LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears pass-rusher Khalil Mack has been the same disruptive force on defense that he was in Oakland.
But off the field, Mack is finding life in Chicago much different from the Bay Area.
Mack joked with reporters on Wednesday that after four somewhat anonymous years with the Raiders, he’s having a difficult time going unnoticed in public since relocating to Chicago.
"Come on man ... here in Chicago, it's real aggressive," Mack said. "It's real aggressive right here in Chicago. Yeah, everybody kind of recognizes you. It's a good feeling.
"It's everywhere, it's everywhere. That's the difference (from Oakland). It's everywhere. It doesn’t matter where I’m at -- HomeGoods ... It could be a mother of two. And she’ll be a fan. And it’s random as hell to me."
Mack, 27, is no stranger to the spotlight. He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2016) honors in Oakland, but following a lengthy holdout and contract dispute over the summer, the Raiders traded Mack to the Bears on Sept. 1.
He made an immediate impact in Chicago. Mack was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month in September with five sacks, four forced fumbles, a pick-six, four tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
Mack is tied for second in the NFC and fifth in the NFL in sacks. He’s also tied for the league lead in forced fumbles.
Because of his personal success, and the Bears’ 3-1 record to begin the year, Mack said he quickly realized how important football is to the Bears fan base.
"You feel that and that's another reason why you want to go out and make them proud," Mack said.
"To me, it has been [different playing for the Bears]. For me and my family it has been [different], they can tell. Absolutely."
