Bears’ Singletary Seeks Perfection : Rushing Passers or Covering Receivers, He Can Do It All

CHICAGO â€”  Picky, picky, picky.

That’s what anyone would say about anyone who would criticize the performance the past two seasons of Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary.

After all, he was the NFC defensive player of the year last season in leading the Bears to their first division flag since 1963.

This year, he is back doing it again, anchoring a defense that many again be considered the best in the NFL.

But there is criticism. Errors found. Mistakes made. Missed tackles.

However, it should come as little surprise that the person making all of the critiques is Singletary himself.

“I view the films all the time and I see so many areas where I can improve,� Singletary says. “I see them and know that I still have a long way to go.�

Considering the performances on the field, it’s hard to see where Singletary could get any better.

His position is linebacker, but he often joins the front four as part of a ferocious Bear pass rush designed by defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan.

The next play, he can be drifting downfield, covering fleet receivers like a safety.

“He is capable of anything,� says Bears’ coach Mike Ditka. “That is the kind of determination this man has. That is why he is constantly trying to improve.�

Singletary has the shoulders of a lineman, the waist of a running back and the legs of a shot putter. Matched that with the drive for perfection and there is little wonder why people mention him in the same breath with another immortal Bear linebacker, Dick Butkus.

“I know Butkus had the type of drive, too,� Ditka says. “Mike is in the same mold.�

Singletary, now in his fifth year, emerged in the public eye last year. The Bears’ pass rush recorded an NFL-record 72 sacks and Singletary earned the praise of both colleagues and the media.

“But you know, looking at some of the things that I did, I don’t know how I got to be player of the year or make the Pro Bowl,� says Singletary, who won’t specifically outline what those ‘mistakes’ were. “Im glad people think I did a good job and I know that my teammates are all putting out again this year.�

The 6-0, 228-pounder, a second-round selection in the 1981 draft, earned his first Pro Bowl honor in 1983. He led the team in virtually every defensive category. Last season, some of his numbers were down but he still managed to be considered the premier defensive player in the NFC.

Singletary wasn’t as hard on himself as he was on the Bears’ management earlier this year. He had five years remaining on a long-term contract he had signed out of Baylor but saw other defensive players getting higher salaries.

His lawyers and agent advised him to renegotiate a pact with the Bears. The trouble was, the Bears had a strict policy of not renegotiating existing contracts.

When the practice camp opened, the key to the defense was one of about a half dozen holdouts.

But in testimony to the worth of Singletary, the Bears cleverly “reworded� Singletary’s contract to give him a six-year deal with additional incentive clauses. While Chicago was maintaining it didn’t renegotiate Singletary’s contract, it was obvious to all that his contributions were so valuable that in effect, they broke policy.

“I was glad to get the extension and I think everyone that was dealt with was fair and honest,� Singletary says. “It was important for me to get that out of the way so I could again start playing football.�

More honors could be forthcoming for Singletary, especially if the Bears’ defense continues to play as it has and Chicago makes it to the Super Bowl.

More attention on the Bears will likely mean a sharper focus on Singletary by the opposition. But it’s also likely it will mean a sharper focus on Singletary by Singletary.

“That’s just the way he is,� said fellow linebacker Otis Wilson. “Mike always thinks he can get better. And he likely will.�

It is no wonder that the Bears’ media guide lists Singletary’s favorite book as “The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking,� by Norman Vincent Peale.