Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Ogunleye unfazed by big Bears contract
By Rick Gano
The Associated Press
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - With recorders and cameras rolling, Adewale Ogunleye gave the obligatory pronunciation of his name on his first day with the Chicago Bears.
"Add-uh-Wallay Oh-GOON-lay-eh," the descendant of Nigerian royalty said carefully and precisely Monday.
Ogunleye, who has already made a name for himself before even playing a game with his new team, was traded Saturday to the Bears from the Miami Dolphins for wide receiver Marty Booker and a third-round draft pick when Chicago gave him a six-year, $33.4 million deal with $15 million in bonuses.
The Pro Bowl defensive end had been sitting out training camp and the preseason after he and the Dolphins hit a contract stalemate.
He said the big contract wouldn't change him.
"There's no pressure. I think honestly, to be frank with you, I've just got to do what I've been doing these last couple years and that's just get to the quarterback," he said.
"And if you look at it the way I do, there's no pressure at all because I enjoy sacking quarterbacks."
An undrafted free agent out of Indiana after a knee injury slowed him his senior year, he's developed into one of the top pass rushers in the NFL, leading the AFC with 15 sacks a year ago.
And the Bears, who have been pumping out money to upgrade their team since the offseason, needed someone to chase the quarterback after registering just 18 sacks last season.
"We are always looking at the financial integrity of the club but at the same time we want to win and that's what we are in this business to do," said Bears president Ted Phillips, whose team earlier gave offensive tackle John Tait a six-year, $33 million deal.
Ogunleye would seem to be a perfect fit for the Bears' new defense under first-year coach Lovie Smith, one that will stress creating more turnovers and an aggressive style.
"They're giving him the ability to bring in the type of players he's wanted and this organization backed their decision to get me in here," Ogunleye said.
Despite missing so much time, Ogunleye promised that he would be ready when the Bears open the season in three weeks against the Detroit Lions. He watched practice Monday in a sleeveless shirt and shorts.
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