Few teams possess the rich history of great defensive players like the Chicago Bears, but greatness certainly recognizes greatness.
From one Bears great to the next, Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent lent some tips to All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack to improve his game.
Like Dent, Mack is known for his ferocity getting after the quarterback. Visions of Mack mowing down offensive linemen with one arm on his way to the quarterback spring to mind. And his first game as a Bear — which included a strip-sack and a pick-six — was legendary.
Mack, who is in his first offseason with the Bears, was eager to soak in everything he could from the Super Bowl XX MVP.
“[Dent was] a dominant force coming off the edge,” Mack told reporters on Tuesday. “The things that he showed me is exactly what he did. The same things. Just understanding angles and understanding—he kept telling me about basketball, how you check up somebody in basketball. The same way he kind of put his elbow on somebody is the same thing I saw on the film.”
Bears coach Matt Nagy recalled watching that exact moment unfold in front of him at the Bears100 Celebration.
“We were all watching it,” Nagy said about the encounter. “Khalil was sitting there taking it all in and it was pretty cool because this is what it’s about: it’s about learning from some of the greatest that have ever come through here. The players that we have are such good high character people that they don’t ever think that they’ve got all the answers. We have a lot of good players and good people and we’re all trying to mix it and put it together.”
When asked if he was going to incorporate some of the techniques he learned from Dent into his own game, Mack was succinct yet clear in his response.
“Hell yeah.”
