New Bears offensive lineman and four-time Super Bowl champion Joe Thuney talks with ChicagoBears.com about seeing LeBron James play in high school, his favorite travel destinations, relationship with Tom Brady and much more.
What's the first thing you think of when you hear Chicago?
Bears.
You grew up in Ohio, played in Kansas City for a few years and now you're in Chicago. What's the best part about the Midwest?
The people. The people here are awesome. Down to earth, friendly people and you just feel very at home here. My family is a five-hour drive to Ohio — a quick, direct flight — so I'm excited to get a lot of people here.
Who were your athlete idols growing up?
LeBron James is obviously from Ohio and his senior year, he played my high school. I was around 8 or 10 years old — I was young — and I went to the game. So, he made a big impression on me. It was so cool. He was warming up, dunking. And then I like the Reds, so Ken Griffey Jr. was a big deal, and I liked soccer, so Wayne Rooney was really cool for England.
Do you remember that LeBron game vividly?
Oh yeah. I was in Columbus for the state final, and I think they only won by four points. So, LeBron beat us, but it was a close game.
Who is on your guard Mt. Rushmore?
John Hannah, Larry Allen, Zach Martin and Marshal Yanda.
What was your "Welcome to the NFL" moment?
My rookie year, we had practice for training camp and I remember I had to block Dont'a Hightower, a really good linebacker, in this drill and he was so strong and good at football. I was like, 'oh my gosh, this is only practice too. This is insane.' But he's such a great guy — one of the best teammates I've ever had. He made me a better player. He was awesome.
One word to describe yourself as a player?
Consistent.
Who are you most excited to team up with in Chicago?
I'm excited to play with Caleb. I think he's a great player and the sky's the limit. I'm just excited to be a part of the entire team and the O-line.
How would you describe your locker room presence?
I'm pretty lowkey. Usually the O-line has a little corner of the locker room, so it's easy to joke around and keep it light before practice, because the days can get long. So it's fun to be around those guys, and we're all pretty similar.
Most O-line rooms typically have the best snacks. What are you bringing to the room this year?
I love Nutty Buddy bars. Those are really good. And then maybe for a salty snack, pretzel rods.
What has been the toughest matchup of your career?
Aaron Donald probably. He's elite, elite, elite.
Is there anyone you've met in your career that has left you starstruck?
I was a rookie in New England [in 2016], so it was pretty cool to meet Tom [Brady]. That was awesome. When we played in San Francisco last season, I saw him before the game and he's just so personable, such a great guy, great teammate. He was awesome and I was so lucky I got to spend the first four years of my career with him.
Do you have a hidden talent or a random skill?
I can speak a little Spanish. I got a minor in it in college. It's a little rusty. I need to work on it, but I can get by conversationally. I can't debate somebody in Spanish, but it's fun to work on and still try to improve.
What's your favorite offseason hobby?
I love to travel. My brother and I will usually go somewhere in Europe, just to get away and see somewhere new. I just love to travel and walk around old historic places.
What's the best place you've traveled to?
Salzburg, Austria was awesome — in the mountains. Madrid, Spain is great. Venice, Italy. It's hard to pick one.
Is there anything in Chicago you're excited to see or do?
Eat deep dish pizza. Go to Bulls and Blackhawks games and then Cubs and White Sox games. I gotta figure out where my allegiance lies.
Is there any other Chicago food you want to try?
I just hear great things about so many restaurants in downtown Chicago. The breaded steak sandwiches, hot dogs. We'll see. I absolutely need some recommendations.
