Hightower on returner competition, Taylor’s “relentless mindset” |
CHICAGO—Special teams do not typically garner as much attention as they have this offseason. Chicago’s special teams coordinator, Richard Hightower, played a large role in the NFL’s new kickoff rule, which was designed to increase the number of kickoff returns. However, this did not come to fruition in the NFL’s first game of the season with the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
Nonetheless, Hightower is excited to see how the new kickoff rule plays out across the league in this first week of the season. “I’m definitely excited for the new kickoff rule to see how that’s going to be orchestrated across the league,” Hightower said. “A lot of time and effort was put into that, so I’m excited to see how that plays out for our players and for the fans when they put it on display. A lot of effort went into making that a play that people would watch. So, I’m really excited to see how that would play out.” There are still some unanswered questions for the Bears on special teams. Both Velus Jones Jr. and DeAndre Carter are listed as the punt returner and kick returner for Chicago going into their season opener this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans (Noon/FOX). Thus, the competition still continues, and it seems like it will continue throughout the season. However, Hightower seems to have an idea of who is first in line at each position. “Velus is a kick returner, and DeAndre is a punt returner, and we got several other options we can use,” Hightower said. “For punt returner, obviously we’re looking for someone who can take care of the football, somebody that’s fearless and somebody that can get us explosive plays and then really, it’s the same at kick returner. So, we list both of them because any one of them could be back there at any time.” Fans saw on Hard Knocks that Hightower was adamant about keeping Jones Jr. on the roster during the final roster cuts. It stood out for many reasons, especially because Jones Jr. has established himself as a solid running back during training camp and the preseason, yet Hightower, as the special teams coordinator, felt the need to fight for him. “I always thought that the kid was (super-uber) talented,” Hightower said. “So, really, that big and that fast, and now, he’s gaining a tremendous amount of confidence because he’s making a lot more plays now, and obviously, he’s done a great job on offense, and he’s always done a great job, in the kicking game. So, just looking for him to keep growing and excited about his development phase.” Another unusual situation for Hightower is having a purely special teams player taken during the draft. Chicago chose to use their fourth-round draft pick on punter Tory Taylor, who was exceptional during his collegiate career. Taylor had 295 total punts for an average of 46.3 per punt in his four years with the Iowa Hawkeyes, three of them with 80 or more punts. Taylor has continued to improve throughout training camp, in part because of his relentless mindset. “I’ve seen growth for sure. But, the one thing that you can’t coach or teach, it really comes from his parents, is a relentless mindset. He’s relentless, and he’s competitive, and he really wants to be great, and you can push that as a coach, and we all push that, and we all talk about competitive greatness,” Hightower said. “But, it’s something about this kid that’s within, and when you get a chance to work with guys like that, it makes it really fun. So, I’m looking forward to his growth process, and I’m looking forward to him competing and playing at Soldier in front of our fans for the first home opener. I’m excited to see that kid play.”
