A look inside the Bears’ essentials at training camp
BY SEAN JENSEN sjensen@suntimes.com August 15, 2012 10:16PM
What are some of the Bears' essentials at training camp? Click through the gallery for an inside look.
OTHER MUST-HAVE ITEMS
Alshon Jeffery: “I just bring the Bible to read.”
Tim Jennings: “I got a pillow. It’s the orthopedic one. I couldn’t afford the bed, so I got the pillow instead. Tempur-Pedic.”
Earl Bennett: “NormaTec MVP,” which is an advanced dynamic compression system for the legs.
Devin Hester: “A TV, so I can watch the Olympics and ESPN to see what’s happening.”
WHAT THEY’RE WatchING
Gabe Carimi: ‘‘ ‘Breaking Bad.’ I was on my way to watch one now,” Carimi said after he left the cafeteria one day.
Chris Conte: “ ‘The Walking Dead’ on AMC.”
Evan Rodriguez: ‘‘ ‘Prison Break’ on Netflix. It’s a thrill.”
Chris Spencer: “ ‘The Tudors’ on Showtime. But I have to have my HDMI cable. It’s pretty sweet.”
WHAT THEY’RE PLAYING
Earl Bennett: “FIFA [Soccer 12] is the game of choice. We’ll have a couple of people in there.”
Henry Melton: “Call of Duty and FIFA. Sometimes I play against fans.”
Article Extras
Updated: September 17, 2012 1:12PM
BOURBONNAIS — For about three weeks, a modest dorm room at Olivet Nazarene University becomes a home away from home for Bears players.
Some bring the bare essentials, counting on the team to fulfill all their needs or packing lightly because their two-seat sports car doesn’t allow for more than a couple of bags. And some bring a truck-load of toys and treats, insisting on making themselves as comfortable as possible.
Tight end Kellen Davis, receiver Earl Bennett and long snapper Pat Mannelly are in the latter category, making them popular when the players do have some downtime.
“It looks like he’s been living there for a semester,” punter Adam Podlesh said of Mannelly’s room. “He’s been here so many times, it’s like he’s renting it out.”
He rents a television and recliner, and he’ll usually buy a bedside lamp and small carpet at Walmart.
“I’ve been here from the beginning,” said Mannelly, referring to the first training camp at ONU in 2002. “Every year, I get something. This year, it was the electronic tea kettle.
“It’s just the little things to make life easy.”
Other veterans aren’t shy about loitering in the rooms of teammates with aplenty. Cornerback D.J. Moore heads to Bennett’s, and running back Matt Forte often can be found in Davis’.
“I try to keep it clean,” Davis said. The tight end likely meant clean, as in sharp and cool, not spotless and disinfected.
Regardless, CLICK HERE for a look at the “must-haves” for other Bears players.
