CONNECTIONS- What the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have in common!

FORMER BUCCANEERS

• Bears Head Coach Marc Trestman was the Buccaneers’ quarterbackscoach for one season (1987).
• Bears Offensive Coordinator Aaron Kromer spent three seasons(2005-07) as the senior offensive assistant with the Buccaneers.
• Bears Assistant Special Teams Coach Dwayne Stukes spent a combined eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent two seasons (2002-03) as a player in the offseason program and six seasons (2006-2011) as a coach in numerous roles, including two seasons as a coaching assistant (2006-07), one season as the special teams quality control coach (2008), two seasons as defensive backs coach (2009-2010) and one season as the specialteams coordinator (2011).
• Bears Director of Player Engagement Terry Cousin spent two seasons(2011-12) in the same capacity with the Buccaneers.
• Bears LS Jeremy Cain spent the 2014 offseason with the Buccaneers.
• Bears DE Trevor Scott played in four games for the Buccaneers in2013.FORMER BEARS

• Buccaneers Head Coach Lovie Smith spent nine seasons (2004-2012) as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, going 81-63 in leading the Bears to two NFC Championship Game appearances and an appearance in Super Bowl XLI.
• Buccaneers Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier played cornerback for the Chicago Bears for five seasons (1981-85), including winning Super Bowl XX.
• Buccaneers Cornerbacks Coach Gill Byrd spent seven seasons (2006-12) as the cornerbacks coach for the Chicago Bears.
• Buccaneers Wide Receivers Coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker spent seven seasons (2006-2012) with Chicago Bears in various positions including four seasons as the football operations assistant (2006- 09), two seasons as the offensive quality control coach (2010-11) and one season as the offensive assistant/wide receivers coach (2012).
• Buccaneers Linebackers Coach Hardy Nickerson spent one season as the linebackers coach for the Bears (2007).
• Buccaneers Special Teams Coordinator Kevin O’Dea spent two seasons as the assistant special teams coach with the Bears (2006- 07).
• Buccaneers Assistant Defensive Line Coach Mike Phair spent three seasons as the defensive line coach with the Bears (2011-13).
• Buccaneers Safety Coach Mikal Smith spent three seasons withBears in various roles, including two seasons as the defensive quality control coach (2010-11) and one season as the defensive assistant and nickelbacks coach (2012).
• Buccaneers Running Backs Coach Tim Spencer spent nine seasons as the running backs coach for the Bears (2004-2012).
• Buccaneers QB Josh McCown spent three seasons with the Bears (2012-13).
• Buccaneers CB Isaiah Frey spent two full seasons (2012-2013) and was a member of the practice squad with the Bears (2014) after being selected in the sixth round (184th overall) in the 2012 NFL Draft.

• Buccaneers S Major Wright spent four seasons with Bears (2010- 13) after being selected in the third-round (75th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.

• Buccaneers DB C.J. Wilson spent six weeks on the active roster for the Bears in 2013 before being waived and signed to the team’s practice squad for the remainder of the season.

• Buccaneers Head Athletic Trainer Bobby Slater spent 15 years with the Bears in numerous roles. Slater began as an assistant athletic trainer for three seasons (1999-2001), then became the director of rehabilitation for 10 years (2002-2011) and became the assistant head athletic trainer for two seasons (2012-2013).

COACHING CONNECTIONS
• Buccaneers Cornerbacks Coach Gill Byrd (2006-2012), Wide

Receivers Coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker (2006-2012), Linebackers Coach Hardy Nickerson (2007), Special Teams Coordinator Kevin O’Dea (2006-07), Assistant Defensive Line Coach Mike Phair (2011- 12), Safeties Coach Mikal Smith (2010-12), Running Backs Coach Tim Spencer (2004-2012) and Bears Strength and Conditioning Assistant Jim Arthur and Defensive Backs Coach Jon Hoke (2010- 2012) all coached together under Buccaneers Head Coach Lovie Smith during his tenure as Bears head coach. Bears defensive quality control coach Chris Harris also played safety under Smith for four seasons (2005-06, 2010-11) with the Bears.

• Buccaneers Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen coached with Bears Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Mel Tucker for three seasons (2009-2012) with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

STAFF CONNECTIONS:

Buccaneers Head Coach Lovie Smith spent nine seasons (2004- 2012) as the head coach for the Chicago Bears and has coached the following players:

LB Lance Briggs (2004-12), LS Jeremy Cain (2004-05), S Chris Conte (2011-12), QB Jay Cutler (2009-2012), RB Matt Forte (2008-2012), OL Roberto Garza (2005-2012), K Robbie Gould (2005-2012), WR Alshon Jeffery, CB Tim Jennings (2010- 12), WR Brandon Marshall (2012), LB Shea McClellin (2012), CB Sherrick McManis (2012) and DT Stephen Paea (2011-12).

Bears DE Jared Allen played under Buccaneers Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier for six seasons (2008-2013) with the Minnesota Vikings.
Buccaneers Running Backs Coach Tim Spencer coached Bears RB Matt Forte for five seasons (2008-2012) with the Bears. Buccaneers Assistant Defensive Line Coach Mike Phair coached Bears DT Stephen Paea for two seasons (2011-12) with the Bears. Buccaneers Wide Receivers Coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker coached Bears WR Alshon Jeffery and WR Brandon Marshall for one season (2012) with the Bears.

Buccaneers Linebackers Coach Hardy Nickerson coached Bears LB Lance Briggs for one season (2007) with the Bears.
Buccaneers Cornerbacks Coach Gill Byrd coached Bears CB Tim Jennings (2010-12) and CB Sherrick McManis (2012) with the Bears.

Buccaneers Special Teams Coordinator Kevin O’Dea coached Bears K Robbie Gould for two seasons (2006-07) with the Bears.