Jan. 29--Kyle Long's stay in Hawaii may be mellowing him out -- but not completely. The Bears right tackle took time out from basking in paradise to take a swipe at critics in the media who doubted his Pro Bowl credentials.
Long posted a picture of an oceanfront view on Instagram and added the caption: "If you look far off into the distance you can see the writers who said I couldn't do it on the mainland."
Long didn't call out any doubters by name but he admitted on several occasionst that his transition to right tackle after two Pro-Bowl seasons at guard was a struggle.
"I made a big sacrifice in my career, and I think this was kind of, in a roundabout way, the reward for it," he told reporters earlier this month after learning he was selected to the Pro Bowl. "Unfortunately I dealt with a lot of growing pains and, as has been publicized, I've owned it and been a part of the learning process and tried to be positive every day."
plthompson@tribpub.com
