CANTON, Ohio – Bears players, coaches and staff members were treated to a special in-person history lesson that they'll never forget Wednesday evening.
Traveling from Cleveland to Canton in five buses, a large Chicago contingent visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame—where they were greeted by Bears legends Devin Hester, who will be enshrined Saturday, and Jimbo Covert, a member of the Class of 2020. Hester and Covert addressed the group and posed for photos.
Bears chairman George H. McCaskey was also on hand, along with brothers Patrick, Ned and Brian.
The Hall of Fame is located on Halas Drive, which is named after their grandfather, George Halas, who helped create the NFL and the Bears.
"This is an iconic place," said coach Matt Eberflus. "You walk by all the busts and pretty much every section has a Bear or two in it. It's great for the players to be here. And congratulations to Devin Hester and his family for being the latest inductee to the Hall of Fame. It's so cool that our players could meet him."
The Bears will return to Canton to play the Texans in the annual Hall of Fame Game Thursday night.
When Hester and former standout defensive tackle Steve McMichael are enshrined Saturday, it will give the Bears 32 Hall of Famers, extending their lead for the most among NFL teams.
Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds enjoyed his first visit to the Hall of Fame. Edmunds took a picture of the 1985 Super Bowl XX champion Bears, focusing on cornerback Leslie Frazier, who was Edmunds' defensive coordinator with the Bills.
"It's definitely motivational just seeing all the legends that came before us and knowing what you're working for," Edmunds said. "Just seeing the work that these guys put in, to see all the sacrifices, this is what you do it for. So, it was definitely motivational and inspirational, for sure."
Safety Jaquan Brisker was also impressed with his first visit to the Hall of Fame.
"It's crazy seeing all the faces and all the players that came before us," he said. "Huge respect to the players here."
Brisker was especially interested in the Hall of Fame player busts. The first one he sought out was Bears legend Walter Payton, followed by Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, LaDainian Tomlinson, Dick Butkus, Ray Lewis, Darrelle Revis and Franco Harris.
"Definitely a lot of inspiration just seeing those guys that I look up to," Brisker said. "Seeing them in the Hall of Fame with a gold jacket, that's a lot different. When you see them outside, you're like, 'They made it to the Hall of Fame.' But when you see the actual statue, I think that's amazing."
Eberflus has the same type of appreciation for the football legends who came before him.
"I love history," Eberflus said. "And to walk these halls and to see the busts of these men that put so much into the game and the greats of the game, it really just sets you back for a minute really in reflection of your part in the game and how you can be better and be good in terms of what you do, in terms of what you give to the game. These guys gave their life to the game and it's so cool to see this."
