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.
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Defensive coach takes the offensive
Brian Hewitt
Originally published Aug. 12, 1985
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – “I think the Bears pay me to have opinions on people,” said Buddy Ryan. “Controversy? I don’t see any controversy. Is a difference of opinion controversy?”
The candid Bear defensive coordinator plopped three large scoops of vanilla ice cream into a bowl, smothered them in chocolate syrup, sprinkled on some nuts, pulled up a chair and dug in.
The only thing missing was whipped cream. Never, apparently, on sundae.
In between bites he talked about everything from organizational loyalty and his relationship with head coach
Mike Ditka (“I respect him. You’ll have to ask him if he respects me.”) to his professional differences with player personnel director Bill Tobin and last week’s publicized blasts at Bear draft picks.
It was lunchtime on a quiet off day for the players.
Tobin had defended the No. 1 draft selection of William Perry last week after Ryan had blasted the 330-pound rookie tackle on a Chicago radio show. Tobin also disagreed with Ryan’s assessment of second-year linebacker Ron Rivera’s speed.
Just then Rivera walked by Ryan’s table. “Tell these guys what you told me the other day,” Ryan ordered.
“Heck,” said Rivera obediently, “if Bill Tobin’s right about Buddy, I’m a world-class sprinter.”
Ryan howled with delight, then delivered these opinions on other subjects:
Loyalty: “As far as I’m concerned I’m loyal to the Bears.”
Mike Ditka: “Ditka and I get along fine. We might have differences of opinion on people, but what the hell.
If you’ve got 10 guys sitting in a room and they all say they agree, then nine of those guys aren’t thinking.”
Holdout starters (Al Harris, Todd Bell and Mike Singletary): “We’ve been preparing to play without them. You always hope they’ll return. General manager Jerry Vainisi’s been busting his rear end trying to sign those guys.”
The defense (in a 10-3 pre-season loss to St. Louis): “Terrible. It showed how much we miss Harris at right linebacker. But I liked the way Mike Richardson played at left corner.
Wilber Marshall (Harris’ replacement): “He’s been babied all his life. He’s had all those gifts – all the way through high school and college. He’s got a lot of ability and he’ll be a superstar some day. But I don’t think it will be this year.”
Marshall’s durability (recently questioned by Ditka): “Durability’s so important in our business. A lesser athlete that’s there for 16 games is worth more to you than a great athlete that’s only there for two games, misses two and then two more. Durability is the name of the game in our business.”
