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Olsen can't escape comparison with Bears' ‘icon'

Posted August 17, 2007 11:00 pm

Reed Schreck

Surprise, surprise

Asked which were the biggest surprises at training camp, head coach Lovie Smith singled out rookie corner Trumaine McBride and second-year linebacker Jamar Williams.

"You have to talk about some of the rookies we didn't really know a lot about," Smith said. "We had a feeling (first-round draft pick) Greg Olsen would be good."

Here, have a bike

The Bears gave away one bike at the end of their first training camp here in 2002. Friday, they gave out more than 30 to children in the area.

"We talk a lot about fitness, but you have to put your money where your mouth is," Lovie Smith said. "We ride the bikes as much as we can during camp. It's just a nice way to give back to the community. It's something the children can keep for a long time."

Keep your head down

Sounds like good golf advice. But it also works for the wideouts. Position coach Larry Drake connects two sets of tackling dummies with ropes about five yards apart at most training camp days. Receivers have to shake a cover man and then run with their heads lowered through both sets of dummies and under the rope. Otherwise, if they don't keep their heads down, they would receive a painful lesson and rope burns in the process.

Garrett Wolfe would be the one exception if running backs were included. The 5-foot-7 rookie looks like he could run under the rope without ducking.

Gator loyalty

Rex Grossman was asked how he might be able to help fourth-string quarterback Chris Leak, a former fellow Florida Gator. "He's a smart guy. He'll pick it up quick," Grossman said. "Anytime he needs help, I'm right there."

Camp sights

WR Mark Bradley, LB Brandon Ayanbadejo and CB Trumaine McBride sat out Friday's practice. McBride wore an air cast on his left foot to help heal his injured toe. ... Charles Tillman picked off Chris Leak as Leak was imitating the Colts' Peyton Manning with the scout team. Brian Urlacher just missed a pick on the next play. ... Kyle Orton hitting Devin Hester deep for a "touchdown" against soft scout-team coverage drew the biggest cheer from the crowd.

Reed Schreck is the NFL writer for the Rockford Register Star. Contact him at 815-987-1381 or rschreck@rrstar.com.

Every Chicago tight end is going to be measured against Ditka, kind of like all Cubs third basemen are against Ron Santo. They waited until now, with Aramis Ramirez, to finally fill that hole.

The Bears are hoping the same is true with regard to Olsen, their first-round pick from the University of Miami.

"Chicago's never going to forget Ditka," Olsen said. "He's a legend."

Olsen just wants to be himself. He's at least getting an idea of what life in the NFL is like.

"Just because you're the top pick, it doesn't mean anything," he said. "You have to show you belong and earn the respect of everybody. You can be confident, but just handle you business and not really step out of line."

Being the team's top pick puts a certain amount of pressure on Olsen. He knows that, and doesn't mind.

"The expectations I have of myself are more than anybody could put on me," he said. "So it doesn't really matter what outside pressures come on. I want to do well and play well no matter what the expectations are. I'm not too concerned with that.

"I'm trying to prepare myself to be the best I can for the start of the season, and be able to contribute whatever I can for the offense."

During every interview, Greg Olsen hears the same two words.

"Mike Ditka," he said.

"He's that kind of figure in the city - what he did for the Bears and in his personal life," Olsen said. "I think he's kind of an icon around here. It comes with the territory."

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