Mike Ditka is walking the walk by not talking the talk the way he once did.
Ditka has vowed to clean up his linguistic act and stop using obscenities and Da Kinder, Gentler Coach was in evidence Thursday.
“He’s leading by example,” laughed Saints center Jerry Fontenot, a former Bear. “It’s an ideal anyway. Might not be perfect, but we’re getting there.”
Fontenot played for Ditka in Chicago and disagrees that a mellower Ditka is prowling the sidelines.
“I wouldn’t say that he’s really mellowed because when you look in his eyes he’s still got that burn, that desire, and that’s never going to change with Mike,” Fontenot said.
Executive committee: The Bears convened their first players’ summit this week, an arrangement started last year in which players representing each position group meet privately with coach Dave Wannstedt. The committee is a forum to air grievances, make suggestions and generally help player-coach communications.
The offense is represented by Erik Kramer (quarterbacks), Edgar Bennett (running backs), Curtis Conway (receivers) and Andy Heck and James Williams (line). Committeemen for the defense are Jim Flanigan (line), Barry Minter (linebackers) and Marty Carter (defensive backs).
“It’s pretty much the older guys at the positions,” Carter said. “We’ll meet every week if needed, sometimes not, sometimes twice a week, just to be on the same page.”
Orientation: The Bears-Saints joint practices are the first encounter for Bears rookies with NFL players other than their own. Tony Parrish, the starter at free safety, continues to impress coaches and demonstrate an ability to play center field in the defense.
“To this point, he’s right on schedule,” Wannstedt said. “We need to get into some games and we’ll have a real good session of two-minute drills where things are happening and he has to make decisions on his own. That’s when we’ll find out exactly where he’s at.”
Olin Kreutz is trying to win the starting center job and got into several small pushing battles with Saints. More important, he was solid in run blocking, although his pass protection is still a work in progress.
“He’s going to be fine running the ball, but we need to work on the pass (blocking) techniques,” Wannstedt said. “It’s a little bit different, obviously, in the NFL than college, and that’s the area (coach) Tony Wise is trying to focus in on with him.”
Clear-headed: Right guard Chris Villarrial made the trip to La Crosse after doctors in Chicago examined him for the effects of a concussion suffered when a teammate fell on him.
The Bears, who saw the career of fullback Merril Hoge ended by concussions in 1994, are keeping an eye on this injury. Villarrial received a concussion his rookie year and missed two games. But this injury was nothing like the first and he said he will be able to practice again Monday.
“I talked with the doctors and there’s no concern right now, none at all,” Villarrial said. “This was very mild, minor, I knew where I was, I was coherent. The last time I had no idea where I was, no feeling. If this had been like the first one, and then I got another one . . .”
