The Bears on Friday hired Carlos Polk as their assistant special teams coach.
Polk, 44, has spent 10 seasons serving in the same role with the Chargers (2010-12), Buccaneers (2014-18), Cowboys (2019) and Jaguars (2021). In his first stint with Dallas in 2013, Polk worked as a coaching intern.
Polk started his coaching career in 2009 at Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif., as an assistant special teams coach.
As a player, Polk was an NFL linebacker with the Chargers (2001-07) and Cowboys (2008). He appeared in 74 games with six starts over seven seasons, recording 121 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks.
Polk missed the entire 2005 campaign with an Achilles injury. But he rebounded to have his best season in 2006, establishing career highs with 45 tackles, three tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks and earning the Chargers' Ed Block Courage Award.
Polk was selected by the Chargers in the fourth round of the 2001 draft out of Nebraska, where he was a two-time All-Big 12 selection. As a redshirt freshman in 1997, he helped the Cornhuskers win the national championship. He was named an All-American in 2000 and enshrined in the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2010.
Polk grew up in Rockford, Ill., and played at Guilford High School, where he was a three-time all-conference linebacker and a USA Today All-American selection.
