LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Back in the same defensivesystem he excelled in as a rookie with the St. Louis Rams six yearsago, linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa is making a smooth transition with theBears.
The recently-signed free agent has been reunited with Lovie Smithand Bob Babich, two coaches Tinoisamoa worked with in St. Louis in 2003when he became the first rookie to lead the Rams in tackles.
Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa watches the action at Thursday's OTA practice. “It’s been extremely easy,” Tinoisamoa said. “They ingrained in me somegreat principles. At first it was kind of hard because I was with adifferent system [in St. Louis last year]. But coming back, thelanguage is familiar. It’s starting to come back to me, what they usedto yell at me when I was a rookie in ’03.”
Participating in OTA practices Monday through Thursday with theBears this week, Tinoisamoa displayed the same speed and quickness thathelped him register 121 tackles, four interceptions and four forcedfumbles as a Rams rookie.
“No. 1, he is a veteran,” Babich said. “He’s played a lot of gamesin this league. He understands what it takes to win football games. Heplays with a great mentality as far as effort and attitude, so wereally like that. I coached him for one year, so I’m familiar with himand I think he’s going to fit in with the crew really well.”
Tinoisamoa spent his first six NFL seasons with the Rams after beingselected by St. Louis in the second round of the 2003 draft, eightspots after the Bears chose cornerback Charles Tillman.
The 6-1, 225-pounder topped the Rams with 135 tackles last season,but he was released May 8 presumably because he didn’t fit into new St.Louis head coach Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive scheme.
Reiterating what he told ChicagoBears.com after agreeing to a one-yeardeal last Friday, Tinoisamoa explained to reporters during OTAs that hejoined the Bears primarily because he felt the team could win.
“I want to get back to that,” said Tinoisamoa, who was part of Ramsteams that went 3-13 in 2007 and 2-14 in 2008. “I feel like I’ve beenputting in so much work for so long. I feel like I deserve a goodchance to win and a good chance at the championship.”
In OTAs this week, Tinoisamoa worked with the No. 2 defense atstrongside linebacker behind Nick Roach. The Hawaii product signed withthe Bears even though he wasn’t guaranteed a starting job.
“Just the chance to be on a winning team is worth it tome,” Tinoisamoa said. “I’ve been fortunate to get paid in this leagueand that was good, but I still had to go home a loser. I’d give all themoney back if I could win again.”
The 27-year-old, who was also being pursued by the Buffalo Bills andthe New England Patriots before they signed Paris Lenon, relishesthe chance to compete for a position on a veteran defense in Chicago.
“I like the fact that I have to earn a job here,” Tinoisamoa said.“There was an opportunity to go to other teams, but it was like, ‘We’regoing to give you the job.’ For me, that was awkward because I knowthere were guys who had been working since the end of last season,coming into this year and all the time they put in, and they felt likethey were the starter, and all of a sudden somebody comes in andbecause he led another team in tackles and takes their job?
“I wouldn’t appreciate that. So I didn’t want to go into a situationlike that, and the fact that I have to come and earn a job, itdefinitely makes me more hungry because now I know I have to earn myjob, it’s not just given to me.”
