Seven men who combined to play 982 games and 72 seasons with the Bears spent an hour addressing the young hopefuls before dinner in the Halas Hall cafeteria, urging them to make the most of what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Alex Brown, Jay Hilgenberg, Steve McMichael, Marcus Robinson, Charles Tillman, Bob Wetoska and James "Big Cat" Williams also described what it was like playing for one of the NFL's founding franchises. First-year Bears coach Matt Nagy invited the alums to speak to the rookies.
"I just think you get real-life stories from guys that have been in these shoes," Nagy said.