Ron Rivera Reveals How Chicago Bears Have Set Up Caleb Williams To Succeed

you know something that we have talked a lot about Ron and and obviously Wadd played uh with you as a as a teammate I knew you when you first got out of the league and you were always um you you were always very opinionated on how things should be done so knowing you as a player and then as a head coach WD and I neither of us like the way the league is currently with training camp and that's because it was collectively bargained that way if you were rip things up and make the Ron Rivera rules on how training camps and pre-seasons would go how would you reconstruct a training camp these days and do you agree with us that this is no way currently to get ready for a regular season yeah you know I'm not a big fan of it either you know because it's hard to really get your guys the right kind of work that they need they kind of work themselves into shape um you know as the season goes along and and I'd much rather see it where there was a little bit more cont ATT that guys were mandated that they had to play a certain amount or something in those first few preseason games because you know there's there's a little bit of a stat that that's kind of come to light and that is you know teams that practice against each other during training camp especially if they do it near the end of training camp they tend to have fewer injuries in those first four weeks those soft tissue injuries that that pop up all the time and so teams are starting to do that a little bit more where they are practicing against one another just so that you know when the players start playing playing for real they're not going from Z to 60 all of a sudden you know they're kind of ramped it up a couple of times and that they believe is what's been helping a lot of these guys and keeping them from being injured how important is it to get a Young quarterback sort of like Caleb Williams snaps in the preseason to make sure the young man is ready when the regular season gets here well whatever they can do to create as live a possible practice or game situation as possible they got to do it you know we we I was there in Carolina when we had the number one pick and cam new right and that was one of the first things that we did you know Rob tazinski Mike SCH did an outstanding job of getting this young man that young man ready to play for us and you know a big part of it was we played them as much as we could in the preseason um we created as many uh game likee situations as possible in practice to to try and create that form him and you know Caleb is a young man that the more he gets the better he's going to be sooner um he looks like he's got everything going for them I like what they do on defense you know and that's one of the things that's going to help a Young quarterback is to have a good quality def because again they can get field position they can take that ball away and get them back out on the field give them an opportunity to be successful on a short field that helps good running game that's another thing I think that they got to do is just continue to run the ball and you know getting DeAndre Swift is a big big move because one of things that I've always believe is you got to have quality football players Playmakers around a Young quarterback they did a great job this offseason collecting a couple of really good players and Keenan Allen and Everett the tight end to go with KT I mean I think that they've did the kind of things that you need to do to you know put your guy in position have success early Ron Rivera joining us former barar he coached Carolina coached Washington swad and Sylvia on ESPN 1000 to that point Ron um Cam Newton threw for over 4,000 yards in his rookie season I think he only did that one other time in his career besides playing him in the preseason what did you learn about getting a quarterback up and going immediately and being a star well I I think that it just kind of shows you that if you could protect your guy you got to get him out there and and that's what we were able to do we protected him he buil a little bit of confidence and had the rookie year that he had you know he was uh NFL rookie of the year on offense and and and a lot of it had to do with the fact that I really do believe that you know we really pushed to get him as many reps as we could in the uh in the preseason do you think when they go to an 18 game schedule run that there is obviously going to be a two byy situation so that the it's not just an extra week it'll be a two week addition to the current schedule oh I I believe so you're going to have to because you know that's ask you an awful lot of the body to you know put up with that that kind of a um a pounding you know is to play 18 games in a single season is you know other than playoffs you know and think about that you could you could potentially be a team that now you know is GNA play what uh 22 games yeah that's crazy yeah that's a long season uh recently Montes sweat did an interview and we've talked to you about him in the past you coached him in Washington he he he told the story that he was very upset after he was told that he was told that he was traded and that he went up to your office and basically cursed you out can you pick the story up from there he did and he was disappointed but you know believe me that that was um honestly that was not my idea I I did not want to trade him but um again I I just some things happen unfortunate and uh you know that that's what happened I mean he's a heck of a young man I'm I'm I'm very happy for him I mean he got a huge deal and then he went out and played it you know he he he he helped spark a a Resurgence on that defense and as I said he's going to be one of the best friends for the uh for that Young quarterback is gonna be a good defense do you believe that that was a blessing in disguise not only for for him but for the Bears well absolutely without a doubt in my mind just because of the way he played I mean he's a young man that's gone out and played football done things the right way and and in his own quiet way he has LED and done a nice job leading help to lead that defense hey as we let you go Ronnie you mentioned a little bit you you kind of like what this Bears team has done across the board you think they're pointed in the right direction I think so the big key is obviously gonna be the offensive line I mean if if they could protect that quarterback give him time and let him let him do his thing and and again and they solidify their running game um that that team has a chance to make some I believe that I really do I like what coach has done I I like what Ryan poles has done um so hopefully the team is poised for for a good year what was that like for you to see your friend not only get inducted into the Hall of Fame but also it's got to be so eye openening to walk into that house and to see who was so strong so bous in that state as well it's got to be such a Bittersweet thing to see it was know it was uh surreal just because of the fact that you said you know he's in the state that he is with uh with ALS uh not having the ability to to move around and and and voice his opinion on things uh I know that was one of the hardest things for all of us as well as him I mean here's a guy that you know work gave his all to the game finally reached the Pinnacle of it and you know doesn't get the opportunity to express the joy and love in which uh he accomplished that hey Ronnie you know it's obviously you know it's the ultimate team sport it's the ultimate fraternity and my guess is is you guys in that room you you felt just as proud as felt because being a teammate of his was unlike anything oh very much so and the thing that was really amazing and really neat was just how emotional everybody got once they took the um the cover off the bus and we got a chance to take a look at that bus that's going to be enshrined forever it was an amazing thing because they captured they captured his his likeness they captured his you know his personality in that stat you and you just you just sat there and thought God this is this is the ultimate for this guy is it fair Ron to have kind of mixed emotions like a immensely happy and proud that that finally received this honor but this should have happened a long time ago and that kind of still sits wrong with some people oh it does because if you think about what he did first and foremost you know he played 14 years you know he he accumulated what 95 sacks okay he had 101 uh uh consecutive starts he played in 192 consecutive games I mean if that doesn't tell you he's an Iron Man and then the guys around him all right he elevated them he helped their play as well and they got in you know and they got in early this is a guy that should have been there enjoying it with them throughout that period of time because just look at what he accomplished you know based on what I told you that that that those are numbers that believe me that gets people into the Hall of Fame Ron what do you think he would have said if if if if he was uh of a healthy body and he was the mango that we all knew and loved and this was his day what do you think he would have said is about fing time no doubt about spot on that is spot on there oh without a doubt just because you know he's one of those guys that that that really tells you what's on his mind and and we all felt it we all felt he deserved it because you know I agreed with what Jared Payton said this guy was the Lynch pin I mean he was he was the glue he was a guy that did the dirty job he's a guy that allowed those guys to play Fast play free believe me I lined up behind him for about six years and and and you know I made the plays I did because of guys like him especially a guy like him we've asked a lot of guys their favorite Steve McMichael story do you have one Jimbo got the classic one where he basically beat the crap out of mango and he wasn't expecting it but do you have a special moment I remember that one but you know for me personally it was always just before the game he would stand up in front me and he would sit there and fix his uniform and he'd look at me and I'd have to say man you're the damn best looking defensive lineman in the league and he goes you're damn right Chief let's go win a football game and he pulled his shorts up unusually high his I don't know how that could have been comfortable no you know why he did it he wanted to make his legs look longer he didn't like the fact that he was the shortest D lineman we had so he would pull his pants up high pull the socks all the way up to the top to give the illusion that that he was 63 that is that is fantastic um what else did you um I mean you coached Julius Peppers as the head coach at the end of his career and then you were here obviously as the defensive coordinator in Devin Hester's rookie year so what was the whole weekend like for you well you know I I I had to decline going to the to Canton so I could be with Steve you know I talked with Jim morres and a few other guys about being there for him and and we all wanted to be there so I declined to go but you know I was fortunate to have Julius there his last couple of years and it was an honor to have him retire as a panther you know because that's where he started his career so that was a great thing to have him there um you know having the opportunity to watch Devon H become the player that he became that was an amazing deal it really was because he was special and he deserved to be in the Hall of Fame and he's gonna open it up for other special teams guys especially a guy like Brian Mitchell Hey Ron what do you you know how are you keeping yourself busy these days I mean this going to be the first year you're not going to be on the sideline in quite some time it is you know and one of the things that's happened is I got an opportunity I'm gonna be working with the NFL Network oh awesome I'll be doing yeah I'll be doing stuff on the weekend and Mondays and and potentially Tuesdays as well so I'm kind of excited about that opportunity and we'll see how it goes