But Steele insists a fresh outlook often can do more than fresh faces on the field when the goal is to turn around a struggling defense. That's the approach he has taken with the Bears, who will open the season Saturday against Boston College with 10 returning starters from a unit that ranked last among Big 12 teams in total defense, allowing 6.2 yards per play and 441.3 yards per game in 1998. Gone are the four-hour August marathons under predecessor Dave Roberts, which were heavy on repetition and observation. Under Steele, the Bears strive for two hours of perpetual motion. Players are urged to sprint back to the huddle between plays and to run to rejoin lines during drills.
Coaches are more hands-on with individual instruction.
Everything is about being mentally sharp and disciplined, two things we were lacking. They say this game is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. Well, we're a lot more mentally fit this year. Micheaux, the Bears' middle linebacker, concurred. I think the defense has gotten a lot better because of it.