EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -At first glance, San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary and Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier couldn’t be much more different.
Singletary is the Hall of Fame linebacker with the fiery, intense personality of an old-school football coach who specializes in straight talk and in-your-face confrontation.
Frazier is the former cornerback who quietly commands respect with a more analytical and subdued approach in the mold of one of his former mentors, Tony Dungy.
But 28 years after they first met as rookie teammates with the Chicago Bears, Frazier and Singletary remain the closest of friends.
“Maybe on the outside it may seem that we’re different, but we are very similar in a lot of ways,” Frazier said on Thursday. “I think that has had a lot to do with why, from the day we were rookies in the NFL, that we hit it off. We do have a great deal in common.”
ared values of faith, family and football brought them together.
“There is not enough time for me to tell you how much value and how much trust I have in him,” Singletary said.
They broke into the league as players together in 1981 and were roommates in their first training camp with the Bears. They bonded instantly and played on that vaunted Chicago defense that took the Bears to the Super Bowl title in 1985.
So Singletary says he saw a side of Frazier few see.
“Leslie can fool you,” Singletary said. “He seems to be a quiet guy, really calm and reserved. But inside of him is a rage. Inside of him is a mad man. He doesn’t let it come out too often, but it’s in there. He does a great job covering it up.”
Frazier? A mad man?
“I have no idea what he is talking about,” Frazier said with a laugh. “When we do talk, I will be sure to ask him that question. It’s a great relationship. Unfortunately this week we haven’t had a chance to converse because of the circumstances. I look forward to talking with him when our game is done.”
So would you pull your pants down at halftime to get your players’ attention, like Singletary did in his debut as interim coach last season?
“No,” Frazier said with a hearty chuckle. “I’ll leave that to my friend in San Francisco to handle.”
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