Make no mistake. Kyle Fuller loves Vic Fangio. The defensive coordinator was vital in the efforts to help turn the cornerback around from 1st round bust to All-Pro. Fuller appeared to be a lost cause at the end of 2016. He'd missed the entire year with a knee injury and spent the two previous seasons playing inconsistent football. People weren't sure if Fuller would even make the final roster going into 2017.
Fangio though made a concerted effort that offseason to get the young defender refocused and motivated. They played golf together and worked tirelessly in the offseason to hone his game. The results were shocking. Fuller finished with two interceptions and 22 passes defended. A year later, after inking a $54 million contract, he exploded for seven interceptions as part of the best defense in football.
Fuller is eternally grateful for what Fangio did for him. However, he also understands football. Almost nobody is irreplaceable. He made it clear that while the Bears were sad to see their coach leave for Denver, there's already an undercurrent of belief that Chuck Pagano is every bit as good.
Kyle Fuller is already buying in to what Pagano is selling
Fuller spoke with Adam Jahns of The Athletic about how his career has gone and where it's going. At 27-years old he's in his prime and could be poised to enter a stretch of success few Bears cornerbacks ever have. It appears he believes Pagano is more than capable of helping him get there.
“(Pagano’s) pretty impressive,” Fuller said. “Vic was a great coach. But just working with Chuck now, I’m pretty impressed with his teaching style, his coaching style, his motivational style. He does a pretty good job at it.”
In other words, a new bond between player and coach is forming. Whatever worked for Fangio, Pagano is seemingly continuing it.
It’s not only the stories and life experiences that Pagano shares, but also how he delivers them. It’s more than football.
“That’s really real,” Fuller said. “It’s just the type of person he is.”
As good as Fangio is, his background comes from the front seven area, namely linebackers. Pagano on the other hand is a career defensive back specialist. He knows how to speak their language, having coached a number of excellent players such as Ed Reed and Vontae Davis. It's little wonder Fuller likes him. Now he has a coordinator who understands how he thinks.
