustments.

26:40

It's kind of some of that stuff is spilled forward

26:43

as well, because when you think of the amount of sacks

26:45

that some of these teams have gotten back in the day

26:47

when they had seven step drops and an offensive

26:49

tackle had no security to the

26:51

right, to the left, or behind him, and

26:54

now everything shotgun, three step

26:56

drop, RPO, get the ball out of your

26:58

hand, And I think it's more difficult

27:00

to get sacks nowadays than

27:03

it was back in the day when athleticism

27:06

at the quarterback position wasn't a premium

27:08

and some of those guys had no escapability.

27:11

So, you know, it's that's one

27:13

of the cool things about football.

27:15

Mark from your you know, we never had a rookie

27:17

mini camp, and then you go into coaching, and then you're

27:19

coaching rookie mini camps, and then

27:22

you come in with incredible expectations

27:24

on you because you're the six player picked in the

27:27

draft out of USC and they

27:29

didn't bring you in to play special teams.

27:31

They brought you into be a starter, you know, the

27:34

first day you got there. And so I

27:36

do think that's kind of the unique things

27:39

that we're fortunate they have played a

27:41

long enough time and then we get to

27:43

watch the way football has developed,

27:46

whether it benefits a defensive back, benefits

27:48

an offensive lineman, or you know

27:51

some of the other analytics and stats

27:53

that are a result because of it.

27:55

Well here's my thought talking about

27:57

right, you know, the numbers aren't to say because the game

27:59

has changed you so much, I

28:02

think, and and I'm not being critical.

28:06

I am being critical, but I'm not picking on I

28:08

think offensive line play is deteriorated

28:11

greatly over the years because

28:13

everybody's always in a two

28:16

point stands and they're just kicking kickbacking

28:19

and you know, just get get good enough

28:21

to the RPOs the balls out into this uh

28:24

his hands, and I think offensive linement. I think

28:26

one of the biggest things that suffered greatly is in

28:28

the offensive alignment because of this new RPO

28:30

system, because they really don't

28:33

have to do much run

28:35

blocking when you put your hand in dirt and grind

28:37

a guy out like I think the only one who's did that was

28:39

Hardball and Michigan. Everybody else was

28:41

still doing the RPOs and everything. So I

28:43

think if there's a group that's that's

28:45

really hamper got hampered

28:48

the most by the change of the offense,

28:50

is that For me, it's been the offensive alignment telling.

28:53

Well, you know, Mark, I think

28:55

of ten interceptions or

28:57

a thousand yard rusher. To

28:59

me, ten interception guy is more

29:01

difficult nowadays than it is, even

29:04

though there's a less of a premium on having

29:06

a single running back. If you have a single running back

29:08

thousand yards and that big of a benchmark

29:10

with seventeen games, But even

29:12

with seventeen games ten interceptions.

29:14

I think it's it's difficult to

29:17

come by in these days.

29:19

You had that kid from Dallas this year who

29:22

you know, had six or eight interceptions,

29:24

but still in seventeen games,

29:26

wasn't reaching ten, especially how much they.

29:29

Throw the ball.

29:30

Yeah, yeah, and that's

29:32

why the number, you know, ten,

29:34

I think it's only happened since I played

29:36

maybe twice.

29:39

Well, there was an eleven year period when no one

29:41

did it after you. That's

29:43

a pretty pretty significant

29:45

over a decade. So yeah, it's hard. Diggs,

29:48

you know, he's he's gotten there. Some

29:50

others have, but yeah, it's it's

29:53

a rare thing.

29:54

I think less than five times since it's

29:57

just just doesn't happen, you

29:59

know, seems to get smarter, they figure out why

30:01

when I got photo over there, you.

30:03

Need tip balls.

30:04

I mean, there's just so big, Like Tom was saying

30:06

earlier, the pass rush, it's back as

30:08

it was before. You know, you're not taking seven

30:10

step drops anymore. I mean, things are just

30:13

the game changes. It just evolved,

30:15

and I dropped like three of them met so I

30:17

mean I remember more. It's like, damn,

30:19

I brought three interceptions that year. People don't realize

30:21

that.

30:22

Busy Heart celts or flavors for every vibe,

30:24

Celebrate responsibly. Molson Cores Beverage

30:27

Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And when it's time to tackle

30:29

some game day deals, then go with the grocer

30:31

who has been a part of Chicago since eighteen ninety

30:33

nine, jewel Osco, the official grocery store

30:35

of the Chicago Bears, are remaining moments

30:38

with Mark Carrier kind enough to slice out

30:40

a portion of his day, the associate athletic

30:42

director at Loyota Academy out there and we'll

30:44

met. Are you still doing Sports

30:46

USA?

30:47

Also?

30:48

Yeah, I end up doing. I still when I can, I still

30:51

I end up doing. I did four games last

30:53

year.

30:53

Okay, I want to say, as all the places

30:56

I've been, I've been forcing to do a few games

30:58

over the last four or five years with sports say,

31:00

you guys have the best spread ever

31:03

in any in any game

31:06

every game I go to. When you guys invite me over,

31:08

I come in here. I mean you guys got like spread.

31:12

Man, I was like, wow,

31:15

you mean the morning crab legs

31:17

and shrimp cocktail.

31:20

Yeah, eleven o'clock in the morning.

31:22

Yeah, we thank our sponsors for that for sure.

31:24

Yes, will make that point,

31:27

Well, you never need an invitation.

31:29

First of all, you're a Bear alumni and

31:31

you have you have king status,

31:33

and there's always hot coffee and therefore,

31:36

yeah, day, yeah.

31:37

Well I know there's I know there's crabs

31:39

in there. I can get to you.

31:42

Hey, what what I really want to focus on because

31:44

I know you know, when players retire,

31:47

that's the biggest I think now

31:50

being my agent, have met

31:52

so many of you guys that have come through over the last

31:55

almost three decades. The hardest

31:57

part is what to do next? Yes,

31:59

you want to, Yeah, take some time figure things

32:01

out. Maybe you planned for it, maybe you didn't.

32:04

And it sounds to me that

32:07

your investment to get into coaching afterwards,

32:10

h when you saw the results of

32:13

your labor a young man becoming

32:16

something more than maybe he thought he would,

32:18

and then transitioning out of the

32:20

NFL coaching maze, which

32:22

it is a maze and it's it's constant

32:24

change, going to Loyal Academy

32:26

to be a voice, be

32:29

be something for these young kids

32:31

before they even get to college.

32:33

Has this stirred your soul a little bit to give

32:35

back?

32:36

Yeah?

32:36

Yeah, I mean I've always felt that that

32:38

that that need to do leave him when I was

32:40

playing, and then after I got through playing and coaching

32:43

that a lot of people, you know, I come from

32:45

a single current home and to older sisters, and

32:48

a lot of people sacrifice

32:50

for me to get where I got where I got

32:52

to go to college and to the pros. And

32:54

so it's just it's my obligation to

32:56

do the same thing, and even here doing some mentoring

32:59

these young men and women here

33:01

at Loyola. But I just love doing invite

33:04

and I always telling them, I keep it on my door.

33:07

I have a thing where I

33:09

shows, you know, the percentage was the percentage

33:12

of get into play in professional sports,

33:14

playing professional football, how many people get drafted,

33:16

how many actually make teams and those

33:19

low numbers and everything. And then I have another

33:21

thing to show, you know, what you make

33:23

with a high school degree, how much you make with a college

33:25

degree, and a big difference there, and always

33:28

planning, you know, knowing what I know

33:30

now, obviously

33:33

the NFL has done a better job of helping

33:35

players prepare for the after life

33:38

after football life, and knowing

33:40

what I know now, things that I would have done differently.

33:42

I would have probably done a much more internships

33:45

and stuff like that, just

33:47

to get involved in athletic

33:49

administration that I enjoy doing. Now

33:55

I try to let these

33:57

players know and these student athletes

33:59

know that I don't. I was fortunate

34:01

to play twelve years, coach ten years,

34:05

but I've been now, I've been out of you know,

34:07

Tommy, I'm curious. I mean, I was

34:10

done with thirty three, thirty five, done

34:12

with coaching before I was, you know, fifty.

34:15

I mean I just turned fifty six. I

34:17

mean, so, I don't care if you played, and

34:19

I wish everybody the greatest career in the world. Play

34:22

as long as you can, but you're going to

34:24

live life much more longer than you play

34:26

your professional sports. So be sure to

34:28

work on a plan going forward

34:30

because you're gonna no matter what you're gonna play, you're

34:33

going to be out of sports longer

34:35

than you will play in it, even if

34:37

you're fortunate to have the great, illustrious

34:39

career. It's just that's just the reality. Richard

34:42

d told me a long time ago. He said, Mark, we

34:45

all have so many hits in our bodies. We

34:47

only have we have a number. Everybody has a number. Tommy

34:49

has a number, I have a number. Everybody has a number.

34:51

When that number is up, you're done,

34:54

and you don't get them back. You know you don't you know,

34:56

you don't know. If

34:59

you don't play one year doesn't mean you get

35:01

those numbers. We all have a number.

35:04

When that number is up, you're done.

35:06

Then you can do about it. So always be

35:08

prepared. Some have shorter numbers, something that long enumbers.

35:11

You just don't know when that number is going to be up, But

35:13

just prepare yourself for when that number

35:15

is up.

35:16

If you play long enough, that

35:18

number is evident and obvious.

35:21

If you don't play long enough, you kind

35:23

of leave something behind and.

35:26

You wish you had a little bit more.

35:28

And like Mark said, when my number

35:30

was up, I knew it the flight of the

35:32

football over the top of my head on kickoff

35:34

return, and I said, I don't want to do this anymore,

35:37

and there's no turning back. But

35:39

I do think it's what you do to

35:41

yourself and for yourself and your after

35:44

life that is really going to dictate your fate

35:46

because you put so much time and effort

35:48

into getting to the point to

35:51

be able to make that decision.

35:53

But there's still much.

35:55

More important decisions to be made when

35:57

you go in the locker room take a uniform on

36:00

it on the bus, and from that moment on,

36:02

life is different.

36:03

Yeah, you want fulfillment, right mark, some

36:05

somewhat of fulfillment. It's beyond yes,

36:08

you want to you want to provide for your family. Obviously

36:10

your family is important to you. You want to see your kids

36:12

do well. But there's got to be some personal

36:14

fulfillment for the man.

36:15

It took.

36:16

It took a year after

36:18

I finally when I finally accepted I wasn't

36:20

going to play anymore. It took a good year

36:22

for me to finally get it out

36:24

of my system, to say, okay, I need to do

36:27

something. I think my wife came home one day

36:30

and I was sitting at home watching soap

36:32

oumpers, and she looked at it at a haze, and

36:34

she looked at me and almost wanted to slap me. Kid

36:36

a grip, What are you doing? Come on, let's go. It's

36:39

time, you know, to move on with your

36:41

life and everything. So it's it

36:43

takes when you've done something as long as we have for

36:45

so long, and you know, so

36:47

regimented and so routine for so many years,

36:50

like anything else, it takes time to get that out

36:52

of your system.

36:53

Well, Mark, we appreciate you taking the time, and

36:55

we appreciate all the work you're doing for the kids

36:57

up north at Loyola and

37:00

just your lifetime commitment to a great game of

37:02

professional football and beyond.

37:04

Oh, thank you, guys. I always appreciate you guys

37:07

on chance to talk with

37:09

you, guys. You guys do a great job.

37:10

I enjoy it, appreciate it.

37:12

We'll see you up at Hallis or at

37:14

Soldier Field for an upcoming game this season. It's gonna

37:16

be a wild one, that's for sure.

37:19

Definitely will be.

37:20

Yes, Mark carry our guest here on Bears, etcetera.

37:22

Thank you buddy, Thank you guys,

37:24

Thank you Mark.

37:25

All right.

37:25

I always enjoyed Mark, love his perspective,

37:27

and boy he did a lot of great things, but

37:30

maybe doing the greatest thing now of helping

37:32

these kids. I know you always appreciate high school coaches

37:34

and administrators in the state of Illinois and

37:37

the impact they make on young men. I

37:39

saw something from Ennis Reichstrau,

37:41

the cornerback from

37:43

Missouri that was drafted, and he had written

37:46

a letter in fourth grade

37:48

to his teacher and he in

37:51

the end he said, Hey, you know, can I

37:53

have your phone number? One to keep in touch the rest of

37:55

my life. And he delivered

37:57

on that promise to that teacher that made an

37:59

impact him as a fourth grader, and

38:01

he framed and put it on a plaque,

38:04

the letter and presented it to the coach. So you

38:06

just you know, hey, listen, we run into people

38:08

every day. You try and help as many as you can,

38:11

and you just never know the one that's going to resonate

38:13

with somebody.

38:14

So Mark's doing some great stuff.

38:17

You know, you know, the adventure

38:19

or the the kind

38:21

of the path that Mark and I took. I knew Mark

38:23

from USC because I went to Not Dame and

38:25

then Mark got drafted in

38:27

the first round in nineteen ninety when,

38:29

as I was at the tail end of my career and he

38:31

came in and had a ten interception year,

38:34

rookie of the year, made an impact

38:36

on the football team. At the we're

38:38

kind of desperate to have draft choices

38:41

be productive, and he did all that,

38:43

had.

38:43

A great career.

38:45

So I think Mark

38:47

is an example of hard

38:49

work, dedication and what it can lead

38:52

to. So, yeah, coaching in the NFL,

38:54

but maybe that wasn't his calling. And

38:56

you talk about having that sign on his door,

38:58

and letting these high school kids read it. Maybe

39:01

that's the most important message that

39:04

he can, you know, put out there, because

39:06

that's for all the kids to read. It's not only

39:08

for the athletes. Everybody that

39:10

needs to read that and understand

39:12

the importance of what they're trying to accomplish

39:15

and what and how Mark's trying to help you.

39:17

Okay, rookie mintiicamp, what

39:20

do you need to see? What do you want to see?

39:22

What do you hope to see?

39:26

You know, it's the obvious.

39:28

The elephant in the room is you got to see

39:30

the Caleb Williams, his athleticism,

39:33

his foundation, his throwing accuracy,

39:35

the way Mark said he leads people

39:37

out of the huddle, how he gets his

39:40

offensive players set up, and

39:42

then Roma Dunza, you

39:45

want to see what type of speed,

39:48

what type of maneuverability, what type

39:50

of route.

39:50

Running he puts on display.

39:52

And then I want to see what Shane Waldron offers

39:55

to the all the offensive players

39:57

that are out there, guys that are scratched

40:00

the surface of opportunity. The

40:02

way Shane Waldron kind of

40:04

incorporates the newly

40:06

brought aboard Caleb Williams into this

40:08

offense and get him to understand

40:11

the terminology as well

40:13

as he can to get ready to go into

40:15

OTA's And then on the defensive

40:17

side of the ball, you want to see

40:20

is there a player out there may be an

40:22

Austin Booker that's going to be able to

40:24

take the next step to be

40:26

incorporated in the defensive

40:29

personnel as quickly as possible.

40:32

Because when you talk about offense, you talk about five

40:34

offensive linemen, you want to play the whole game.

40:37

You talk about a quarterback, you want to play the whole

40:39

game. The receivers, the running backs,

40:41

tight ends, they they're kind of interchangeable.

40:44

And the defensive side of the ball, it's

40:47

a rotating uh, it's

40:49

it's a rotating segment of the football

40:51

team. Outside the two cornerbacks

40:54

and the two safeties.

40:55

You bring in a nickelback with the linebacker.

40:57

That's interchangeable.

40:58

So you want to see the development of young

41:00

personnel that Ryan Poles and

41:03

Ian Cunningham and the staff have brought a board

41:05

to say, Okay, I think my

41:08

initial reaction to a rookie mini camp

41:10

does this guy stand a chance?

41:12

Is he coachable?

41:13

Or maybe should we set

41:15

our sites on a different

41:18

position group or a different person.

41:19

Yeah, I was thinking Booker to the obvious,

41:21

as you say, is Caleb Romadunze want

41:24

to see them hit the ground running, but Austin

41:26

Booker could because what will he be able to offer

41:28

you in year one as a fifth round pick.

41:31

Yeah, he is young and he is raw,

41:33

but he is talented, So that

41:36

would be a huge boost.

41:37

Immediately out of the gate.

41:39

And I'm sure they're going to evaluate that even

41:41

in a mini camp situation where

41:44

there's no pads and no major contact

41:46

or anything, just to see what the

41:48

Bears defensive coaches can

41:51

do with him already, what his technique

41:53

is, can it be sharpened immediately and

41:55

maybe you have less of a concern of going to get another

41:57

veteran pass rusher out there.

42:01

Here. I want to hear Eric

42:03

Washington. I want to hear Shane Waldron.

42:06

I want to hear their coaching tactics

42:08

when they're out there trying to encourage some

42:11

of these young guys initially some

42:13

from the first practice. I want to see

42:16

the athleticism of Amagaji.

42:19

Is he does he have the athleticism in this

42:21

length that we talk about to play offensive tackle

42:24

or is he like the

42:26

guy that was drafted from Northwestern

42:28

last year that I ended up playing offensive guard

42:30

at Tennessee.

42:32

Skronsky.

42:33

Yeah, Peter, Okay, that is

42:36

that the position he's bet fit for.

42:38

So I think when you bring in

42:40

an offensive.

42:41

Lineman, you really got to look

42:43

at him and you gotta look at his balance,

42:45

You got to look at his footwork, you got to look at.

42:47

His hand placement.

42:48

You got to make sure that he's understanding

42:50

in the information as well as a quarterback,

42:53

and so there's a lot of little details

42:55

you got to look at as well.

42:56

Tastes like Miller Time.

42:57

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43:00

to find delivery options near you. Celebrate responsibly.

43:02

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43:05

Ninety six calories three point two carbs

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for twelve ounces.

43:08

Big week ahead for the Bears.

43:10

Schedule release may or may

43:12

not be this week, could be next week.

43:14

You know, it depends on what you hear.

43:15

But I know, I know, I

43:20

we all want it as for sure, we know who we're playing.

43:22

We just want to know when I think the everybody's

43:25

alluded to the fact that with Caleb here and

43:28

the Bears being a better team

43:30

on paper at the moment, we'll see a lot

43:32

more primetime games and late starts, so

43:35

we're gonna get ready for that for twenty twenty

43:37

four and we welcome that certainly. And

43:39

then we got Bears Care on Saturday Night over

43:42

at Soldier Field, the annual fundraiser.

43:44

That's always a good time and a good source

43:47

of getting people together.

43:49

For a good cause.

43:49

So all that ahead as we inch towards

43:51

the season, that's gonna do it for us. Special thanks

43:54

to former Bears safety Mark Carrier for

43:56

Tom There, I'm Jeff Jonihak. Thanks for listening

43:58

everyone, Please subscribe now.

44:00

I'm the Chicago Bears official app, Apple,

44:02

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44:05

your podcasts.

44:05

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