Olsen impresses teammates, Ditka

Rookie tight end shows star qualities

Thursday, August 16, 2007

By Phil Arvia

GateHouse News Service

CHICAGO - It wasn't exactly the passing of a torch, because whatever torch borne by Mike Ditka - quite unlike the one Bears fans ever carry for their coach - was dropped long ago by the likes Craig Cotton, Fred Pagac and Kaseem Sinceno.

But whatever took place Saturday between Ditka and Greg Olsen, as various second-stringers from the Bears and Texans played on in the background, had the aroma of import.

In what was allegedly an interview, Ditka the analyst talked from the TV booth to Olsen on the sideline. But it was more a lodge initiation.

Ditka started out with "Greg, you're in the greatest city in America," and meandered through nothing approximating a question. Olsen? Though it appeared not at all intentional, the guess here is he sold a lot of No. 82 jerseys.

Why? Well, the mop of blond hair and chiseled jaw won't cut into the supply of teenybopper shoppers. The facts that Olsen caught Rex Grossman's first ball of the preseason and is the Bears' first-round draft pick ought to rate high with the kids who always have to be ahead of the curve on the latest cool jersey.

But mostly, there were the three times Olsen responded to Ditka with "Yes, sir."

If they were watching, the moms and dads of the cats and kittens who want the Olsen jerseys will find it easier to part with their hard-earned cash, having had this glimpse into what seems to be the personality of a nice young man. And if you needed any further convincing, consider this assessment from Olsen of his chat with Ditka:

"It was neat."

"It was nice to finally talk to him," Olsen added. "I'd never actually spoken to him before, and just to get that kind of advice from someone who's been successful, it's definitely advice I'm going to take to heart."

So far, Olsen is charming more than the tiny audience for exhibition football. Consider his teammates smitten.

"The thing about it is he came in with a nice, level head and he wanted to work - he wanted to learn," Desmond Clark, Olsen's competitor/mentor at tight end, said. "That's what he's been doing since he's been here. You can't ask any more from a rookie than that."

"He's doing a good job of knowing his stuff and knowing his assignments - that goes a long way with the veteran players," Grossman said. "If you're doing your job and not making mistakes, and you pick up the offense quickly, you'll get respect quickly. Plus, he's got a great personality and fits in with our offense."

Gee, what happened to profane rapper out of the University of Miami? And speaking of Miami, what has Olsen done to that institution's reputation for shipping wild-child tight ends - see Jeremy Shockey and Kellen Winslow Jr. - to the league?

The rap song - easily forgiven by anyone who has ever misstepped while working on his cool as a teenager - hasn't been as hard to shake as the Miami tight ends rap.

"Just because we played the same position at the same school doesn't really mean we're the same type of person, personality wise," Olsen said. "I always get that from people: 'Why aren't you running around on the field, yelling?'

"That's what motivates them and gets them ready to play. What I do works for me. Everybody approaches the game in a different manner."

This is not to say Olsen is a shrinking violet. During Tuesday's practice, he took issue with Brian Urlacher's aggressive end zone coverage and bounced up from a mugging pantomiming a referee tossing a flag.

"That's the competitive nature in him," Clark said. "He's got a real, real nice competitive nature that helps him bring out the talent that he has."

Which is considerable. Ditka sees it. Clark, one of only two Bears tight ends to crack 40 receptions in a season since Ditka became the modern prototype for the position with 173 catches from 1961-63, sees it.

"I think we're going to see a lot of both of us on the field at the same time and trying to exploit the match-ups we create," Clark said.

If Olsen sees it, too, he's not saying. But if you want to say it, I'm pretty sure he'd thank you. Very kindly. S