It's a gorgeous Tuesday morning at Olivet Nazarene University and Khalil Mack is standing behind a pulpit, preaching from the book of "C-Wood." The topic is urgency, and the Bears' best player is trying to describe exactly how he feels in the team's quest to chase down a Super Bowl trophy.
Still, as with many of the lessons Mack has learned since he broke into the NFL in 2014, this one traces back to early wisdom he gleaned from Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson.
If Mack needs a six-word mantra to scribble on the whiteboards at training camp or to paint onto the walls at Halas Hall, here it is. Part of C-Wood's gospel.
We're running out of time, man.
This is what Woodson instilled many years ago. This is the lesson former Raiders defensive end Justin Tuck also helped drive home. This is the message Mack will occasionally vocalize in case his relentless work habits aren't making it clear enough.
He grins.
"All those older dudes let us know at an early point in my career that, 'Man, we ain't got no time to waste. We're trying to win. We're old, we're trying to win,' Mack says. "That's the same thing (right now). Same mindset.
"We're running out of time."
To be clear, Mack just celebrated his 28th birthday in February. He's not exactly ancient. His current megadeal with the Bears runs through the 2024 season. He's going to be here awhile. So is it still possible that every time he takes the field, even for routine, grindy practices at training camp, he's hearing a ticking clock?
"Absolutely," Mack insists. "You've got to win. We've got to win now."
This is the setup for the 2019 season in Chicago, where realistic Super Bowl hopes have the Bears feeling confident and energized. But there's also a Jack Bauer vibe to their work. There has to be. The extra urgency and purpose. That tinge of motivational anxiety. Those high-pitched beeps in the back of players' minds that the clock is ticking.
We're running out of time, man.
