Stories of rookie hazing by now former Bears center Olin Kreutz are legendary among players and team officials, which is why this year’s rookie class wasn’t exactly sad to see the gritty Kreutz go unsigned this week.
“Like the rest of the rookies, I was really excited to get drafted by the Bears,” said tackle Gabe Carimi, this year’s first-round pick out of Wisconsin. “But we were all freaked out by the stories we heard of Kreutz hassling the rookies so we’re all relieved he isn’t here to haze the shit out of us.”
Even though Kreutz is long gone, most players are unwilling to go public with stories of the torment he induced during his 13 years with the Bears. Only Matt Forte, a rookie four seasons ago, was willing to give a glimpse into the horror.
“One of my first days in camp when I was a rookie, Olin seemed especially mean so I jokingly asked him why he was so crabby. Next thing I know, he had me buried in a garbage can full of live crabs he got at a Red Lobster near Bourbonnais,” said Forte. “I never even looked him in the eye again and I still have scars from all the crab bites.”
