The intensity rose with each new conversation.
During an hour-long defensive line roundtable Saturday, Ed O’Bradovich told the story of Chuck Hughes, the Lions receiver who died on the field against the Bears. Later in the session, Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Hampton ripped former Bears coach John Fox.
But there was no more powerful moment than when Tommie Harris, a three-time Pro Bowl player on the 2006 NFC title team, spoke directly to Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks.
“You’re inspiring people that are working their butts off all day, laboring somewhere,” he said on stage at the Bears 100 Weekend Celebration. “When you put on your helmet, know that the city is behind you.”
The gregarious Hicks, who had, amazingly, struggled to get a word in edgewise during the roundtable, turned serious.
“I accept all your challenges,” he said.
Tuesday, he’ll begin to put those words into action. The Bears will begin the first of three mandatory minicamp practices Tuesday before breaking until late July training camp. While the Bears will continue to fine-tune their offense and adjust to the slight changes of Chuck Pagano’s defense, the main goal this week will be to stay healthy.
The team expects the same full participation they had during organized team activities — albeit with some added motivation after current players huddled with alumni over the weekend.
“I cannot wait to hear the stories that they got and what they took in and how it’s going to affect them for his coming year,” head coach Matt Nagy said Sunday. “You feel it and it’s real. And that’s what I’m so happy for.”
Hype is on overdrive after a three-day pep rally that featured more applause lines — the franchise and its city were called the greatest in the world too many times to count — as breakdowns of play.
Still, Bears alumni see the beginnings of something great.
“For me, this team looks just like us in ’84 and ’85 — we really started to gel, and competing to be the best that we can beat,” Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent said. “Because when you’re competing with one another, no one else can beat you but yourself. And that’s what drove us to be the best that we could be.”
Alex Brown, who had seven sacks and two interceptions on the Bears’ last NFC Championship team, sees some similarities this year to the 2006 squad.
“Nobody’s gonna sit there and scream for a team that’s 3-13,” he said. “They came out last year. There was no expectation last year, but I think the expectation is gonna [here] be this year. And if they come out of the gate strong, they’ve got as good of a shot as anybody in the NFC to go to the Super Bowl.
“It’s just getting everything together and finding what you do well early in the season, then repeating that every week. If they can do that, they’ve got a shot. They have some players that can actually take over a game.”
Brown said the city-wide reaction to another Bears Super Bowl would be unmatched.
“The Cubs can win it, and I respect that,” he said. “The Sox have won it, and I was here for that. I’ve been here when the Blackhawks won it. But there’s nothing like [the Bears].
“Hell, we didn’t even win the Super Bowl. We just went to it—and it was incredible here. There’s no split in the city like with baseball. And everybody watches football. Not everybody watches hockey.
“If we’re good, then everybody’s on board. And it’s avalanche of joy throughout the city.”
If the Bears didn’t know that already, they learned over the weekend.
No pressure.
Jason Lieser contributed to this report.
