Ruben Brown doesn't know Orlando Pace but knows the situation he is in coming to a new team as a decorated veteran who spent his entire career in one city where he was beloved.
There is a big adjustment to be made, but as Brown proved it's not too late for Pace to get back to the top. You have to think the Bears' success in recycling Brown and another veteran in Fred Miller weighed in the decision to sign Pace to a three-year contract on April 2. They've done well with veteran linemen with a little gas left in the tank and no one has served as a better example than Brown, who was 32 when he joined the Bears in 2004 after nine seasons and seven trips to the Pro Bowl with the Buffalo Bills.
"Orlando can be back on top if he is willing to sacrifice himself,'' Brown said. "When I first got to Chicago you saw where I was. I was playing on the third team on the right side. I'd never been there before. If he is willing to sacrifice himself to the new environment and become a part of it, I think you could see glimpses of what he was and he could see himself finishing his career off with another Super Bowl. It's up to him.''
