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Sports

More Pilates, less beer: How Teven Jenkins is working to earn the trust of his new Chicago Bears coaches

Teven Jenkins was midway through a post-practice interview Tuesday at Halas Hall when he felt the need to give a heartfelt plug for one of the catalysts of his 2022 offseason.“I’ve got to name-drop my Pilates place,” he said. “Superior Pilates in Lake Forest. If you want a good workout, hit up Chris.”AdvertisementIndeed, Jenkins’ added attention to strengthening his core has helped him become sturdier and feel more confident as he heads into his second season with the Chicago Bears. Summer back surgery interrupted Jenkins’ rookie season before it got going and ultimately limited him to 161 offensive snaps over the final five games.But that health setback, Jenkins insisted, is an afterthought. And the increased Pilates work, while often grueling, has become a big part of his self-improvement.Advertisement“You ever do a Pilates workout?” Jenkins said. “It is (torture). Oh, my god. Ooh. But it’s good for you. So I’m happy to do it.”As the Bears continue organized team activities during their transition to a new coaching staff and offensive system, Jenkins is in the mindset of doing whatever is best for him or whatever can help him help the team most.“Get in where you fit in,” he said. “I’m trying to elevate everything about myself, mentally and physically.”General manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus made it clear upon their arrival that they needed the offensive line to transform to fit the new system, calling for their linemen to be sleeker and more agile.Jenkins’ first thought? Happy to do it. He dropped close to 20 pounds and decreased his body fat percentage, he says, from 33% to 24% with targeted strength and conditioning work and diet modifications. The latter prompted Jenkins to remove carbs from dinner most nights, eliminating things such as rice and mac and cheese, and to reduce his alcohol intake.“I’m trying to get more cleansed out, I guess,” he said. “That does help with your body fat. Instead of drinking all that beer (where) all that fat just sits on you, now you burn it off.”Chicago Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins practices, May 24, 2022, during OTAs at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Few players on the roster represent the challenges that come with a regime change more than Jenkins, whom former general manager Ryan Pace traded up to select early in the second round of the 2021 draft. Pace figured Jenkins would anchor the Bears’ left tackle position for years to come in coach Matt Nagy’s offense while developing under former line coach Juan Castillo.Now Jenkins is working to prove himself to Poles, Eberflus and new line coach Chris Morgan while attempting to show he’ll be a good fit in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s system. None of those new Bears leaders has any real attachment to Jenkins, so they’re trying to see whether he fits into their long-term plans or whether he’ll become just another expendable item from the previous tenants to lug out to the curb.AdvertisementFor now, that has pushed Jenkins back to the right side of the line — which may be a good thing. He played the majority of his college career at Oklahoma State at right tackle before the Bears tried to mold him into a left tackle last season.Jenkins couldn’t recall exactly when the new staff chose to flip him back to the right while asking fellow second-year tackle Larry Borom to give the left side a try. But he knows the conversation was quick, to the point and came with little resistance. Playing on the right side may just be the optimal fit.“It is comfortable,” Jenkins said. “It’s nice. And I do look forward to keep on getting reps at right tackle. … It’s more about where can I be the best for the team. And what can I do and what certain position (for me) is going to elevate the whole offense.”Jenkins admits his rookie season tested his patience. It wasn’t just that a July back injury kept him from starting training camp and ultimately led to surgery Aug. 18. It’s that the setback came after Jenkins’ final college season ended in November 2020, also cut short by a separate back injury.Therefore, Jenkins had plenty of rust and notable timing issues when he returned from injured reserve and was added to the active roster in December. Instead of having training camp and the preseason as a friendly runway into his NFL career, Jenkins’ first extended action on the offensive line came in Week 14 against the Green Bay Packers on “Sunday Night Football.”As if the urgency to prove himself wasn’t already heightened, suddenly Jenkins had to hit the ground running on a huge stage with a bit of an internal rush to prove he belonged.AdvertisementThat test at Lambeau Field was Jenkins’ first of five games on offense, all of which included expected bumpy patches. He incurred seven penalties, including three false starts and a costly personal foul against the Minnesota Vikings when he rushed to protest a questionable hit on quarterback Justin Fields and threw a jab at defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson.Jenkins was also sloppy on the left side at times and absorbed a few difficult lessons.“One thing I did learn is you’re not going to win 100% of the snaps,” he said. “It’s about how consistent you can be. That’s how good you can be. So that’s what you’re trying to strive for all through practices and all these reps you’re getting. It’s about how consistently good can you be.”Jenkins will work to improve that consistency, solidify himself as a starter and acclimate to Getsy’s system, which is markedly different than the one Nagy ran.“It’s a lot faster-paced, a lot more up-tempo,” Jenkins said. “You’re getting around, setting edges, all that stuff.”With Fields expected to be on the move more in 2022, Jenkins will have to show he is athletic and quick enough to handle his new assignments. As he noted Tuesday, until the offensive line is in full pads in training camp, it will be difficult to tell whether the weight he lost has diminished his strength.AdvertisementJenkins also stressed he must do everything he can to earn the trust of Poles, Eberflus and Getsy. That, he said, will require him to prove he fits in the new scheme while also showing he can play hard while reducing his mental mistakes.“I’m working for that trust,” Jenkins said. “That’s ultimately what I want to have. Getting more of that trust that they have into me will make me feel more comfortable.”

Sports

Indiana General Assembly overrides veto to enable trans sports ban

The Indiana General Assembly voted Tuesday to override a veto of a bill that would ban transgender girls from playing on a girls sport or team in K-12 schools.The House voted 67-28 to override the veto, with three Republicans voting against the override. The Senate voted 32-15 to override the veto.AdvertisementGov. Eric Holcomb vetoed the bill in March, saying it did not provide a consistent policy for what he called “fairness in K-12 sports.” He also pointed to the IHSAA’s policy on transgender athletes.Republican sponsors of the bill maintained Tuesday it is needed to protect the integrity of female sports and opportunities for girls to gain college athletic scholarship but could not point out any instances in the state of transgender athletes outperforming other girls.AdvertisementAhead of the vote, dozens of young people and supporters gathered outside the statehouse to play games to show legislators that kids want to play, organizers said.A group plays games outside the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 prior to the vote to override Governor Holcomb’s veto on a transgender sports bill. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)For one game, called switch, there were four green cones set up in a square, with a purple cone on the middle and another purple cone between two of the green cones. Six people play — one person standing at each cone — and the person in the middle yells out “switch,” after which everyone runs and tries to be the only person on a green cone. If two people run to the same green cone, they play rock, paper, scissors to decide who stays in the game.Traneisha English, program director of Play Works, said the organization focuses on social, emotional and physical benefits of play for all children. The organization understands “the power of inclusive play,” English said.Games like switch, English said, teach conflict resolution in a low stakes game. But, English said the vote to ban transgender girls from playing on a girls team or sport is high stakes.If she had a chance to talk with a legislator ahead of the vote, English said she’d listen, explain to them what inclusive play is and tell them about the negative impacts the bill will have on transgender youth.“I would ask them, is that what they really want? And I would hope their answer is no,” English said. “We are worried about the future of inclusive play.”Members of the Indiana House of Representatives meet at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 to vote to overturn the governor’s veto of a bill that would ban trans children playing school sports in Indiana. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)Nathaniel Clawson, of Bloomington, who has testified against the bill since it was first proposed in the legislature, said his transgender daughter woke up in a foul mood Tuesday.In an effort to comfort her, he told her they plan on having a fun morning playing sports outside with other kids. His daughter, who is 9 years old, said she didn’t see it that way.Advertisement“‘People are trying to take away my rights,’” Clawson said his daughter told him.His daughter loves to play volleyball, soccer and roller derby, and all her friends know her as a girl. When she’s a little older, she will start taking hormone blockers and won’t go through male puberty.“If … she were to play on the boys team, that’s unsafe for her. She’s not going to develop that muscle mass that’s part of testosterone puberty,” Clawson said.The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana immediately filed a lawsuit challenging the law Tuesday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Similar laws have already been blocked or temporarily enjoined in other states.The lawsuit was filed on behalf of A.M., a 10-year-old girl who plays on her school’s all-girls softball team. The new law, which would go into effect July 1, 2022, would deny A.M. the right to rejoin her team because she is a transgender girl.State senator J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, implores his fellow senators to uphold the governor’s veto of a trans student school sports bill at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)“We’re all in this fight together, and we’re going to stay in this fight together,” said Kit Malone, advocacy strategist for ACLU Indiana, during a “let kids play” rally ahead of the vote.Advertisement“Today we’re here to let those lawmakers know, we don’t want them to override that veto. We don’t want laws in this state that discriminate against one particular group of people, in this case transgender girls,” Malone said.Zoe O’Haillan-Berne, director of engagement for Indiana Youth Group, said the bill “isn’t about the safety of cis gender youth” but “it is about the comfort of cis gender adults.”“True Hoosier hospitality means everyone is welcomed, especially every child,” O’Haillin-Berne said. “Trans is beautiful. Trans rights are human rights. At IYG, you’re welcome to play any day.”During the House session, the Representatives weren’t allowed to address the bill under House rules.After the House vote was announced as passing, the room was silent.Kit Malone of the Indiana American Civil Liberties Union speaks during a rally to uphold the governor’s veto of a trans-athlete school sports bill at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)During the Senate session, senators were able to address the bill. Senator Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, called the bill blatantly discriminatory.Advertisement“Throwing children under the bus to gain support from voters is not what we’re here to do,” Taylor said. “With this legislation, you’re telling women they are weak.”Senator J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis, listed other Republican governors who vetoed similar bills and reiterated the opposing testimony that was heard when the bill was advancing through the legislature.“This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue, but with sustaining the veto today, it’s a life saving issue,” Ford said.State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, speaks in the halls of the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)After the vote, Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, said he wasn’t surprised by the vote because Democrats have a super minority in the legislature.“(Republicans) are not even willing to listen to their own governor after he decided to say ‘Hey, let the kids play,’” Andrade said.The bill will have negative impacts on the mental and emotional health of transgender youth, during a time that young adults are struggling with mental health issues, he said.AdvertisementAndrade said the legislature could’ve discussed more important issues facing Hoosiers, like suspending the state gas taxes.“In the scheme of things, we have bigger problems in our state to address. But yet we decide to address something that’s not relevant,” Andrade said.State Rep. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, speaks in the halls of the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune) (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)Senator Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, said he voted in favor of the override because it ensures “fair and competitive” women’s sports.“I think it’s absolutely about integrity in women’s sports. I think it will be fair competition,” Niemeyer said.Niemeyer said he doesn’t see there being a negative impact on transgender youth with the passage of the bill.“It’s not really a problem in Indiana,” Niemeyer said. “We’re trying to head that off because there’s a possibility it will be.”AdvertisementSenator Rodney Pol Jr., D-Ogden Dunes, said he was disappointed with the vote because “it’s the antithesis of Hoosier hospitality.”“I do have faith that the courts will restore the status of their ability to play sports. This goes against this idea that we’re small government,” Pol said.After the vote, Malone said her first thought is about the transgender youth “who have seen the degree to which our legislature will go to prioritize doing them harm.”“This is not the end of the road. Every civil rights battle has had its downsides and it’s ups. In the rear view mirror, all of the people here who are arraying their forces against this small and vulnerable group of harmless people are going to look very bad to history,” Malone said.

Sports

Zach LaVine has surgery on his left knee as the Chicago Bulls guard prepares to enter free agency

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday after playing through discomfort and swelling for most of the 2021-22 season.LaVine’s surgery took place at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, where he lives during the offseason, and he’s expected to make a full recovery, the Bulls said in a statement.AdvertisementThe left knee was already a concern for LaVine, who tore his ACL in 2017. He spent the week before this season’s All-Star break in Los Angeles to receive cortisone and platelet-rich plasma injections, missing two games.LaVine continued to miss games throughout the final third of the regular season, struggling with pain and discomfort during games and on the bench.AdvertisementDespite injuries to his knee and thumb and his second and third bouts with COVID-19, LaVine averaged 24.4 points and 4.5 assists this season and earned a second straight All-Star selection.[ [Don’t miss] What will happen in free agency? Who will play in Summer League? What to watch for this Bulls offseason. ]He enters his first summer as an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this season. LaVine invited speculation about his next step when he declined to commit to re-signing with the Bulls during his exit interview in April.More recently he told TMZ Sports he has “always been a big fan of the Lakers” after eating dinner in Los Angeles on Monday night.“I’ve been here for the past five years. I have to do this as a business decision, as a man, just to not be viewing it one way,” LaVine said during his exit interview. “It’s unrestricted free agency. For my family, for me, I have to go and look at this as a decision where I have to be open-eyed. I have to make my list and talk to everybody.”