Without hesitation, Greg Olsen stood up in the dining hall the other day and delivered the rap song veteran Bears teammates ordered him to perform.
Rookie hazing at training camp is an NFL rite of passage that dates to the leather helmet days, and not even first-round picks such as Olsen are exempt.
So on cue, Olsen uncorked a censored version of the X-rated ditty he earned infamy for recording as rapper “G-Reg,” back when he was an 18-year-old University of Miami freshman. But then it would have to be cleaned up for this pristine-in-every-way campus of Olivet Nazarene.
The lyrics weren’t what made the biggest impression on Olsen’s laughing teammates anyway. The underlying message was.
“When he did that and was able to laugh at himself, he won a lot of people over and made a few friends,” said fellow tight end Desmond Clark.
On the field, acceptance came even more quickly. Olsen has already proved that “G-Reg” is no typical rookie.
“This isn’t college anymore,” Olsen said. “This is our job, what we get paid to do, and you have to treat it like that every day.”
He has done just that, according to several veteran Bears offensive linemen who have noted the workmanlike approach of the franchise’s first first-round tight end since Mike Ditka.
The ease with which Olsen has adapted to the speed of the NFL in running routes against one of the league’s quickest defenses bodes well for the Bears’ intermediate passing game. No other newcomer is likely to have a bigger impact on Sundays.
Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey, a fellow Miami alum with whom Olsen often is compared, caught 74 passes for 894 yards and two touchdowns his rookie year of 2002. That’s about four or five catches per game. The Bears would prefer not to put any such pressure on Olsen, but based on early impressions it would be hard to call similar statistical goals unrealistic for No. 82.
“Anybody watching practice can see he just brings another dimension,” Clark said. “I’m trying to help him however I can, but he’s picking up little things on his own. The blocking aspect of the game has impressed me the most. Not only is he willing to block, he’s a good blocker.”
Clark sounded surprised. Apparently he had jumped to the same conclusions everybody else had drawn before Olsen arrived.
“Coming in, we heard he’s not a great blocker but he has made the effort to be one,” Clark said. “[Tight ends coach Rob] Boras has been working before and after practice with him on footwork and that has helped him a lot.”
The excitement level within the team matches that from its fans, who have been so revved up at camp that they might erupt in cheers the next time Olsen ties his shoe between plays.
Everybody marvels at the same rare combination: a downfield threat who looks the part of a tight end but demands defenses treat him like a wide receiver. That presents all sorts of options for offensive coordinator Ron Turner.
“The way Ron is calling plays so far, it could be wide open,” Clark said.
Turner can pair Olsen in a double-tight-end formation with Clark, who is coming off a career year, and force defenses to make a decision. If teams view Olsen as a receiving threat and insert an extra defensive back, that opens up opportunities for the Bears’ running game.
If teams keep a linebacker on the field in the hope he can cover Olsen, good luck. There are wide receivers in the Bears’ camp who would lose a foot race to the 6-foot-5-inch, 254-pounder. One result should be Rex Grossman improving his third-down completion percentage (52 percent) and passer rating (66.4) from 2006.
In a division in which every defense primarily plays the Cover-2, which leaves the deep middle of the field vulnerable, having the second-fastest tight end in the league matters.
“I’m eager to see how teams will handle that,” coach Lovie Smith said. “After you see him out running routes outside, you can easily treat him like a wide receiver. He has those kinds of skills.”
In another sign of his versatility, Olsen has lined up at fullback and started his pass route from the backfield. The alignment options will keep Turner as busy trying to find ways to use Olsen as defensive coordinators will be worrying about matchups.
Clark is available for consultation.
“From what we’re seeing right now, both of us are on the field a lot with the first team,” Clark said. “A linebacker’s not going to be able to cover him, and if they bring in a DB in to cover him, we’ll just tighten down and run the ball. Our own defense views him as a receiver [during practice]. It could be a lot of fun.”
Olsen plans to enjoy being a Bear. He has committed to a weekly guest appearance on a radio show and has begun a training-camp diary on the Bears Web site.
In his first entry, he even sounded positive about having to carry shoulder pads for Clark and veteran John Gilmore, calling it “the least we can do.”
On-line or in the dining hall, Olsen has carried himself like a typical rookie, even though it seems obvious on the field his season will be anything but.
“I knew it’d be a step up from college but every day I feel more comfortable,” Olsen said.
Every day, it shows.
Go-to guys?
The Bears actually are throwing more to the tight end — a trend undoubtedly to continue with Greg Olsen. Passes caught by Bears tight ends:
2005: 14.5%
2006: 19.5%
%% Breaking down last season
CATEGORY ALL TE
Receptions 282 55
Yards 3446 701
Average 12.2 12.7
Touchdowns 24 8
TIGHT ENDS NO. YDS AVG TD Desmond Clark 45 626 13.9 6
John Gilmore 6 38 6.3 2
Gabe Reid 4 37 9.3 0 %%
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dhaugh@tribune.com
