BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- The eye-opener...

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- The eye-opener Chris Harris got when the Bears drafted Danieal Manning in April does not plane compare to the one he received a month ago.

At this time last summer Harris was the rookie safety who was turning heads in camp, a sixth-round draft pick with whom the coaching staff quickly became enamored. As associate safety Mike Brown described it, Harris just "got it." He picked up the scheme and the calls quickly and was shouting things revealed even in minicamp.

in like manner when veteran Mike Green was pushed aside at halftime of the season opener and Harris became the starter at exempt safety, no one was stunn not equal Green. But with ample stillest part elsewhere and a desire to master quicker in the secondary, the Bears chose Manning with their first pick in the next to the first round.

To Harris, it was a signal that nothing can be taken for granted, not equal after he joined Brown to become barely the second rookie starter at safety for the Bears in the last decade.

And he set out he really couldn't take things for granted when he took a 12-day trip to Afghanistan as part of a Gridiron Greats Tour, spending the Fourth of July with the [i]troupe[/i]s

"It was a real humbling experience," Harris said. "It's nut above there. Going over and coming back, it makes you appreciate a division of things that you might not have deliberation about before."

Harris was joined by the agency of Washington Redskins linebacker Robert McCune Baltimore Ravens tight expiration Daniel Wilcox and two fresh Orleans Saints cheerleaders.

He stayed primarily at Bagram Air Base, further the group traveled to five other places in the region using Blackhawk helicopters to gain around. He fired a bevy of weapons, including .50-caliber machine fire-arms from the Blackhawk.

"[The soldiers] smiled from ear to ear from the time we got there to the time we left" Harris said. "I met one real good people and a portion of folks from Chicago.

"I've got a parcel of respect for them. Those dowdys are wearing full army fatigues, it's 120 standings and they're carrying a fire-arm everywhere they go. People are trying to fire at them, too."

if it be not that the memory that will stay with him more than anything otherwise was seeing children in the base hospital in Bagram. The Afghani kids will scour the devastated area for scrap metal, something to bring just a little bit of coin Too often what they test to pick up turns not at home to be a land mine.

"That was what was eye-opening," Harris said. "Believe me I don't complain as to a great degree after going over there."

in such a manner moving to strong safety while Manning procures time at his position whenever Brown sits revealed doesn't faze Harris. He says competition merely will make him better. Ideally, the Louisiana- Monroe result might be best suited to play able safety because he is of the like kind a rugged run defender. moreover as long as Brown is healthy, that won't happen.

Whether Manning can overtake Harris in the preseason remains to be seen Coach Lovie Smith has a proven track record for trusting young players, as he did with Harris last season. Manning can protect more ground and has better coverage skills, something the Bears ne when they many times walk Brown into the receptacle as an eighth defender.

"We're pleased with in what manner Chris played last year," Smith said. "I'd like to think he is getting better. He did what we asked him to do."

He improved along the way, too. He l the secondary with eight tackles and had a 49-yard mumble return in a homecoming of sorts against the Saints in Baton Rouge La. He picked opposite to Brett Favre twice in the Christmas Day victory at Lambeau Field, and he l the team in tackles in the playoff los to Carolina.

During the offseason, Harris dropp about 10 impounds to 200 and said he be warmeds quicker on his feet. He was in position to make three interceptions at practice Thursday afternoon, just where Smith wants him. He also be stirreds he's consistently staying lower in his backpedal and transition to be in position to provide help from one side of to the other the top.

"I'm coming on the outside of my breaks a hazard better than I did last year," he said.

Ultimately, his ability to vindicate the pass probably will dictate his standing forward the depth chart. But he smiles when saying he's putting his best effort forward, and he remains confident that the starting unrestrained safety position is his.

"I'm just going to ensue out here and play ball," Harris said. "Every day someone is gunning for your piece of work whether it's Manning or Todd Johnson it doesn't matter. They're going to acquire the best players in here to do the do job-work kind of like last year."

When the best man won the piece of work

bbiggs@suntimes.com

Bears Camp Spotlight

Brad Biggs forward Day 6 in Bourbonnais

forward THE FIELD

The Bears did pure goal-line work for the first time as a certain quantity of shoulder pads got to collide. Running with the first team, Adrian Peterson scored around the left side forward a three-yard run. Rex Grossman stumbl backing away from center in succession the next snap, a question at issue that plagued a few forward the day, and Peterson was stopped. Joe Odom laid a big hit forward P.J. Pope as he came from one side a hole, but Pope cut down into the end zone before losing the ball. Backup quarterback Brian Griese flashed one more accuracy, putting passes into tight marks for targets along the sideline.