It was just an ordinary scrimmage -- until a bunch of Bears showed up
When you're a kid, there's nothing like playing a game of touch football.
It's even better if you can pick guys like Brian Urlacher, Jay Cutler and Greg Olsen to be on your team.
That little fantasy became a reality for a group of players from the Chicagoland Youth Football League Thursday when Chicago Bears Matt Forte, Chris Harris and Nick Roach joined Urlacher, Cutler and Olsen at a park in Libertyville for a game of touch football.
"We didn't want anyone to know we were coming out," said Scott Hagel, a spokesman for the Chicago Bears. "We wanted to keep the surprise for the kids."
Hagel said the pickup game was part of the "One City, One Team" marketing campaign for the Bears and was filmed as part of a television commercial that will air in the coming months in the Chicago area.
Hagel said other commercial spots will feature Tommie Harris and Anthony Adams dumping Gatorade on unsuspecting pedestrians in downtown Chicago, and Israel Idonije and Lance Briggs greeting people as they arrive for work at a Metra train station.
Chicagoland Youth Football League Vice President John Teichman said the Libertyville appearance on Thursday also was designed to give back to underprivileged kids who play in the league throughout the year.
Geoff Meyer, president and co-founder of the Chicagoland Youth Football league, said he was contacted by the Bears to set up the scrimmage, but was asked to keep the entire thing a secret.
"You should have seen the kids' faces light up when they saw what was going on," he said. "It's definitely something they'll never forget for the rest of their lives."
Hagel said these commercial spots have been a great way to get the team members closer to the fans.
"The guys really had a good time playing," Hagel said. "The guys always have a good time when they are able to interact with the fans in an atmosphere like this."
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