Welcome to the third installment of my weekly reimagined "Lunch with Larry," which now features wide-ranging conversations with Bears-related guests about their lives and careers.
This week my special guest is former receiver Tom Waddle, a fan favorite who played his entire six-year NFL career with the Bears from 1989-94. The Boston College product has been a longtime fixture on local radio, co-hosting the Waddle & Silvy Show weekday afternoons on ESPN 1000 in Chicago.
Every week I will select the best "Lunch with Larry" fan question, with the winner receiving a Connie's Pizza gift card. The question of the week can be found at the bottom of this article.
It became a yearly ritual that Tom Waddle dreaded.
Right before the start of the NFL season, he would be summoned to Mike Ditka's office on the second floor of the original Halas Hall. At the top of the staircase, the 6-foot, 185-pound receiver would be greeted by the coach's secretary, Mary Albright, who would invite him to sit on a leather couch in Ditka's office.
Year after year, the words Ditka delivered to Waddle were always the same: "You performed well in training camp, you did everything we asked of you, but we're going to have to let you go." It happened in 1989. And in 1990. And in 1991.
Yet despite the inability to survive final cuts three years in a row, Waddle never doubted that he could compete at the NFL level.
"As unimpressive as I looked and as unimpressive as my physical testing skills may have come out, I really was confident I could play," he said. "I knew I was never going to be Jerry Rice, but I did think that [I had] my skill set, being quick and kind of a smart player and having the capacity to catch the ball and maybe most importantly the skill of not really giving a rat's rear end if somebody hit you really hard … I was inspired to play because I loved the sport, and I wanted to continue to play the sport. There was nothing that was going to stop me."
After failing to survive final cuts in each of his first two seasons, Waddle was signed to the practice squad and eventually promoted to the active roster. But he played sparingly, appearing in three games in 1989 and five contests in 1990, catching a total of three passes for 40 yards.
Waddle was cut again a week before the start of the 1991 season. But this time injuries at the receiver position forced the Bears to not only sign him a few days later but to play him against the Vikings in the opener.
"I think they felt they could trust me because I had practiced well, and I had proved in practice and the preseason that I could play at this level and I had the confidence in myself," Waddle said. "I do remember walking into the huddle the first time in that opening game and there were some big eyes looking back at me like, 'What the hell are you doing in here?' And I was kind of like, 'Well, guys, I'm here because they don't have anybody else.'"
Waddle made the most of his opportunity, catching two passes for 48 yards and scoring the game's only touchdown on a 37-yard reception from Jim Harbaugh in a 10-6 victory over Minnesota.
"That kind of propelled me, and I proudly would tell you that I started for the next two-and-a-half, three years," Waddle said. "I'm pretty proud of what I was able to accomplish considering the physical limitations that I had."
Waddle became a regular contributor in 1991, catching at least two passes in all 16 games while making 13 starts. In Week 4, he helped the Bears rally for a thrilling 19-13 Monday night overtime win over the Jets at Soldier Field, catching eight passes for 102 yards.
Waddle gained national recognition for his courageous performance in a 1991 playoff loss to the Cowboys. Knocked out of the game by big hits three times, he kept returning and caught nine passes for 104 yards and one TD.
"I just can't put into words just how cool it is to be able to live your dream," Waddle said. "And to be on a field in the postseason playing the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field, the crowd chanting your name and everybody working together trying to get to the top of the mountain. I get kind of misty-eyed thinking about it now … I lived a dream and every now and again I have to pinch myself."
Waddle ultimately appeared in 60 games with 41 starts with the Bears, catching 173 passes for 2,109 yards and nine touchdowns before retiring following the 1994 season.
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native especially enjoyed playing for Ditka and with several teammates who had been part of the famed 1985 Super Bowl XX championship squad.
"I thought I was in football heaven," Waddle said. "I loved playing for Mike. He was hard on you because he expected a lot out of you, and he expected you to expect a lot out of yourself … He was great to play for … I knew how great a player he was when I got there. I knew how great a coach he was. He was a guy I'll forever be indebted to because he saw something in me and stayed with me and appreciated how hard I worked and ultimately gave me a chance to prove myself. I don't play in the National Football League without Mike Ditka, for sure."
Waddle made a smooth transition into broadcasting, working in both radio and television. He served as an analyst and fill-in anchor for FOX 32 and later joined WLS ABC 7 and NFL Network. He has been with ESPN 1000 in Chicago since 2007.
While he knows it's impossible to replicate what it's like to play in the NFL, Waddle feels like he's found the next closest thing.
"There's a void that exists that is enormous and it's really difficult to fill because if you were a player, from the time you were eight years old, this is what you did," he said. "You get to the end of the line at the age of 26 or 27 or 28 or 30 and now you have to find something to fill that void, and there is nothing on this planet that can mimic the adrenaline rush that you get as the PA announcer announces your name as a starting player as we run out underneath the goal post at Soldier Field to play the Minnesota Vikings or the Green Bay Packers. You don't run, you just float all the way out.
"There's no way to re-create that. There's no way to actually compare that to anything else you can do in the civilized world. So there is an enormous transition that takes place … And what I found is that, whether it's radio or television, when the light goes on and the TV camera in the studio in Los Angeles for the NFL Network, you better have something to say. So I came to the realization that this was the closest thing that I could find to the adrenaline rush that you would get."
The winner of the fan question and a Connie's Pizza gift card is @Sgt_savage11 on Twitter, who asks Tom: Who is your favorite guest to have on your radio show?
Waddle: "We had the Ditka show for years. I mean that was a joy to do once a week throughout the season. Charles Barkley has not only become a guest, but he's become a friend. I love talking to Mike Tirico. Mike Tirico's one of my favorites of all time. We had Dwyane Wade on who's been great. Being able to do 'Lunch with a Legend' we did with ESPN with Pete Rose was great. We've had Jerry Rice on, we've had Joe Montana on. I'm a blessed guy, I'm a very blessed human being."
In closing, I'd like to thank Tom for speaking to me about his two successful careers. I enjoyed covering him when he played for the Bears, and you won't meet a better guy!
