Akiem Hicks Returns to Practice After Quad Injury
"Blue" was back in uniform Thursday for the Bears.
The last time the Bears had seen defensive end Akiem Hicks, or as longtime teammate John Jenkins calls him, "Blue," was at an Aug. 20 practice which he ended by trying to field a punt, of all things.
The Bears had their 350-pound defensive end back practicing Thursday following time away due to a quad injury, but he assured all it didn't happen while he was trying to field the punt or kick the ball afterward in celebration.
"Stop that," Hick said.
Coach Matt Nagy noted Hicks returned Thursday for what's known as a 10-10-10 practice, "... it was a very light practice but any time you see 96 out there, that's a good thing."
While Hicks has been away for almost a few weeks, he feels ready to get after it in the opener with Detroit Sept. 13.
"We've gotten after it a bit in training and have some live periods and some physical periods so my thirst has been quenched in some ways, but when we get to the regular season and you get to unload on somebody that you don't have to see in the locker room, that's when the real pleasure comes," Hicks said.
Hicks long has been a leader on the Bears' Monster of the Midway defense, and one of the more emotional players. He's facing the same situation as everyone else now of coming to an empty stadium to play a sport where emotion plays such a big part.
"When I suit up and I get my lather going and I'm getting ready to play, there's some faces that I'm used to seeing that I'm going to miss," Hicks said. "Right? I bring my own juice, though. You know, so when I get fired up and get going I'm ready to play football. I think that there's a lot of guys on this team that feel the same way.
"And it's competition, at the end of the day. So when we step out there it would be nice to have our people there and those faces that I'm used to seeing but we've got to take care of business regardless."
Jenkins has been around Hicks at different times dating back to their time in New Orleans in 2013, and now two stints with the Bears, and has been calling him "Blue."
"I look at him as Blue from Monsters Inc.," Jenkins said. "Cause you know, Blue was the scariest monster but when he got around the little girl he's just a sweetheart.
"That's how he is off the field. But when he's on the field, he's a monster."
The Bears think the monster is ready.
"So we like that," Nagy said. "And we know opposing offenses don't. So we want to make sure we have him out there."
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