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Quarantine Routine is a regular feature that asks political, business, sports and entertainment power brokers how their daily lives have changed — and how they’re still doing their jobs — during the coronavirus crisis.
Just like everyone else across the United States, Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Singletary is dealing with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Singletary was a second-round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 1981 NFL Draft.
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998, Singletary led the Bears to a Super Bowl title in 1985. He was known as “the heart of the defense” for arguably the greatest defensive unit in the history of the league.
For his stellar play at linebacker in defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan’s “46” defense, Singletary won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award that same year.
Singletary told Fox News on Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic has changed almost everything in his daily life.
Singletary went into more detail about his life in a Q&A with Fox News.
Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary.
Fox News: How has your daily routine changed since social distancing measures began?
Singletary: For me, I guess it’s just being aware. You can’t help but be aware of the changes. But as far as my household, it’s pretty much the same. I think our normal routine in a day, and of course, this coronavirus made it more so, but we all have our own place in the house, and study or do whatever we are doing.
At the appropriate time, we kind of come together in the evenings, and watch a movie or talk a bit about that day. And then, we just get ready for another day.
Fox News: What are the biggest challenges in doing your job during this crisis?
Singletary: Right now, I’m doing a number of things. I’m trying to help, whether it’s the governor, senator or judge, I’m trying to get masks. We are trying to locate them and get them to those workers who need them.
That’s one thing that’s probably on the forefront of what I’m doing. Other than that, I’m always reading, watching film, and working in other businesses, and things that I do.
Fox News: What do you miss the most about how you did your job before this began?
Singletary: I got to be honest. I’m sure for a lot of other people, it’s a lot of different things, but for me with what I’m doing right now is something that I’ve done for the last 30 years. And that is get up, if it’s not football season, I’m reading, I’m studying, I’m speaking, and then I have time with my family and my wife.
And that’s really what I do. That’s my life. And I think right now, it’s not a whole lot different. I’m studying and I’m reading, and I’m spending time with my family. That’s pretty much what I do.
NFL legend Mike Singletary announces the pick for the Chicago Bears during the second round of the NFL Draft on April 27, 2018 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. (Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Fox News: What surprised you most about how life has changed?
Singletary: I think the whole thing. I never would have thought in my lifetime that something like this could happen. I never envisioned it. If anybody would have said it prior to this happening that this was a possibility, I would have said that you’re out of your mind. I just didn’t see anything like this happening. And that’s really the biggest thing.
The fact that America and the world has been shaken. And this is something that we’ve never experienced. We as a people have to remember, that there are a lot of things that we take for granted. Just in our every day lives. Particularly in our country, when we talk about that we have the right to do things, when something like this happens, it makes you think about a lot of things. Different things.
Fox News: How do you blow off steam?
Singletary: For me, any home I’ve ever stayed in or lived in, I’ve always tried to make it a priority to have a place in the house where we have some kind of equipment. Or if there’s no equipment, a place where you can do pushups and situps.
To me, there’s no excuse not to work out. I heard some people say, ‘Oh I miss going to the gym’ and okay that’s fine. But as long as I can go outside and walk, as long as I can stand in the corner and move, as long as I can do pushups and situps, I have my gym. It may not be exactly what I want, but I can always do something.
