[CBFF] CT - Number-one hit

[Jerry Madsen]

I don't care how big of a fan I become of him, I refuse to call Greg
Olson, "G-Reg"... ever!

Jerry

------------------------------

Number-one hit
Talented rookie tight end Greg Olsen may make Bears' passing attack sing
David Haugh
On the Bears

August 2, 2007

BOURBONNAIS -- Without hesitation, Greg Olsen stood up in the dining
hall the other day and delivered the rap song veteran Bears teammates
ordered him to perform.

Rookie hazing at training camp is an NFL rite of passage that dates to
the leather helmet days, and not even first-round picks such as Olsen
are exempt.

So on cue, Olsen uncorked a censored version of the X-rated ditty he
earned infamy for recording as rapper "G-Reg," back when he was an
18-year-old University of Miami freshman. But then it would have to be
cleaned up for this pristine-in-every-way campus of Olivet Nazarene.

The lyrics weren't what made the biggest impression on Olsen's
laughing teammates anyway. The underlying message was.

"When he did that and was able to laugh at himself, he won a lot of
people over and made a few friends," said fellow tight end Desmond
Clark.

On the field, acceptance came even more quickly. Olsen has already
proved that "G-Reg" is no typical rookie.

"This isn't college anymore," Olsen said. "This is our job, what we
get paid to do, and you have to treat it like that every day."

He has done just that, according to several veteran Bears offensive
linemen who have noted the workmanlike approach of the franchise's
first first-round tight end since Mike Ditka.

The ease with which Olsen has adapted to the speed of the NFL in
running routes against one of the league's quickest defenses bodes
well for the Bears' intermediate passing game. No other newcomer is
likely to have a bigger impact on Sundays.

Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey, a fellow Miami alum with whom Olsen
often is compared, caught 74 passes for 894 yards and two touchdowns
his rookie year of 2002. That's about four or five catches per game.
The Bears would prefer not to put any such pressure on Olsen, but
based on early impressions it would be hard to call similar
statistical goals unrealistic for No. 82.

"Anybody watching practice can see he just brings another dimension,"
Clark said. "I'm trying to help him however I can, but he's picking up
little things on his own. The blocking aspect of the game has
impressed me the most. Not only is he willing to block, he's a good
blocker."

Clark sounded surprised. Apparently he had jumped to the same
conclusions everybody else had drawn before Olsen arrived.

"Coming in, we heard he's not a great blocker but he has made the
effort to be one," Clark said. "[Tight ends coach Rob] Boras has been
working before and after practice with him on footwork and that has
helped him a lot."

The excitement level within the team matches that from its fans, who
have been so revved up at camp that they might erupt in cheers the
next time Olsen ties his shoe between plays.

Everybody marvels at the same rare combination: a downfield threat who
looks the part of a tight end but demands defenses treat him like a
wide receiver. That presents all sorts of options for offensive
coordinator Ron Turner.

"The way Ron is calling plays so far, it could be wide open," Clark said.

Turner can pair Olsen in a double-tight-end formation with Clark, who
is coming off a career year, and force defenses to make a decision. If
teams view Olsen as a receiving threat and insert an extra defensive
back, that opens up opportunities for the Bears' running game.

If teams keep a linebacker on the field in the hope he can cover
Olsen, good luck. There are wide receivers in the Bears' camp who
would lose a foot race to the 6-foot-5-inch, 254-pounder. One result
should be Rex Grossman improving his third-down completion percentage
(52 percent) and passer rating (66.4) from 2006.

In a division in which every defense primarily plays the Cover-2,
which leaves the deep middle of the field vulnerable, having the
second-fastest tight end in the league matters.

"I'm eager to see how teams will handle that," coach Lovie Smith said.
"After you see him out running routes outside, you can easily treat
him like a wide receiver. He has those kinds of skills."

In another sign of his versatility, Olsen has lined up at fullback and
started his pass route from the backfield. The alignment options will
keep Turner as busy trying to find ways to use Olsen as defensive
coordinators will be worrying about matchups.

Clark is available for consultation.

"From what we're seeing right now, both of us are on the field a lot
with the first team," Clark said. "A linebacker's not going to be able
to cover him, and if they bring in a DB in to cover him, we'll just
tighten down and run the ball. Our own defense views him as a receiver
[during practice]. It could be a lot of fun."

Olsen plans to enjoy being a Bear. He has committed to a weekly guest
appearance on a radio show and has begun a training-camp diary on the
Bears Web site.

In his first entry, he even sounded positive about having to carry
shoulder pads for Clark and veteran John Gilmore, calling it "the
least we can do."

On-line or in the dining hall, Olsen has carried himself like a
typical rookie, even though it seems obvious on the field his season
will be anything but.

"I knew it'd be a step up from college but every day I feel more
comfortable," Olsen said.

Every day, it shows.

dhaugh at tribune.com

Copyright (c) 2007, The Chicago Tribune