BEARS IN BRIEF: Would-be Bear Novak still kickin'

August 18, 2007
BY BRAD BIGGS bbiggs@suntimes.com

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- A couple of years of up-and-down play by kickers was settled when Robbie Gould came on two years ago and then earned All-Pro honors last season, scoring 143 points. Joining him in camp is Nick Novak, the man who would have had his job with the Bears in 2005 had Novak not been in Washington at the time filling in for injured John Hall. Novak, who spent the 2005 preseason with the Bears, was the kicker they intended to bring in when Doug Brien faltered that fall, but he wasn't available. Talk about opportunity knocking for Gould.

Novak later bounced to Arizona and back to Washington. The Bears signed him in February and allocated him to Europe, and now he's hoping to get on tape during the preseason. ''He's got a chance to stick in this league,'' special-team coordinator Dave Toub said. ''I told him I think he is among the top 35 kickers in the league. He is on the verge of having a job. We liked him two years ago, and we like him now. He's improved.''

Novak has hit 39 of 45 field goals (87 percent) in camp. He said the main thing is proving that his leg strength has improved on kickoffs. Novak has changed his approach and moved up his plant foot to generate more distance.

He knows there's no job here for him unless something unfortunate happens to Gould.

''I consider myself a competitor, and I want to do the best I can, not just in games but in camp against Robbie,'' he said. ''He is the best in the league at what he does, and I want to compete against that.''

Toub gave Novak one extra point in the preseason victory at Houston, and he had one kickoff, which he drove to the Texans' 1-yard line.