Bears' Tucker even hears criticism at home
This 5-10 season has not been easy for any player or coach, but it probably has been toughest on defensive coordinator Mel Tucker - and not just because the Bears have allowed the most points in the NFL.
It would be a surprise if Tucker isn't fired at the end of the season, and that same fate could befall head coach Marc Trestman, his entire staff and general manager Phil Emery.
But Tucker will do his best not to let the sorrow of the football season drag down the joy of the Christmas season - and with a family full of Bears fans, that can be tricky.
"I've got a wife (Jo-Ellyn), I've got two (young) boys, I've got two dogs, and my mother-in-law lives with us," Tucker said. "They want to win, too. My wife is from the South Side, and so her whole family is here. They all want to win. They're all Bears fans.
"There's a little bit of, 'You spend all that time over there, and that's the best you can do?' type of thing."
Trestman can empathize.
"We're all getting earfuls, believe me, and certainly Mel's getting his share," the head coach said. "When you're sitting here with the record that we have, everybody's got something to say about it. We have to deal with it and move forward and get our guys ready to play. That's our job."
Four defensive starters - linebackers Lance Briggs and D.J. Williams, cornerback Charles Tillman and end Lamarr Houston - are on injured reserve.
Those four have started a total of 491 NFL games, but Tillman has played in just two games this season, Briggs and Houston each played eight and Williams 12. Team sack leader Willie Young went on I.R. Tuesday.
Injuries are a handy excuse but one Tucker has never used to explain lopsided losses or breakdowns.
"Mel's intense," said veteran defensive end Jared Allen. "He tries to motivate guys. He's steadfast about what he wants to accomplish. He doesn't allow for excuses, or if he does, we don't see it.
"He comes in the room and doesn't make excuses for why we didn't perform. He just says we've got to get better. He does a good job of holding everybody accountable. That's all you can really ask for."
Because of the injuries, the Bears have started four rookies and four second-year players; three other rookies have gotten significant snaps. The experience is nice for the future, but the growing pains make for mistakes.
Tucker said he will try not to let any of that spoil Christmas.
"You don't want to let that happen," he said. "You have to try to separate the job from that part of it, in terms of taking it home and making it be a negative.
"We work through it. No one is happy at this time about where we are. You can't sugarcoat it and think that everyone is just on cloud nine right now. But we have to be mature about it. You have to handle it. We'll just work through it."
Trestman and his staff won't enjoy as much downtime during the holidays as many people do, but Tucker - and his wife - got over that a long time ago. It was in 1997, while he was in his first year of coaching as a graduate assistant at Michigan State under Nick Saban.
"When we got into coaching we weren't married, but we were engaged," Tucker said. "Nick Saban and (his wife), Terry, taught us right away that coaching is not just a profession, it's a lifestyle. We've learned over the years that football and the profession and the holidays, they're all woven together.
"It just becomes normal. That's just what we do. I can remember being at a bowl game and opening Christmas presents in a hotel room. You FedEx'ed them there. So for us, I think it's not as big of a deal as it may seem."
Tucker will remember those times this year and perhaps appreciate that he will be around more family, even if it means having to answer some hard questions from his in-laws.
"Her Uncle Dicky, he'll meet me after the game, like right after the games sometimes, in the family room," Tucker said, grinning. "It's like my first media session of the week."
At what could be his final news conference as a Bears coach Tuesday, Tucker was asked who was harder on him, the local media or Uncle Dicky, a former serviceman and retired police officer.
Not even a contest.
"He's South Side Chicago, man," Tucker said with a smile.
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