NFL Players at Local Camp Hoping to Return to Field

Alex Brown, the former Chicago Bears defensive lineman, was jovial and relaxed as he sat on a sofa inside Scholl Hall at Benedictine University—headquarters for last week’s eighth annual Alex Brown Football Camp.

Teaching fundamentals on both sides of the ball to the nearly 200 kids ages 8-18 who came from all over the Midwest to attend the camp is one of Brown’s passions.

“Fundamentals and having fun,” Brown adds. “If you do it right and have fun while you’re doing it, it’s probably going to be a good play. It probably will end up positive unless the kid you’re going against is far superior, but if you do it right, have fun doing it and play hard, it’ll be fun.”

With regard to teaching, Brown gets a helping hand at camp from high school and college coaches across the country … and a few of his ex-teammates whom he invited as guest instructors. Day 2 of camp featured current Bears wideout Johnny Knox, along with former Bears running backs Adrian Peterson—now with the United Football League’s Virginia Destroyers—and running back Jason McKie, who was cut by the Baltimore Ravens earlier this year.

Knox said Brown contacted him over a week ago and asked the third-year pro if he’d be interested in stopping by and working with the young wide receiver and running back hopefuls at camp. He was happy to oblige.

“I’m good friends with Alex,” Knox said. “He just contacted me and wanted my football expertise a little bit, so I said, ‘Yes, it should be fun.’ ”

Before he went out to lead campers through drills, Knox made an interesting statement during the course of our conversation last week:

“It’ll be my first time around football in a while during this lockout, so I’m looking forward to getting out there and seeing a little football,” he said.

Aside from a four-day window during the 2011 NFL Draft, players have not been allowed at NFL team facilities due, of course, to a lockout imposed by owners in March after the players union decertified following expiration of the collective bargaining agreement.

As of last Thursday, the lockout had been in place 110 days.

Like all NFL players during the lockout, Knox and Brown—now with the New Orleans Saints—have either been working out on their own, or with teammates.

Knox, the Bears leading receiver in 2010 with 960 yards, hopes both sides can reach a deal soon.

“I’m still being optimistic and being confident that things will work out,” he said. “I’m just still training and getting ready, and whenever the bell rings, just be ready for it when it comes.”

There are indications a new NFL labor agreement will be reached soon, possibly before the start of summer training camps. The Bears’ training camp is scheduled to open at Olivet-Nazarene University on Saturday, July 23.

Brown, no doubt, expressed the sentiments and frustrations of many fans as he urged both sides to “get it done.”

“We all want football; we all know that,” Brown said. “I think we, including me and including the players and including everybody, we’re beating a dead horse here. We know what we want; just get it done.

“Everybody knows we want to play football. Everybody wants football, so get it done and we’ll be fine. I think if both sides come out feeling like they’ve been cheated just a little bit, it’s probably a good deal. If one side comes out feeling super happy, it’s probably not a very good deal and we’ll be back at this point soon.”

Brown was a Bears’ mainstay at defensive end before the team released him in April, 2010 following the signing of All-Pro DE Julius Peppers. After being released, the Saints signed him two a two-year free agent deal.

Brown compared being released by the Bears, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2002 draft, to being fired from a job. When he got the news, he said he didn’t have a choice but to move on.

“I think just getting fired from any job, you have to move on,” he said. “I thought I could continue to play, and if I wanted to, I had to do it somewhere else. That’s it. I’m a very realistic person and that’s what it was. I don’t put anymore into it than that.”

He started 107 games for the Bears and had 42 ½ sacks during his eight seasons in Chicago. Last season, he started all 16 regular-season games and one postseason contest with New Orleans.

Brown still makes his home in the Chicago area, but said he’s happy to be with the Saints.

“I enjoy where I’m at,” he said. “I really enjoy the Saints. They’ve been more than gracious to me and my family, and it’s just awesome. I really, really enjoy the fans. They’re unbelievable. The ‘Who Dat?’ nation is just unreal.

“My teammates are great. I think we have a great team, and with the draft picks we got this year, we’ve got an excellent chance of winning the NFC and possibly going on and winning the Super Bowl. So I’m really excited.”

Sad news

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Chitkowski family—John, his wife, Kerry, and their daughters Danielle and Stephanie—whose home in an unincorporated area near Glen Ellyn was destroyed by fire on Friday.

Family members were not home at the time of the blaze, which started late in the morning.

Danielle and Stephanie play for the Glenbard South softball team, which earned third place at the Class 3A state tournament last month. Danielle will be a senior this fall, and Stephanie a junior.

, a first baseman and pitcher, is one of the team’s leading hitters. She also is considered to be one of the best players in the area. Stephanie pitches for the Raiders, as well.

New coach at Hinsdale Central

Hinsdale Central recently announced the hiring of Tom McBride as head coach of its boys lacrosse club.

McBride has been involved in the lacrosse program since 2003. He spent seven seasons coaching the boys’ freshman team, and coached the junior varsity squad last season. The JV team went undefeated in West Suburban Conference play in 2010.

It promises to be a busy summer for Hinsdale Central athletic director Paul Moretta as the school is hoping to have a new girls head soccer coach and new boys volleyball in place over the next few weeks.

Earlier this year, became the new head football coach at Hinsdale Central, replacing Mike DiMatteo, who stepped down after the 2010 season.