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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Ditka expresses displeasure with Fencik
Kevin Lamb
Originally published Aug. 13, 1985
Coach Mike Ditka expressed displeasure with the lengthy recovery time for safety Gary Fencik’s hamstring strain and, to a lesser extent, defensive tackle Dan Hampton’s knee surgery. “That’s between him and the trainer,” he said of the players’ timetables. Fencik rested for the sixth straight day.
Ditka said he wasn’t worried about Hampton. “When you play in the league for so many years, you ought to know when your body’s well and when it’s not well.” But he regretted his off-season prediction that Hampton would miss the whole exhibition season. “I’m sure it caused the timetable to slide back a little,” Ditka said.
Tight end Pat Dunsmore missed practice with a pulled muscle in his abdomen. Ditka doubted he would play in the home exhibition Saturday against Indianapolis.
General manager Jerry Vainisi plans to talk soon to holdout safety Todd Bell’s agent, Howard Slusher, but said there wasn’t much more to say to the other holdouts, linebackers Mike Singletary and Al Harris.
Kicker Kevin Butler’s medical report was “excellent” after his CAT scan and other tests prompted by his weeklong headaches, Ditka said. Butler would have returned to camp yesterday, but the flights from Chicago to Dubuque, Iowa, were sold out.
Tackle Keith Van Horne impressed Ditka with his strong arms and hands in pass blocking when he practiced for the first time since ending his holdout . . . Linebacker Wilber Marshall returned to practice after leaving Friday night’s exhibition at St. Louis with a leg injury.
Ditka made his first eight cuts, all rookies: running backs Jackie Jackson, Anthony Tomas and Ricky Stewart, tight ends Barry Hanna and Kevin Riccio, and defensive backs Mike Feldt, Kevin Gray and Ken Miller. The Bears have 83 players left in camp.
