Falcons running back Michael Turner is a native of Waukegan, Ill., which is just north of Chicago.
He grew up watching the Bears and was a big fan. He went to college at Northern Illinois and has about 50 family members and friends planning to attend Sunday’s game.
He won’t mind if Soldier Field’s notorious sloppy playing surface is not in good condition.
“That is Midwestern-style of football, that Big Ten football,” Turner said. “I grew up watching the Bears play. That’s the style that I grew up watching, and that’s the style I tried to pattern my game after.”
Other connections include:
- Falcons special-teams coordinator Keith Armstrong coached the Bears' special-teams units from 1997-2000.
- Falcons defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder coached Bears cornerback Tim Jennings at Georgia from 2002-04.
- Bears running back Matt Forte played under Falcons tight ends coach Chris Scelfo from 2004-06 while Scelfo was the head coach at Tulane.
- Bears center/guard Roberto Garza was selected by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft and played with the team for four seasons.
- Bears guard Frank Omiyale was selected by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2005 draft and appeared in one game for the Falcons in 2006.
- Bears director of player personnel Tim Ruskell served as Falcons assistant general manager in 2004.
- Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly is from Atlanta and graduated from Marist.
