June 01--New Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks has quite the early impression of second-year nose tackle Eddie Goldman. In fact, it compelled Hicks, a fifth-year veteran, to sing a Miley Cyrus song at Wednesday's practice.
Even though the Bears have completed only five non-contact organized team activities this spring, Goldman's power already has stood out.
"I was singing to him today: 'You came in like a wreckkkkkking balllllll!' just because he's so strong and he's just going forward," Hicks said after Wednesday's practice to heavy laughter from the assembled media.
At that point, the conversation steered from football. Does Hicks sing any other Miley Cyrus songs?
"All the time," he cracked. "I had a little 'Bieber Fever' back in the day too."
Sure enough, Hicks was at the University of Regina in Canada in the early 2010s when Justin Bieber's career took off.
Since then, he has played for three NFL teams. The New Orleans Saints drafted him in the third round in 2012. Last season, they slotted him at defensive end in a 4-3 front, and he fell out of favor.
After Hicks was traded to the New England Patriots last Sept. 30, he returned to playing 3-4 end. He was more comfortable, and his play showed it.
"He's got brute strength," defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said in May, "and I like the effort he plays with."
Now that Hicks is continuing in a 3-4 end role with the Bears, he expects to maintain a disruptive style of play.
"The things that I see in this defense are, first of all, everybody is athletic," he said. "Everybody is explosive. Everybody has a hunger to get things done. Those factors are enough to make a good defense."
