Akiem Hicks is an unquestioned leader for the Chicago Bears defense. He’s also a guy who has experienced all sorts of defensive coordinators in his career. It started with Rob Ryan back in New Orleans, then shifted to Dennis Allen. When he was traded to New England, he got a whiff of the Matt Patricia and Bill Belichick experienced. Then he left as a free agent to sign in Chicago where he came under the watch of Vic Fangio.
It’s there that he transformed into the Pro Bowler he is today. One would think after three years of excellence that Hicks would’ve been among the saddest to see Fangio leave this offseason, becoming head coach in Denver. This doesn’t seem to be the case. Hicks spoke with Jeff Joniak recently about the upcoming matchup with Fangio’s Broncos. It’s something the defensive end is looking forward to. During the discussion, he made it clear that he has the utmost respect for Fangio as a coach.
However, his added response regarding the arrival of Chuck Pagano makes it seem like the new defensive coordinator already has the trust and admiration of Hicks.
“What a feeling. To play against your former defensive coordinator. We’ll always have a great deal of respect for Vic. As far as the man we have replacing him? There couldn’t have been a better choice for…this room. I’m talking about Chuck Pagano. The way that he’s come in and, you know, made guys believe, made guys respect him, made guys feel like they can trust him.”
Akiem Hicks may love Pagano’s more personable side
It’s hard to argue with Fangio’s success. His play calling prowess and ability to elevate players is well established over 30 years of NFL service. However, nobody can ever say the guy lit up a room. Fangio was always an even-keel personality. He was straightforward and frank with his comments. He never feared giving it to you crystal clear with no fluff. This way the player understood exactly where he was. While this is an effective way to teach, it’s also not always the way for a man to inspire love.
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Fangio seemed to keep a certain distance from people. He was the kind of guy who stayed up in the box during games while calling plays. This was because he felt it gave him an edge in seeing what was happening on the ground. That is true, but it also robbed him of opportunities to mingle with his players, motivating them and communicating exactly what he wants from one series to the next.
This is something Pagano has embraced from the start. He’s on the sidelines, always active and always communicating. Players respond to that. It’s hard to deny its impact too. The Bears defense was excellent in the opener, allowing just 10 points and sacked Aaron Rodgers five times. Nobody is saying that Pagano is somehow far superior to Fangio as a defensive mind. Even so, it seems he has found a way to connect with his players far easier than his predecessor ever did.
