Scotty Miller joined the Bears' rookie minicamp this week while angling for a roster spot, as two hometown tryouts also tried to turn a weekend look into something bigger. Josh Kreutz and Jai Williams were among the NFL hopefuls working on a tryout basis, each hoping the Bears would keep them on the 90-man roster.
Kreutz said it was "surreal" to be there and that his goal was to make the 90-man roster. The former three-year starting center at Illinois wore No. 57 in minicamp, and he said he wanted to get better at "how to play the game" by learning how to practice and prepare at the next level. Williams, who wore No. 71, called the chance "an opportunity that I couldn't have asked for" and said it meant a lot to be able to play for the team he grew up watching.
The minicamp carries extra weight because both players come from football families tied to the Bears. Kreutz is the son of Olin Kreutz, who was drafted by Chicago in the third round of the 1998 draft out of Washington, made six Pro Bowls in 13 seasons and appeared in 191 games with 183 starts. Williams is the son of James "Big Cat" Williams, who spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the Bears from 1991 to 2002, appeared in 166 games with 143 starts and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2001.
That background is matched by the path both sons took to this point. Kreutz attended Loyola Academy, while Williams went to Lake Forest, played at Kentucky in 2023 and then at Quincy University from 2024 to 2025. The two have known each other for years because their fathers were close friends, and Williams said he had lifted with Kreutz for years before sharing the minicamp field with him.
The family connection also links the fathers. Olin Kreutz and James "Big Cat" Williams were Bears teammates for five seasons, adding to the sense that this week's minicamp is as much about legacy as it is about evaluation. Williams said he texted his family after getting No. 71 and thought it was funny, while Kreutz said seeing his old Bears number made the moment feel even more real.
For now, the Bears are giving both sons a chance to make a case in front of the same team their fathers helped define. The next step is simple and unforgiving: turn a tryout into a place on the roster, or go home with the kind of story that almost became something bigger.
