GARY OLD-TIMERS BANQUET

HOBART | Those who've played football at that next level know the game moves at 100 mph. Decisions on both sides of the ball are made at shutter-like speed.

Bears insiders will tell you no one did that better than Gary Fencik.

Being a Yale man and choosing to lead rather than follow came natural to the 12-year safety, who was the team's defensive captain through the 1980s, including its 1985 Super Bowl championship season.

Fencik was the guest speaker at Wednesday night's sold-out Gary Old-Timers Banquet at Avalon Manor. Within a half hour, he possibly autographed more footballs and Super Bowl Shuffle posters than he had at Super Bowl XX in New Orleans.

"I was always struck by Gary's ability to communicate, to express himself, to analyze a situation and put it into words so that everyone on the field understood it -- immediately -- without any complications," former teammate Doug Plank said this week from his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. "You had to be a tough, demanding person who got everyone's attention and that was Gary."

Fencik appreciated the compliment.

"There are very few people who are articulate on the field. There's a lot of four-letter words and expletives being used," he said, laughing. "The key to my success was playing in a system that really demanded not just physical, but mental smarts. Playing under Buddy Ryan's system really required that."

Fencik was originally picked by the Miami Dolphins in the 10th round of the 1976 draft -- the 281st overall selection -- then traded to the Bears as a wide receiver.

The Bears had the league's No. 1 scoring defense in 1985, allowing only 198 points in 16 regular-season games and just 10 in the playoffs. Fencik led the team in total tackles (118) and interceptions (5).

"I can tell you the safety positions are critical in those communications because you have 70,000 people screaming and yelling," Fencik said. "Buddy, in particular, liked to change defenses based on the formation.

"So if they went from a split to an I-formation man in motion, we might be in three different fronts, three different coverages. We might be changing from one blitz to another, so for everybody to be on the same page, was critically important."

Which brings us back to Plank, who sacrificed his body on every play and couldn't wait to drive someone, anyone, into the ground.

"I loved playing with Doug because he really taught me now to play defense," Fencik said. "But Doug would sometimes get so 'focused', he wouldn't hear me, so an expletive or two was needed."