New Bears defensive end Lamarr Houston evoked an old-school attitude when asked about signing a free-agent contract in Chicago.
“What set the Bears apart for me besides having a team that’s in a position to win is the attitude of the players who have played there before; guys like Dick Butkus, with that nasty, in-your-face tough football. That’s what I love to play and being in an organization that embraces that, I think it’s a good fit for me,” Houston told the Bears’ website.
Houston signed a five-year, $35 million deal with $15 million guaranteed to leave Oakland and head to Chicago, and he said he loves what the Bears franchise represents.
“I’m honored to be joining an organization that has such rich football history,” Houston said. “The things that they’ve already accomplished are something that when you join this organization you hope you can live up to. You know that you’re expected to reach certain levels and standards while you’re playing for the Bears.”
The Bears have high expectations that Houston can lead a turnaround of a defense that fell far short of the normal standards of the Monsters of the Midway in 2013.