Ron Rivera remembers what Mike Ditka told '85 Bears before Super Bowl
Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera is headed to Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California, where his team will take on the Denver Broncos. This isn't his first trip to the big game, though; he was a member of the 1985 Chicago Bears team that won Super Bowl XX.
Rivera still remembers a couple lessons Hall of Fame head coach Mike Ditka taught that Bears team in the days leading up to their 46-10 win over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Via ESPN's David Newton:
One of the things Coach Ditka emphasized to us was to enjoy the moment
The moment doesn't come very often. It's hard. It's hard to get to where we are right now.
...
Do what you've done. Some of my experiences in coaching, you get to certain experiences like the playoffs, and sometimes you get a little bit of panic. Am I doing enough? Should I do more? Should I change this?
I told our coordinators this morning, we're going to stick to what got us to where we are. We'll emphasize that to the players and make sure we keep our personality.
The Bears selected Rivera in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft. The California linebacker did not start a single game during Chicago's historic '85 season, but he recorded a half-sack, an interception and a fumble-return touchdown as a reserve for one of the toughest defenses in league history. He did not become a full-time starter until the late-1980s.
Rivera led the Panthers to a 15-1 record in 2015 -- the same exact record the Bears posted in 1985. After rolling through the NFC playoffs, he's now preparing to fully replicate Ditka's success by winning big in the Super Bowl.
