Familiar face awaits Bears

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Mike Singletary faces the Bears on Thursday in San Francisco for the first time since taking over as head coach of the 49ers last season. (AP file photo)

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LAKE FOREST – If you listen closely enough, you might be able to hear echoes of Mike Singletary’s bone-crunching hits from his 12 seasons as the Bears’ middle linebacker.

Brace yourselves, Bears fans. This week, the wide-eyed, longtime leader of the “Monsters of the Midway” hopes to knock his former team all the way from California to Cook County.

Singletary, 51, will oppose the Bears for the first time as a head coach Thursday. His San Francisco 49ers (3-5) will host the Bears (4-4) as each team tries to rebound from a disappointing loss.

In a conference call Tuesday, Singletary insisted that he would not be distracted facing his former team.

“No, not at all,” Singletary said. “I know they’re not distracted by going up against us. I just want to make sure that our team is not distracted by playing them.”

Only a handful of players in Bears history have left their imprint on the franchise as much as Singletary. The 1981 second-round pick from Baylor was selected to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1983 to 1992, and his 172 career starts for the Bears trail only Walter Payton’s 184 for the team’s all-time record.

Singletary said the “C” on the Bears’ helmet always would hold a special place in his heart.

“The Bears will always be a team that I love,” said Singletary, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. “So many friends, family, memories. That goes without saying.”

Yet times – and teams – have changed for Singletary. He coached linebackers for the Baltimore Ravens from 2003 to 2004 before moving on to San Francisco, where he worked as an assistant coach before he was hired as the team’s head coach Oct. 20, 2008.

Six days later, Singletary’s fiery personality created national headlines. In his coaching debut, he banished star tight end Vernon Davis to the locker room after a personal foul.

Now Davis calls Singletary one of his best friends.

“It turned out to be the best situation,” said Davis, whose seven touchdown receptions are tied for the NFL lead. “I would describe him as a leader, a father, and an outstanding mentor.”

Singletary’s Hall of Fame career has earned him extra credibility with 49ers players. He has posted an 8-9 record as the 49ers’ head coach.

“When Coach Single-tary talks, he has everyone’s respect and attention,” Davis said. “When you hear him talk, it touches you because it feels almost as if he’s playing the game with you. Because he wants it so bad and he’s so emotional … You can relate to a coach who’s been there and done that.”

That same “been there, done that” mentality will help Singletary stay focused Thursday.

“When I first got to San Francisco, coming to Soldier Field and being in all of the excitement and what have you, it was a bit overwhelming,” Singletary said. “I’m glad that this is not the first time that I’m playing the Bears because that would be tough. Now that I’ve played them a couple of times, it’s a matter of going out there and competing against a good football team.”

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