Generation gap at mini-camp
Coach goes old school in educating rookies
By John Mullin
Tribune staff reporter
May 7, 2006, 9:18 PM CDT
Mini-camps are about teaching and not always just about football.
Bears defensive line coach Don Johnson, wanting rookies Mark Anderson, Dusty Dvoracek and the others to throw a hard upward arm movement in an NFL "rip" move, tried to make it simple.
"Exaggerate it, like you're throwing an uppercut," Johnson yelled, demonstrating the move. "Like Ralph Cramden used to say to Alice, 'To the moon, Alice, to the moon!'"
One problem: None of his charges was even close to being born when "The Honeymooners" TV show was at its zenith. Did any of them know who Ralph Cramden was?
"One of them actually did," Johnson said, laughing. "I was shocked. I said, 'OK, how old are you?'"
Sometimes the instructions were in the form of clarifying mission statements.
"Do you want me to hit the guard?" Anderson asked after one rep.
Johnson's directive for the former Alabama defensive end, drafted to rush passers, was clear. "No," Johnson said patiently but purposefully. "I want you to hit the quarterback."
First impressions were key in the weekend's three practices, whether for the draft choices, undrafted free agents or hopefuls just in for a tryout.
"You learn a lot between the time you spend on the field and also in the classroom," Johnson said. "You learn who will get things right away, who needs more time and the best way to teach them. Do they learn from video, walking through, board work? Those are things we're analyzing in the process."
Hidden gem?
Most seasons contain at least one roster surprise, an unheralded or unknown young player who makes a good first impression and keeps on making impressions. Safety Brandon McGowan, whose promising start was set back by a severe late-season knee injury, came out of nowhere to make the Bears in 2005.
"I don't know if we'll have a Brandon McGowan in this group, but we'll see," coach Lovie Smith said.
"Normally, when you bring in athletic guys like this, they'll look good in a mini-camp like this when there's no hitting going on. We can't wait to get them to training camp. Then we'll know exactly what we have."
Players can return to Halas Hall for various team activities and off-season workouts later this month, leading up to the veterans' mini-camp June 2-4.
Extra points
Rookie returner and cornerback Devin Hester's natural ease in fielding punts in strong wind conditions was especially impressive. And his speed was clearly evident, raising the question of whether he or fellow second-rounder Danieal Manning was faster. Hester hesitated a moment, then said with a laugh: "I got him a little bit." …
Tight ends Tim Day from Oregon and Cooper Wallace from Auburn came in for long looks this weekend. Both were signed as undrafted free agents and will be out not only to make the team but also to make a point. "You come out now with a chip on your shoulder and just prove to everybody that you should have been drafted," Day said. "[The draft] was definitely a hard day. My situation was different from everybody else's probably because of my injury history, and that held me back. But it's still frustrating. You know you're supposed to be going first or second day and then you don't. But that's what this is for."
jmullin@tribune.com
Copyright © 2006, The Chicago Tribune
Coach goes old school in educating rookies
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