Every day of the 2015 Chicago Bears season, Chicago Sun-Times Sports will revisit its coverage 30 years ago during the 1985 Bears’ run to a Super Bowl title.
Good guy Gault running to help
Joel Bierig; Kevin Lamb
Originally published Nov. 25, 1985
Willie Gault is in the vault.
It’s up to the Bears how they use him.
He won’t complain as long as they stay prosperous.
“We’re winning, and that’s the main thing,” Gault said after the 12-0 Bears rolled Atlanta 36-0. “If we can continue to win, if I don’t catch any passes, that’s all right with me. Just so I can contribute and help Walter Payton or help someone else get open to catch the ball.”
Gault caught just two passes yesterday, but they went for 20 and 50 yards on consecutive second-quarter plays. On the next play, William Perry belly-flopped into the end zone from one yard out.
The longest pass Gault caught in the previous five games had been 14 yards. Yet he dropped four catch able balls last week against Dallas.
“It’s just weird,” Gault said. “The long passes haven’t been coming that much this year. We’re more ball-control, and we’re winning. Walter’s back on track with his 100-yard games. We don’t have to depend quite as much on the pass.”
“Willie sees a lot of double coverage,” quarterback Steve Fuller said. “Also, when you’ve got his speed, they tend to lay off you – just give you the short outs and ins.
“If you’re a defense and you ask yourself how to play Willie, you say, `Make sure he doesn’t beat you deep.’ It’s the same thing Dan Hampton runs into every week on defense. Everybody double-teams him.
“I think as the season goes on, they’re going to find a way to stop our run, or try to. Willie will get a lot more chances to help us out.”
