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Former Bears Linebacker Ron Cox Visits Football Camp at Elmhurst College

A speech and autographs from Cox has been among the early highlights this week; camp moves indoors Wednesday due to heat.

Eight-year old Max Assad of Elmhurst wasn’t around to celebrate the Super Bowl XX victory in 1986, but that’s still his favorite Chicago Bears team.

“I haven’t seen it on TV, but I did like when they won the Super Bowl,” said Assad, also aware of the “Super Bowl Shuffle” song recorded by players during that championship run. “(I’m) a really big Bears fan because I was born in Chicago.”

This week, Assad is among 37 young athletes who enjoy the Bears, football and just having a good time during the Chicago Bears Youth Football Camp based at Elmhurst College. The non-contact camp, which began Monday and runs through Friday, is among 27 offered since June in the Chicago area for boys and girls ages 6 to 14.

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The Elmhurst campers received a special treat Tuesday morning when former Chicago Bears linebacker Ron Cox arrived, the first of two former NFL players scheduled to visit.

Cox spoke to the campers, answered questions, signed numerous autographs and oversaw some of their activities. He told them he was one of the last Bears to wear No. 54 before current standout linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Elmhurst resident Sam Colucci, 8, who attends Emerson Elementary School, had his mini-football autographed by Cox.

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“It was good. He signed a few of my stuff,” Colucci said. “(During his speech, Cox told us) to never be afraid to ask for help and stuff and to never give up.”

Cox played for the Bears from 1990-95 and 1997 during his seven-year NFL career well before most of the campers were born. In his one other season, Cox played for the rival Green Bay Packers in 1996 and was part of their Super Bowl championship squad.

“You know some do (know who I am). Some of them are like deer in the headlights but I’m the kind of guy that’ll go up and give them a hug and it’s so fun because I never had this experience before growing up,” said Cox, 43.

“I’ve been coming here for four or five years and I love it. When I was growing up, we didn’t have this. We didn’t have camps put together. I used to watch on TV and, ‘Oh God, that was (Bears Hall of Fame linebacker) Mike Singletary, and then all of a sudden I had a chance to play with him. These kids at least get to see a Jim Morrissey, they get a chance to see some of these guys that helped build that foundation so it’s kind of nice.”

Cox was raised on a farm in California before playing at Fresno State University and being taken by the Bears in the second round of the NFL draft. With a degree in electrical engineering, Cox now works in the area in building design and consulting, while the youngest of his three children, Ron, prepares for his sophomore football season at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein. His son probably will become a linebacker like his father after learning to oversee things defensively by playing safety.

“My biggest topic for these kids is their education and discipline because that’s something that we’ve lost. You see a lot of great athletes but they don’t have very good grades,” Cox said. “My son is a 4.0 (grade-point average) student. I‘m more excited about that than him playing football because you can only play sports for so long. It’s what you do afterwards.”

As for showing the campers his Super Bowl ring? Cox said he gave it to his son and it’s actually locked away.

“I haven’t worn it in probably five years. I get nervous wearing it,” Cox said. “I’m an old country boy. I don’t like pretty stuff.”

Jason Hendry, the Bears Youth Camp director for the Elmhurst site, said one of the aspects he likes about the camps is that it goes beyond football, and speakers such as Cox reflect that. Allan Ellis, a Bears defensive back from 1973-80, is expected to visit Thursday. Last week, Morrissey and Kris Haynes spoke at a camp Hendry oversaw.

“They talk about school, life, being a better person, not necessarily being the best football player,” Hendry said. “Just to see how they respond and how attentive they are when they’re talking, it’s great. Just to see the kids’ faces, it’s very rare that you’re going to get a bunch of kids all attentive and listening. When these guys talk, they’re there.”

Hendry became interested in the Bears Youth Football Camps through a former player he coached at Olivet-Nazarene University that recommended him as a camp director. Hendry also is a varsity assistant football coach at Proviso West High School.

“The first goal is to have fun. If you’re not going to have fun, there’s no point in having them out here,” Hendry said. “When I say having fun, it’s teaching skills, the basics, how to catch, how to block, how to throw, the fundamentals of the football game.

“And also sportsmanship. Teaching great sportsmanship is a key. Like I told them (Monday) in our speech, nobody comes out here trying to mess up. Everybody’s trying to do their best so instead of yelling at a teammate, encourage a teammate. We want to bring (teammates) up, not tear them down.”

“You get to learn about a lot of different things and stuff. We get to learn about football and we learn a lot,” Assad said.

Cox said he loved his NFL career but retired with two years left on his contract to spend more time with his family. He coached linebackers at Fresno State but left the profession, at least for a while, because of the tremendous time commitments. Cox said he had the opportunity to be considered for the coaching staff of new Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, another former Bears player, and he knows Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier well, but that’s not his career path right now.

“There ain’t that much money in the world because time is so short,” Cox said. “I’ve got to trust in every inch of time with my kids and take them places and have fun because it’s something that I missed in my life.”

Another concern during the camp was the high temperature and heat index, especially as the athletes ran drills on the artificial grass surface of Langhorst Field. The campers took several water breaks under a tent.

During one break, Assad took his cap, poured water into it, and stuck it on his head.

“So far, (I enjoy) that we play scrimmages,” said Elmhurst resident Tieran Casey, 6, who attends Jefferson Elementary School. “I love scrimmages of football and that the multi-purpose room is air conditioned.”

Bears Youth Football Camps conclude next week. For more information on the remaining camps, visit www.BearsCamps.com or call (312) 226-7776.

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