Live from London: Postcards with T.J. Edwards | Oct. 11
As told to Gabby Hajduk
Since arriving in London Tuesday, Bears players have explored the city in a variety of ways ahead of their game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Check out linebacker T.J. Edwards' postcard to read about his experience across the pond.
Hey Bears fans,
We've been in London for a bit now and we're all really excited to be here. I think we've all had a chance now to see the city and do some exploring — it's been a really fun time.
I went down to the city for the first time Tuesday and just popped around a few places and saw the sights, but Friday was my big day downtown. I hopped on a double-decker bus for a tour of the city with Andrew (Spencer) — my best friend, who I grew up with in Lake Villa.
We were driving around for about an hour and saw a little bit of everything — Big Ben, all the bridges, some castles and of course, the London Eye. I immediately thought of the Spider-Man movie where the whole thing snapped. There was no way I was going on that thing. I've seen that movie enough. I know what it is.
I learned a lot on the tour though. Going in you know there's obviously a ton of history in London, but you don't really grasp it until you see everything. I think the coolest part was seeing all the old buildings right up against some of the modern ones. These historical buildings look like they haven't been touched.
I'd say the coolest part of the whole tour was actually seeing the London Bridge in person. It's a spot that you just always see or think of when you hear about London, so that was sweet.
Andrew and I had a ton of fun doing the bus tour. He's been all over the world, but he had never been here. This was my first time in Europe altogether. Experiencing the city for the first time together was really cool. I hadn't seen him in a bit either, so to get together out here, it's just special. We were honestly talking about how we're just two kids from Illinois and now here we are touring London. It's kind of unbelievable.
And of course, it's Andrew, so he came out in a little hat and all that. I was just laughing at him, like 'oh my god.' It was seriously a really great time, though. We even saw some Bears jerseys out there. I saw an Akiem Hicks one and an old Dick Butkus jersey. That was crazy. That's respect, man.
After the tour ended, we made a stop for dinner, and I tried fish and chips for the first time ever. It was honestly decent. I didn't realize it's just a massive piece of fish. I thought some little fish sticks were about to come out, but no it's a big ol' fish.
The food is definitely different out here, for sure. It even tastes a little healthier for you, I'm not gonna lie. It's been good though. Really, it's just been cool to be immersed in a different culture and just see London for what it is. The city itself feels super clean and the history is so interesting.
We've also been able to see the UK countryside a bit too. The team is staying about an hour and a half away from the city. It's been cool talking to the locals a bit about the area and hear their stories and thoughts on American football. What I've learned is they love it, but they want the game to be faster. Flag football is also big out here already. A couple local guys I was talking to told me their kids are flag players, so the game is growing out here for sure.
Saturday will be our last day here before we play and then head back to Chicago. I'm planning to get a round of golf in with Jack (Sanborn), so that should be a good time. He's a little newer to the game and he loves it, so that's all I need. I'm definitely still better than him, but he's getting there.
I know we're all just ready to get to Sunday and have an opportunity to win another game and one in front of the world, really. I think the fans are gonna be rowdy, so I'm really excited to see the crowd. I think it's gonna be nuts. I can't wait to see everyone out there!
Bear Down!
- T.J. Edwards
