Joniak's Super Bowl Journal: Many Former Bears Assistants Involved In Super Bowl 50
By Jeff Joniak--
(CBS) The Panthers and Broncos square off in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday evening in Santa Clara, Calif. Here are my observations leading up the big game.
First impression
While quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Cam Newton are garnering most of the attention for their Sunday showdown, the journeys of the other 150-plus coaches and players are what completes the mosaic of Super Bowl 50. From Monday through Thursday, I typically focus on those stories, hopefully with a Chicago angle. There are many such ties in the countdown to Super Bowl 50.
After working for the Bears in 2014, Reggie Herring is the Broncos' inside linebackers coach, and he's humbled by his good fortune.
"I'll put it very simple," Herring said. "It's like winning the lottery, and I'll be damned if I ever win the lottery, but I did this year."
There are similar sentiments from former Bears assistants like Panthers defensive line coach Eric Washington, secondary coach Steve Wilks, offensive coordinator Mike Shula, receivers coach Ricky Proehl, and tight ends coach Pete Hoener.
Second thought
Sons of coaches who work on NFL staffs are more common than ever. The number of coaches has exploded anyway in the era of specialization, with growing budgets allowing for additional hires.
Denver offensive assistant Brian Callahan was hired by John Fox six years ago after playing quarterback at UCLA. A Champaign native, Callahan's is the son of Redskins offensive line coach and former Raiders coach Bill Callahan.
"My uncle is in Palos Park, my aunts are in Oak Park and Lincoln Park," Callahan said. "I grew up going to the Brookfield Zoo. I loved the Bears. I loved them growing up. My dad always loved them. It was his childhood team."
Callahan worked with new Dolphins coach and former Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase in Denver.
"I think the world of Adam," Callahan said. "I think he's an outstanding football coach."
Callahan could have joined the Bears staff in 2015 but wasn't willing to make a lateral move. The move he didn't make has allowed him to coach in his second Super Bowl in three seasons.
Elsewhere, former Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner has passed the coaching bug on to his son Cam, who's Carolina's assistant receivers coach and a former star football player at Libertyville High School. He was a Citadel quarterback when the Bears lost to Manning's Colts in Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season. Ron Turner was the offensive coordinator in Chicago then.
"Being a part of it as a family member felt great," Turner said. "It's taken to a whole new level when you're the one going who's putting in all the hours of time to make it there, but it's great."
The entire Turner family will arrive in the Bay Area this week to support their son, which is also a homecoming for Ron Turner, who grew up in nearby Martinez, California, and is the brother of Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner. It's clearly a family business with the Turners and football. Cam's brother Morgan coaches tight ends at Stanford
"My mom calls us crazy," Turner said. "She tried to warn us, and say use your business degree, but I couldn't help it. I can't see myself doing anything else. I absolutely love it."
Third degree
Denver inside linebackers Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan are both out of contract after the game. They're both Fox products and may be Bears targets in free agency. Marshall was a fifth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2012 and practice-squad player before his rise to prominence. Trevathan was a sixth-round pick of the Broncos in 2012.
"Danny's the Porsche, and Brandon's the Cadillac," Herring said. "He's the steady, get-everybody-lined-up, consistent-as-all-get-out linebacker, and Danny's a sideline-to-sideline big playmaker. They do work well together. They are great kids, and they really care about being good. They are unselfish, and they have been consistent."
Marshall and Trevathan are terrific complements to one another, on a defense splashed with stars and impact playmakers.
Fourth-and-short
For as many close games the Bears were in during the regular season, the Broncos can make the argument they had the most. Their top-ranked defense also went through the gauntlet of the league's quality quarterbacks. They faced Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, Phillip Rivers (twice), Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler. On Sunday, they get the MVP favorite in Newton.
Jeff Joniak is the play-by-play announcer for the Bears broadcasts on WBBM Newsradio 780. Follow him on Twitter @JeffJoniak.
