Jim McMahon threw a football in the privacy of the Bears` racquetball court Tuesday away from cameras and all other eyes except those of trainer Fred Caito.
Jim Harbaugh threw in public at the Bears` mini-camp in Lake Forest and looked like the best fifth-string quarterback the team has ever had.
William Perry threw 317 pounds around and looked as though he will again get a chance to throw a pass.
Caito said McMahon tossed 50 passes about 20 feet indoors after avoiding a sideline full of reporters trying to chronicle his first throws since undergoing major shoulder surgery on Dec. 12.
”He was stiff as he started out and then got more comfortable,” said Caito. ”The last 10 he was very loose. He said his shoulder felt fine. He had no pain.”
The Bears and McMahon now will cross their fingers and hope he returns Wednesday with no pain or swelling so he can increase the exercise.
Coach Mike Ditka did not observe the long-awaited moment. At the morning workout, McMahon took snaps with the No. 1 offense and handed off on some running plays. He even lined up with receivers and caught a pass from Doug Flutie.
But the only throwing McMahon did outdoors was with his left arm as he played catch with receiver Dennis Gentry.
Ditka agreed with McMahon`s decision to avoid the cameras; Ditka might have even suggested it.
”It`s not going to be a circus out there. He`s not on display,” Ditka said. ”He has some things in his mind the way he wants to do it. He deserves the prerogative to make a few decisions in that area.”
Caito said McMahon was not apprehensive about his debut.
”It was basically to put the arm through a throwing motion,” Caito said. ”No one is going to know. He has a lot of work to go. The bottom line is we have to wait until he gets his strength up and we`ll know more come August.”
No. 1 draft choice Harbaugh was impressive in his debut behind McMahon, Steve Fuller, Flutie and Mike Tomczak. Ditka said there was no signficance to the quarterback order, which will change on Wednesday and Thursday.
”I think he looked pretty daggone good,” Ditka said of Harbaugh. ”I think everybody looks good.”
Harbaugh barked out signals as if he had been around the playbook for more than two weeks.
”Sounds bashful, doesn`t he?” kidded player personnel director Bill Tobin.
”First time he got under center, he called out signals pretty good. Everybody heard him,” Ditka said. ”And he can throw the ball. You saw the arm. Anybody who says he doesn`t have a major league arm, it`s really almost funny.”
Harbaugh said he was ”just having fun seeing Walter (Payton) and Jim McMahon out there.” Harbaugh, who was 11 when Payton was a rookie, followed the Bears during his career at Michigan.
Perry looked thick compared to his teammates but thin compared to his former self. He finished last season at around 350 and near Ditka`s doghouse. Ditka weighed Perry Tuesday and was happy to see him under his prescribed limit of between 320 and 325.
”I think the kid will play at 305 or 310, and that`s where he belongs. For us to use him the way we want to use him on offense, he has to be in that area,” Ditka said.
”If you look at film and realize how much they double team him, you realize how valuable he is to our football team.”
Receiver Dennis McKinnon ran with the second-team receivers and took part in most drills, although he cut short the repetition and skipped the afternoon workout to save his postoperative knee.
”I have to get over the particular barrier of not thinking about the knee,” McKinnon said. ”My only problem is acceleration after the catch.”
Ditka was not pleased with the condition of fullback Calvin Thomas, who weighed in at 253 and was banned from practice to take a stress test.
”We want to make sure he can stay alive. I don`t care if his feelings are hurt,” Ditka said. ”What he told me he was going to do in the off-season and what he`s done are a lot different. All I`ve seen him do is eat so far.” Caito said Thomas needed to drop 20 to 25 pounds to take stress off his knees.
