Bear Digest

Caleb Williams and Bears Ready to Step into HBO Spotlight

The Bears said at Friday's OTA practice that they are ready to be in the national spotlight of Hard Knocks after years of avoiding it.

Gene Chamberlain

May 31, 2024; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears offensive tackle Braxton Jones (70) runs during organized team activities at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
May 31, 2024; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears offensive tackle Braxton Jones (70) runs during organized team activities at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
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After resisting for so long, it turns out the Bears are willing participants in the upcoming training camp version of HBO's Hard Knocks.0

At least that's what they're saying and they're sticking to it.

"I think they were excited about it," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said about his players Friday at OTAs.

The danger of cameras around Halas Hall for a behind-the-scenes look at training camp won't tear apart the Bears because of what they've built, Eberflus insists.

"We have a good thing going here," Eberflus said. "We've got a good brotherhood, a good mindset.

"Obviously, you (media) have heard about our culture and how tight we are as a group. That showed at the end of last year. That showed through adversity, and that’s gonna show again this year.”

If there's ever been an appropriate time for the Bears to be on Hard Knocks, it seems to be now with Caleb Williams at quarterback and a rebuilt offense.

"That's a very good point, and I do think he's suited for that because he’s comfortable in his own skin, he knows who he is," Eberflus said. 'Again, he's been out there for several years in terms of in the media, in the focus, the Heisman winner, all those things that he's done. And he'll be good."

Eberflus was Colts defensive coordinator when he had to go through the 2021 in-season version of Hard Knocks. He definitely hasn't ignored the topic with his players.

"I talked to the team about that, because I’ve been involved in in that before and I believe that NFL Films and HBO does an outstanding job of getting their message out, OK, of the team, and we're going to be proud of that message, because I'm proud of these guys and I'm proud of this organization," Eberflus said. "We have a bunch of really good people here in the building, not only the football players, because we have guys that love football, but also the support staff, from T-Med (equipment manager Tony Medlin) to our performance staff to our strength staff.

"And those are all going to be good things because we have guys that love football, that love each other and respect the game and play it the right way, so we're excited about getting that going."

Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower compared it to going through the new kickoff rules his group must contend with this year.

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"I've never done it, like I've never done the kickoff, so I'm excited about it, right?" he said. "I'm excited about all the new things. It's an opportunity.

"I look at all of it as an opportunity and I hope that people around the world get a chance to really get to know our guys. Cause we got a good culture here and we have some really good guys."

Hightower pointed out not everyone is a star already but they soon might be.

"I'm excited for our players to get a chance to tell some of their stories," Hightower said. "Like, some of the stories, not only players, but like the (coaching) staff as well."

Some players have experience with Hard Knocks. D'Andre Swift was on it in Detroit two years ago and his "tough love" relationship with running backs coach Duce Staley was a big topic.

"It was cool," he said. 'First time you going into something like that, you're used to watching that as a young player coming up, watching 'Hard Knocks,' stuff like that. But being involved in it is a different outlook. It was a cool experience."

The Staley relationship was an example of the kind of editing some coaches actually fear from this.

"They just tried to portray a different narrative than what it was as far as my relationship with coach Staley," Swift said. "But it was a cool experience. I’ll say it like that."

The chance to see the team or city featured is what the players are looking at as they talk about the show.

"That's exactly what it is," Swift said. "It's attention. That's a good outlook for the city, the team itself, as far as to bring eyes to the city and the team. For me personally, I don't really worry about the cameras too much. I got a job to do here every day, so I’m not really focused on it.

"That's exciting first and foremost. I seen the news came out, excited for the fans, the team. That means eyes, people want to look for the Bears, so we excited for the opportunity."

Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds warned against being distracted.

"I know eyes are on us but as an individual, as a team, I think it just comes back down to the base line and taking it a day at a time and understanding that it's a long season, a journey, and you can't get caught up in the outside noise and what's going on that we can't control," Edmunds said. "You can only control what you can control, and that's how you show up each and every day. How you push each other. How we hold each other to accountability and continuing to work hard.

"I think that's the main message right now. A lot of good competition we have right now in OTAs. We'll take that to minicamp next week and we’ll be ready to go in training camp."

And then the cameras of HBO will be on them.

Eberflus brought up one other aspect to explain the entire process.

"Everybody who goes on Hard Knocks has editing rights to what goes in and out and all those things, and that's the standard, but yeah, we have a good plan," he said.

Perhaps it's not so behind-the-scenes after all.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain

GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.