Devin Hester Learning Offense from Receiver Who Knows it Best
The Bears new offense is considered receiver-friendly, but it's also quite complicated.
Bears receiver Devin Hester worked overtime this offseason to get ready for training camp. He spent nearly a month in South Florida training with former NFL receiver Isaac Bruce, who was a star for new Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz in St. Louis.
"Great guy to ask questions to," Hester told WSCR. "He mastered this offense and he knows the ins and the outs."
Hester said a typical workout lasted for two and a half hours a day.
"They weren't easy," he said.
From a physical standpoint, Bruce made Hester work on his conditioning. He ran around an Olympic-sized track, up and down stairs, the works. The Bears wideout was forced to improve his lower body strength.
"This probably was the most running I ever did as far as training," said Hester, who expects to a play a big role in both the offense and the return game.
Bruce taught Hester plenty of football lessons too.
"The little small things that he learned from being in St. Louis, what it takes to be one of the predominant receivers in this offense," said Hester. "I just tried to pick [Bruce's] brain as much as I could and just tried to kind of learn from the best."
The lessons involved more than route-running and pass-catching techniques.
"I questioned [Bruce] about all the questions I had in my mind after all the OTAs and minicamp," said Hester. "Everything that he taught me makes sense now."
One of the biggest questions Hester had for Bruce was how long it took the four-time Pro Bowl receiver to understand the offense.
"He said it's like a two to three year process," Hester revealed. "You're not going to understand everything in the first year. You're going to be thinking a little bit."
Hester said he's been taking detailed notes on the nuances of playing receiver in the Bears new offense. He knows there will be more questions to come. Bruce gave Hester his phone number and told him to call him when they do.
Several guests with experience in Martz's offense are expected to visit Bears training camp over the next few weeks to help familiarize the players with it.
Familiarity is a big thing in the NFL. For the first time since he started playing receiver in the league, Hester will begin a season working with the same quarterback he finished the previous year with.
"I've never seen the desire and the hunger that I see in [Jay Cutler's] eyes," Hester said. "From just [conversing] with him, it's a different Jay Cutler. I think he's really going to come out and bring his swag back."
It's the kind of confidence the Bears sorely lacked by the end of last season.
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