BOURBONNAIS — Months after lobbying for the Bears to sign his former pupil Ray McDonald, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Friday to blame him for the defensive end’s brief tenure with the team.
The Bears signed McDonald in March despite his checked legal past, and cut him in May after he was arrested on domestic violence and child endangerment charges.
“Obviously I was disappointed for everybody involved — Ray, us, the people on the other side out there in California,” Fangio said after training camp practice Friday, his first public comments since the release.
“I don’t regret trying to vouch for him. At the time. I believed it was the right thing to do.”
McDonald played for Fangio for four years in San Francisco.
He had been released by the 49ers on Dec. 17 for a “pattern of poor decision-making” after being accused of sexual assault.On Aug. 31, he was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence.
“The only thing I regret is, because it didn’t work out, the club put their faith in my recommendation — that (chairman) George (McCaskey) and (GM) Ryan (Pace) and (coach) John (Fox) took some hits from you guys.
“Really, (you) should have been hitting me, not them.”
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Email: pfinley@suntimes.com
