WHAT'S IN YOUR LOCKER: Afalava Has Brush With Fame

Who knew that football players were so hygienic? Well, maybe not every football player, but Bears safety Al Afalava certainly fits the description if his locker is any indication.

Afalava, 22, has registered 39 tackles and two sacks as a rookie starter for the Bears. The sixth-round draft pick out of Oregon State received no promises that he would make the team this summer, but he has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates with a quiet confidence and a devoted work ethic.

Bears reporter Tom Musick spoke with Afalava before a recent practice.

OK, so the first thing I notice when I look in your locker is the toothpaste on your top shelf.
Toothpaste?

Yeah, right there. So what’s the story? Do you brush your teeth after practice?
Oh, yeah. I brush my teeth after practice, after I shower. I don’t know [why]. I just like brushing my teeth.

Where did that start? Did that come from your mom or dad emphasizing that all the time? Not everybody brushes their teeth in the middle of the day.
Yeah, I started it during college and just carried it through with me. If I take a shower, I might as well freshen up and brush my teeth again.

Do your teammates give you grief for that?
No, I mean, a lot of guys do it. I see a lot of guys, they’ll be brushing their teeth after practice.

Maybe you could turn this into a big endorsement with Crest or something.
(Laughs and shakes his head)

So is that your favorite brand?
Oh, I mix it up.

Based on whatever’s cheapest?
Whatever my wife buys. (Laughs)

How about your little guy? Did you have to teach him to brush his teeth, too? (Afalava has a 2-year-old son, Darius.)
Oh, yeah. My son is already doing it on his own, so he doesn’t need any help from me.

What about the rest of your locker? Am I missing anything else unique in here?
No, I mean, it’s just a mess right now. Just clothes and stuff. Nothing big.

I see your playbook up there.
Yeah, I take that home with me.

Is this locker room a lot different than college? Was your locker room a lot more crowded there?
No, our locker room was rebuilt. We did it in numerical order, though. (The Bears assign lockers according to positional groups.)

Have you brought your kids into the locker room yet to show off their dad’s office?
(Laughs) No, not yet. I’m a rookie, so I’ll try to get some years under my belt before I can start bringing my kids here.

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Afalava Ready for Big Moment

Chicago Bears strong safety Al Afalava has flown under the radar this week -- never a bad thing for a rookie expected to start Week 1.

Playing on the road against Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay's talented offense would a be a tough assignment for any first-year player, but the Bears coaching staff hopes Afalava can keep building on a strong preseason.

"It's going to be a very special game," said Afalava. "They said my college rivalry game [Oregon] was nothing compared to this. Plus, it's going to be my first NFL game, so just watching the film and noticing the speed of the game is a big deal. Aaron Rodgers is a great quarterback, and I've seen how fast the ball comes out, so we'll see how it goes."

Will there be some butterflies?

"I don't know," smiled Afalava. "We'll see how it is when I get out there in warm-ups."

Butterflies shouldn't be an issue for veteran Danieal Manning, who is expected to start at nickel and receive plenty of work -- since the Packers are known to favor sets of four and five receivers.

"They're moving the ball well," said Manning. "I think in one preseason game they didn't even punt. They look pretty impressive."

Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and Donald Lee are the givens on the Green Bay offense, but keep an eye on second-string tight end Jermichael Finley. The 2008 third-round pick led the Packers with nine receptions in the preseason, one more than fellow second-year player Jordy Nelson, who caught 33 balls as a rookie. Finley, Nelson and James Jones gives Mike McCarthy plenty of options to compliment his skill position starters.

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Afalava Impressing Those Who Count

While he may have a last name that's a bit difficult to pronounce, that's not keeping Al Afalava's name from being on a lot of people's lips these days.

A sixth-round draft choice and seventh selection overall by the Bears, the former Oregon State standout has had an outstanding training camp thus far.

Most importantly, he's impressed the guys who make the decisions about who plays and stays, and who gets cut and goes home: the Bears' coaching staff.

"He's making plays," Bears head coach Lovie Smith said. "A lot of times when rookies come in, especially in the secondary, they're quiet. But he has a little bit of confidence, he talks because he knows what's going on, has good skills, good size, good quickness, good raw speed and his strong suit is hitting."

Afalava showed just how much he likes to hit by recording six tackles in the Bears' preseason opener Saturday at Buffalo, one of the few Bears' highlights in an otherwise disappointing 27-20 loss.

A Hawaiian native, Afalava is currently listed as the Bears' No. 2 strong safety, behind Kevin Payne and in front of fellow rookie and undrafted free agent Dahna Deleston.

But with free safety Danieal Manning still bothered by a lingering hamstring issue, Afalava's stock has gone up considerably, mainly due to his versatility. While he is primarily a strong safety, he can also play free safety with equal aplomb.

That means Afalava can not only fill in for Payne, but could take over as No. 1 strong safety if Manning's hamstring problems continue. Some published reports have Afalava ready to be promoted to starting strong safety, with Payne likely being shifted to No. 1 free safety to at least temporarily take Manning's position.

But on the flip side, the quick and speedy Afalava could also switch from strong to free safety, if needed. That gives the Bears greater versatility and depth in the secondary and plays to one of Afalava's strengths, that of being a roamer who has a knack to be drawn to plays.

Not bad for a sixth-round pick who could wind up being one of the biggest steals of the draft if he continues to improve and becomes a fixture of the secondary.

"We really like our depth and getting a player like Al Afalava to come around," Smith said.

Saturday's display by Afalava against Buffalo wasn't a total surprise. He's shined during training camp practices and has shown he's not intimidated by opposing quarterbacks, even the likes of Pro Bowl teammate Jay Cutler.

"[Cutler] looks at me when I try to disguise [coverage], and says 'ah, he's nuts,'" Afalava said with a laugh. "But I just have to execute. It's knowing his reads and stuff, just studying him and what he does. It's really a privilege."

With comments like that, you can quickly tell that Afalava is somewhat of a soft-spoken type. He's not boisterous like Tommie Harris or a bull like Brian Urlacher. Rather, he's the studious type who lets his actions -- rather than his words -- speak for himself on the field of play.

"It's all about thinking," Afalava said. "I've just got to go out there, bear down and play."

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Afalava to Start @ Strong Safety?

Al Afalava took a giant step in proving he belongs in the NFL.

The rookie did miss a few tackles, but was always around the ball Saturday night, and proved himself with an open-field stop for a loss on a dump-off pass to Marshawn Lynch. I like the aggressive way Afalava attacks the run, but he's still an unknown commodity in pass coverage. The longer Danieal Manning misses with a hamstring injury, the more likely Afalava retains a spot in the starting lineup. Of course the flip side is that Kevin Payne is forced to play free safety. So just like in the offseason workouts, the Bears essentially are playing with two strong safeties.

Chicago Bears Getting Used to a Little Island Flavor

Center Olin Kreutz has been a staple in the Chicago Bears organization since the team drafted him out of Washington St. 12 years ago. Kreutz, a leader both on the field and in the locker room, leads by example through hard work and determination. He keeps players in line and commands respect from not only his teammates, but opposing players as well.

Kreutz was raised and played high school football in Hawaii for St. Louis High, a team consistently playing for the island title, where he was all-state in both football and wrestling. Hawaii was his kickoff point for a prosperous and productive NFL career.

And Kreutz isn't the only one to bring the island madness to the team.

The Bears selected safety Al Afalava in the sixth round of the 2009 draft. Afalava grew up in Laie, located on the north shore of Oahu, and played high school for the Kahuku Red Raiders, a perennial powerhouse, before moving on to Oregon St.

If you look closely, there are quite a few connections to the pacific islands throughout the Bears roster:

Undrafted free agents Will Ta'ufo'ou (FB from Cal) and Johan Asiata (OG from UNLV) are both in contention for roster spots. Asiata, originally from New Zealand, actually grew up in Hawaii.

Reserve defensive tackle Matt Toeaina played high school football on the tiny island of American Samoa, which is located east of Fiji and North of Tonga before he moved on to play college ball at the University of Oregon.

Newly acquired linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa played for the University of Hawaii for four years. He made first team all WAC his senior year and was drafted in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams.

The Bears even have had a couple Hawaii players represented on the practice squad and in training camp. Safety Leonard Peters, also a Kahuku graduate, was on the Bears practice squad for the 2007 season. And former UH standout wide receiver Ryan Grice-Mullens was added to the Bears roster last season in training camp to add some depth, but failed to make the final cut.

And it doesn't end there, lets kick it back a little further.

Anyone remember tight end Gabe Reid? He played four years for the Bears from 2003 through 2006 and recorded a total of seven receptions—okay, not exactly stellar numbers but Reid was also a product of American Samoa and was a competent third stringer for the team.

And if you want to go old-school, how about Lakei Heimuli? Heimuli was a running back out of BYU who grew up in Tonga and played one season for the 1987 Chicago Bears. He only made it into three games that year, but to be fair, his numbers weren't terrible: 34 carries for 128 yards (for a 3.8 average), and five receptions for 51 yards and one lone touchdown.

So really, this island theme from the Bears is not a new one. And judging from recent trends, look for more and more of these Polynesian products to follow in the footsteps of Kreutz, Pisa, Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu, and Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.

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