Pisa was excited to participate in his first Bears practice today

CB = Chicagobears.com

CB Note: "At one point the veteran linebacker removed his helmet, held it front of his face and smiled as he glanced at the “C.” It was as if he wanted to make sure that signing with the Bears on Friday wasn’t a dream."

Happy to be with the Bears, Pisa said:
"This is a great place to be. It’s beautiful. The working environment here is conductive to my growth as a football player, and I really mean it. Coming here and experiencing this is great for me." (CB)

About being with the Rams when they went 3-13 in 2007 and 2-14 in 2008, Pisa said:
"There’s just a certain cloud that hangs over you when you’re there. All I did was go to work every day and work hard. That’s all I could do, and unfortunately that wasn’t enough." (CB)

About growing up in San Diego and playing for UH, Pisa said:
"I grew up in San Diego and went to school in Hawaii, so I need some sun my life. Coming here, the feel is different. Not that I wasn’t myself back there [in St. Louis], it just was hard to be free and loose. Everybody was tight. Nobody could say anything because we were losing." (CB)

CB Note: "Playing for Lovie Smith and Bob Babich in St. Louis in 2003, Tinoisamoa became the first rookie to lead the Rams in tackles with 121. He also had four interceptions and four forced fumbles. The 6-1, 240-pounder again topped the Rams with 135 tackles last season, but he was released presumably because he didn’t fit into new St. Louis head coach Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive scheme."

About how Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs greeted him warmly when he visited them on May 20, Pisa said:
"I wasn’t really sure how I’d be embraced, but they’ve been totally cool,” Tinoisamoa said. “I’m familiar with Lance—we came out [of college] the same year—but Brian, when I came to my visit he said [hello] to me and he knew my name, I was like, ‘Wow, that’s Brian Urlacher. He called me by my first name.’" (CB)

About their other 2 LBs made the Pro Bowl, Pisa said:
"That will raise the bar for me. Now I know that my performance has to be on par with those guys. That’s what I’ve got to shoot for. Before I was trying to raise the bar on a team that was mediocre. But now I’ve got some mentors that I can look up to and know that’s the level that we’ve got to play at." (CB)

About how the Bears only promised him an opportunity to compete for the strongside LB position, Pisa said:
"I’m here to compete. I’m here to give some production wherever they need it—special teams, linebacker—wherever they need it, they’ve got me." (CB)

Looking forward to paying for Lovie Smith again, Pisa said:
"There’s definitely some familiarity. But I only got one year with Lovie and then he was [hired as Bears coach in 2004]. And then we tried to [continue to] run it, but he knew it like the back of his hand. So it was kind of hard for other people to run something they don’t know as well. Right now I’m trying to get the principles down. But [coach Smith] said to run to the ball, and I can do that very well. So right now that’s what I’ll do and slowly pick up and get re-familiarized with the other stuff." (CB)

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=5857