Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson enjoyed a meteoric rise to league stardom in 2018 thanks to an All-Pro season that included 51 tackles, six interceptions and three defensive touchdowns.
He was one of the biggest reasons why the Bears’ defense ranked as one of the best in the NFL, and even though there’s a new defensive coordinator in Chicago in 2019, Jackson said the atmosphere in Halas Hall reminds him of his days at Alabama.
“It’s just like Bama,” Jackson said Wednesday via the Chicago Sun-Times. “I told him [HaHa Clinton-Dix], this defense is just like Bama.”
Clinton-Dix, who’s spent time with the Packers and Redskins before signing with the Bears this offseason, said he was shocked by the culture in Chicago’s locker room.
“All these guys are so close to one another. We spend so much time with each other outside this facility. That’s amazing. You don’t find too many guys that can hang out together outside of this and create a bond. . . . I was in for a shock, man. They’re special here.”
Bears fans are certainly hoping for a special season from their defense in 2019, and with Jackson, Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, Akiem Hicks, Kyle Fuller and, maybe, Clinton-Dix, there’s no reason to expect anything less.
