NEWSLETTER
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix’s journey to Chicago has Florida roots.
You see, Clinton-Dix hosted a defensive back prospect named Eddie Jackson on a recruiting trip while at Alabama – you might’ve heard of him. This pairing was the brain-child of Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban, who put Clinton-Dix and Jackson together because the two young defensive backs were Florida products. Makes sense! The two must have clicked because Jackson signed with Alabama. Little did anyone know back then that Saban essentially laid the groundwork for Jackson to return the favor with a recruiting pitch of his own that helped land Clinton-Dix in Chicago.
“Eddie played a big role,” Clinton-Dix said, via Larry Mayer of the Bears’ official website. “He’s always been a fan of mine since he came to Alabama. He talked to me in this process about the culture in Chicago and I bought in. I was on for the ride, and I’m excited about it.”
Changing “the culture” hasn’t been easy, but it’s happened and players are taking notice.
New nickel corner Buster Skrine said “you can feel the energy when you walk in the building” when discussing what has been built in Chicago. All-purpose weapon Cordarrelle Patterson said signing with the Bears was a no-brainer for him because he “wanted to be a part of that culture.” Even reserve running back Mike Davis chimed in calling the Bears “a team on the rise” because of their defense and offensive line play. Clearly, what GM Ryan Pace and Head Coach Matt Nagy have put together in their first year in Chicago is resonating throughout the league.
Bears fans know all-too-well what it looks like when a “bad” culture takes over an organization when they saw the Marc Trestman era crumble within two years of its beginning. With that in mind, we should have an idea what “good” culture could do for a franchise that’s on the rise.
To be clear, good “culture” isn’t going to score touchdowns, come up with big defensive stops, or connect on game-winning field goals. But a good locker room presence and positive vibes in an organization can go a long way toward getting players on a team into position to make those things happen.
