NFL Draft Day: Williams ready to get nasty for Bears

Chris Williams’ history as a left tackle made him the easy selection for the Bears to make with the 14th pick in the draft today.

General manager Jerry Angelo said one of the first criteria for the position was finding a left tackle, and that made him the choice over Pittsburgh offensive tackle Jeff Otah, who many project as a right tackle, and Branden Albert, who played guard at Virginia. The Bears chose Williams after Angelo said the team turned down multiple trade offers for the pick.

``We went into this offseason and our No. 1 need was left tackle,’’ Angelo said. ``We wanted to get an offensive tackle and obviously if we had our choice it would be a left tackle. We feel real good about our selection of Chris.’’

Williams and the Bears refuted reports Saturday morning that medical issues surrounding his neck had him coming off some draft boards. Angelo said the club thoroughly examined him at the combine and Williams said he’s had no serious neck issues ever, just a minor stinger a few years ago.

Coach Lovie Smith went and visited with Williams and liked the player’s background and intelligence, a trait Angelo said is valued in linemen.

`` He’s a serious player,’’ Smith said. ``He comes from a great family where education has been stressed, you could say that about most of the guys that go to Vanderbilt. Chris is pretty driven to be one of the better players to play the position. He has high expectations for the type of play that we’ll get from him and I think we’ll get that.

``What I saw was just a solid player, who had direction and knew where he wanted to go. Of course, he saw himself being a Chicago Bear back then and I saw him being a Chicago Bear, too. I’m glad it turned out that way.’’

Williams said he didn’t fight back in a tussle at the Senior Bowl because he was taught swinging back meant a 15-yard penalty.

``Obviously, the Bears thought that I did have enough fire and I feel like I have enough fire,’’ Williams said. ``I play hard and I play with intensity. I don’t know where that comes from. I guess if they have to find a knock that would be it, but I’ll continue to play hard and do whatever coach [Harry] Hiestand asks me to do. If that involves being quote-unquote nastier than that will be what it is. Whatever the knocks may be, I feel like they’re easily addressed.”