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Greg Olsen
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Greg Olseon Update
Jun/21/07 04:46 PM | Permalink
2. They drafted a tight end who will change their passing game.

Greg Olsen effortlessly reached up Wednesday between a linebacker and a safety and brought down a Rex Grossman pass with one hand—and kept running. He still has to prove he can be fluid and find the holes when wearing shoulder pads and a helmet but it would be hard to find a better fit for the Bears offense out of the '07 rookie class.

Now just get him to camp on time. Asked about the chances for a holdout, Olsen sounded hopeful and confident "things will work themselves out" before July 26.

(chicagortribune.com)
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Focus on 'O,' Olsen
May/04/07 09:55 PM | Permalink
A solid case can be made that no NFL team got greater production from its rookie class last year than the Bears.

Reaching that same level in 2007 might be difficult -- Devin Hester set a league record for return touchdowns, and Mark Anderson's 12 sacks made him second in rookie of the year balloting -- but the Bears will get a better look at what they have starting today. A three-day rookie minicamp begins at Halas Hall, and the 72 hours will be packed with lessons on the playbook.

While the focus in 2006 was defense, most eyes will be on the offense this year with tight end Greg Olsen and running back Garrett Wolfe in positions where they could get on the field early.

Olsen promises to add a weapon to quarterback Rex Grossman's arsenal that has been missing. As much as helping Grossman, though, Olsen figures to help the wide receivers, such as Bernard Berrian.
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Bears’ top pick knows how to handle pressure
May/01/07 12:11 PM | Permalink
CHICAGO — Nothing like having something to live up to, like being a first-round draft choice. But then living up to something is not altogether new for Greg Olsen, chosen by the Bears and projected to be their long-term solution at tight end.

“When you look at a draft, the centerpiece obviously is the (top) pick,” said General Manager Jerry Angelo, noting that the Bears drafted Pro Bowl returner Devin Hester out of Miami in last year’s draft and “we were so impressed with the University of Miami we decided to do it again.”

Indeed, if there is a theme running through Olsen’s football life, it is pressure and what it has brought out in him.
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The Next Ditka? Olsen Ready for Bears
May/01/07 12:07 PM | Permalink
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LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Greg Olsen grew up with football. His dad was a high school coach and would take him and his brother, Christian, around to different camps. That's where he got an early glimpse at how various programs are shaped into winners.

After later starring for his dad at Wayne Hills High School in New Jersey, Olsen started out at Notre Dame, transferred to Miami (Fla.) and now his football journey has landed him in the NFL as the first-round pick of a fabled franchise, the Chicago Bears.

He's the first tight end the Bears have taken in the opening round since a guy named Mike Ditka was chosen out of Pittsburgh in 1961.
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Greg Olsen Introduced
May/01/07 12:06 PM | Permalink
Check out a video of Greg Olsen being introduced as a Chicago Bear.

Click Here.
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Bears’ Olsen knows all about filling big shoes
May/01/07 12:05 PM | Permalink
The challenge of playing football at the highest level isn’t likely to intimidate Bears first-round draft pick Greg Olsen.

Olsen is the first tight end the Bears have drafted in Round 1 since 1961, when they took Mike Ditka — the first tight end elected to the Hall of Fame and a living legend in Chicago.

Great expectations are nothing new to Olsen. At Miami, he followed three outstanding tight ends: Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey and Kellen Winslow Jr. He relished the challenge then, flourished in the situation, and insists he is ready for the next step.

“It was a big attraction,” he said of the tight-end legacy at Miami. “If you’re worth your salt and you’re a tight end, that’s the place you go. But it’s not the place you go if you’re not ready for the expectations that the position and the school bring. You can’t just go there and be another guy.
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TE Olsen gives Grossman a big target
Apr/30/07 10:53 AM | Permalink
He has the flowing blond locks and pedigree of another athletic tight end from the same college program, but Greg Olsen is no Jeremy Shockey.

''I'm not quite as emotional as he is,'' Olsen said. ''I approach it a different way. I'm more of an even-keel, level-headed guy who plays hard like he does.

''I just don't ... I'm just not ... I'm just a different type of player.''
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Olsen looms as another first-round pick from Miami
Apr/26/07 02:17 PM | Permalink
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The University of Miami's record run of 12 consecutive years producing an NFL first-round draft pick appeared in jeopardy until Greg Olsen sprinted 40 yards in an eye-opening 4.51 seconds at the NFL Combine in February.

That burst of speed solidified Olsen's designation as the top tight end in this weekend's NFL Draft and assured that for the 13th straight year, a Hurricane will be selected in the opening round.

Florida is second with eight consecutive years (1983-91) producing a No. 1 pick.

"That's why this program has been what it's been for the last 12 years," Olsen said. "Carrying on that tradition at Miami is something that everybody that comes here takes a lot of pride in."
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Greg Olsen hopes to be Miami's next TE legacy - Star projected as Carolina's 14th draft pick
Apr/24/07 11:07 AM | Permalink
In a year when tight end isn't considered a particularly strong position for the NFL draft, Miami's Greg Olsen has run away from the competition - literally.

Olsen bolted a to 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February and also likely moved himself into the upper half of the first round where he's being projected as the Carolina Panthers' choice at No. 14 overall.

"I went into the combine with doing that in my head," Olsen says. "It definitely was a surprise to everybody else. It was more of a surprise to them than it was to me."

Aside from when Olsen jetted past NFL scouts, there wasn't a lot of other impressive speed.
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Olsen running away from mediocre tight end pack
Apr/24/07 11:06 AM | Permalink
In a year when tight end isn't considered a particularly strong position for the NFL draft, Miami's Greg Olsen has run away from the competition — literally.

Olsen bolted a to 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February and also likely moved himself into the upper half of the first round where NFLDraftScout.com projects him as Carolina's choice at No. 14 overall.

"I went into the combine with doing that in my head," Olsen says. "It definitely was a surprise to everybody else. It was more of a surprise to them than it was to me."

Aside from when Olsen jetted past NFL scouts, there wasn't a lot of other impressive speed.
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Olsen should keep UM's streak alive
Apr/24/07 11:05 AM | Permalink
Whether it's one, two or three players, the University of Miami's first-round streak in the NFL Draft is expected to continue.

For the 13th straight year, Miami will have a player chosen in Round 1 on Saturday, based on the so-called experts.

Tight end Greg Olsen's workout numbers have him climbing up mock drafts. He appears to be a first-round lock.

Linebacker Jon Beason and defensive back Brandon Meriweather have seen their stock rise and fall. However, Clark Judge of CBS Sportsline and Todd McShay of ESPN have all three Miami players being taken in Round 1
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Gang Green eyeing Olsen - Might take Miami TE at No. 25
Apr/23/07 11:08 AM | Permalink
Where have you gone ... Johnny Mitchell?

His legacy as a first-round underachiever notwithstanding, the retired Mitchell - 12 years removed from the Jets - was their last true receiving threat at tight end. People forget that he averaged 47 catches over his last three seasons - not bad, considering no Jets tight end has topped 40 since then.

Now comes a tantalizing possibility: Greg Olsen, raised in the shadow of Giants Stadium, could be available to the Jets when they make their first-round pick at No.25 in next weekend's draft. Olsen, a former Parade All-American at Wayne Hills High School in New Jersey, is the latest stud tight end from Miami. Could Olsen join ex-Hurricane Jeremy Shockey at the Meadowlands?

"That would be unbelievable," Olsen told the Daily News. "You couldn't ask for anything better than that. My family would have to drive only 20 minutes to see my home games."
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Olsen brings athleticism to TE position
Apr/20/07 09:56 AM | Permalink
When he wasn't dominating opponents as a Parade magazine All-American tight end at Wayne Hills (N.J.) High School, where he was regarded as one of the nation's premier prep performers during his 2002 senior season, Greg Olsen didn't lack for athletic diversions.

The top tight end prospect in this year's NFL draft, Olsen averaged 16.3 points and 8.0 rebounds as a power forward on the basketball team. For the track squad, Olsen competed in the javelin and shot put. Even on the football team, coached by his father, he moonlighted, playing defensive end and handling the deep-snapping chores.

So, what to make of Olsen's sports smorgasbord?

Well, the diverse background helped mold the University of Miami star into the lone tight end likely to be selected in the first round of next week's draft. In some ways, though, the competitive carousel that Olsen rode to the top of the 2007 tight end class makes him similar to many players at a position that is now defined by the convergence of skill sets it demands at the NFL level.
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UM's Olsen may be best of tight ends class
Feb/23/07 08:14 AM | Permalink
INDIANAPOLIS ?UM's loss is the NFL's gain.

Greg Olsen's decision to leave UM after his junior season has bolstered what is generally considered a weak year for tight end draft prospects. Olsen began making his push Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine to become the first player at the position selected in April's draft.

"Every year Miami does have guys who come out early, but this was purely an individual decision on my part," Olsen said. "I'd already obtained my degree [in criminology] and graduated early, so I didn't have to worry about going back at a later date. I played a lot of games at the college level the past three years, so I thought I was ready."
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Miami's Olsen aims for first round in NFL draft
Feb/18/07 12:33 PM | Permalink
Greg Olsen has been preparing for the job interview of a lifetime for six weeks.

He has a degree in criminology from the University of Miami in his back pocket.

His previous work as a tight end, first as a high school All-American at Wayne Hills and then for three seasons at Miami, is complete. Attractive footnotes on his football resume.

His professional future -- at least the start of it -- now depends on how impressive Olsen can be during this week's NFL combine in Indianapolis.
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