Akiem Hicks is glad to be back on a football field — for the most part. It’s still May. The work is relatively rudimentary. And he’s been here many times before.
“There’s always a little bit of drudgery in OTAs,” the Bears’ Pro Bowl defensive end said Wednesday after the team’s second OTA [organized team activities] practice at Halas Hall. “But I will say this: It’s fun to be back. The further you go and the older you get, the more you appreciate just being out there with your guys. [But] it’s about work. And no matter how much fun you have, if you’re not putting the work in, you’re not going to be anybody.