http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=3776
Hass' spot on Bears' 53-man roster well deserved
By Larry Mayer
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Mike Hass' leaping touchdown catch in last Thursday's preseason finale was tremendous, but it wasn't much better than some of the grabs he made in training camp.
After spending all of last season on the Bears' practice squad, Hass entered camp determined to impress coaches and earn a spot on the 53-man roster. The 6-1, 206-pounder accomplished both objectives, catching virtually every pass thrown in his direction and even a few that weren't.
Mike Hass gets both feet in bounds and hangs onto the ball with a defender draped all over him for a 9-yard TD reception last Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Bill Smith)
"I never doubted myself," Hass said. "Last year was a tough year just because I didn't get the opportunity to go out in the regular season games and play. But that just kind of added to the fire and I knew this was a big year where I had to make something happen. So every day I just tried to come out and prove myself."
Hass knows a thing or two about rising from obscurity. After walking on at Oregon State, he became the school's all-time leading receiver with 220 catches for 3,924 yards. As a senior in 2005, he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver.
Hass entered the NFL in 2006 as a sixth-round draft pick with the Saints. But he was waived by New Orleans during final cuts and promptly joined the Bears' practice squad the following day.
While practicing with the Bears last season helped him, Hass credits the experience he gained in the offseason program with putting him in position to earn a spot on the final roster.
"The thing that really helped me was going through the OTAs and the minicamps and all those types of things where I could really get a [grasp] of the offense," Hass said. "Coming into training camp, I didn't have to learn as much. I could play more."
That familiarity helped Hass flourish in training camp while working with the No. 2 offense.
"You hear guys now and then say [someone is] a guy who's easy to throw to," said backup quarterback Brian Griese. "What that means is he's in the right place. He gives you an opportunity to throw him the ball in a safe way and you know he's going to be there and make the catch. Those things factor in as a quarterback. There are some guys you like to throw to and other guys who don't give you that comfort, but he does."
The Bears knew that Hass had great hands and was an excellent route runner. They also told him that those two qualities wouldn't be enough for him to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
"We said, 'Mike, if you're going to make it, you're going to have to know every position. You're going to have to be a guy who can play inside, outside, X, Z; everything. If you can't do that, you're not going to have a shot,'" said offensive coordinator Ron Turner.
"We moved him around in camp and he did a great job. He's got a feel for the game, good toughness and he's very instinctive."
Hass took the challenge to heart and proved that he belongs in the NFL.
"I needed to do things to catch the coach's eye and I went out there every day focused and just did the things they asked me to do and did them to the best of my ability," Hass said. "It was fun, but it was stressful at the same time."
The stress reached its peak on Saturday when the Bears were making their final cuts. With his cell phone in his pocket, Hass did errands to try to keep his mind off the situation. When he hadn't received a call by the 3 p.m. deadline, he knew that he had made the team.
"I was real excited and a little bit relieved," he said. "I'm just excited about the opportunity to go out there and play."
While Hass is ecstatic about surviving final cuts, that doesn't mean he'll rest on his laurels.
"It's one of those things where the work just begins," he said. "You work hard to make the team and you've got to work just as hard if not harder to make an impact and help the team out."
Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins 
