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LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Tim Ruskell’s first order of business as Bears director of player personnel Friday afternoon was to express gratitude to those who were instrumental in his hiring.

“I’m just excited today,” Ruskell said during a teleconference with reporters. “I want to thank the owners and Ted Phillips and Jerry [Angelo] and Lovie [Smith] for this opportunity to get back into the game with a storied franchise. [I’m] looking forward to going back to work and building this team and keeping it at a high level of success.”

Ruskell joins the Bears after spending the last 23 years in the NFL with the Buccaneers (1987-2003), Falcons (2004) and Seahawks (2005-09). During his various stints with each team, he helped Tampa Bay and Seattle reach the Super Bowl and Atlanta advance to the NFC Championship Game.

Ruskell feels that having worked with Angelo and Smith in Tampa will help him make a smooth transition with the Bears.

“I believe it does because communication is such a big thing in this business, any business, certainly in a sports business in terms of a front office,” Ruskell said. “Having that relationship already established and having worked with some of those guys, I just think it tears down a lot of the barriers you have to fight through and get right to the matters at hand. So I think it is a good thing.”

As part of a front-office restructuring with the Bears, Ruskell will oversee all personnel matters on both the pro and college levels, communicating with assistant director of pro personnel Kevin Turks as well as the team’s college scouts. 

Ruskell, who basically is replacing departed senior director of pro personnel Bobby DePaul and director of college scouting Greg Gabriel, doesn’t feel that heading both departments will be too taxing.

“I don’t think it is that big of a deal,” he said. “As the general manager and as the assistant GM in Atlanta, that’s kind of what I did. I was in both areas whereas prior to my director of player personnel job with Tampa, I was just on the college side. I have been ingrained in both for the last 10, 12 years, so it just feels natural to me to be involved.  

“I think one begets the other, and I think it’s going to be helpful that one guy is involved with both communicating with Jerry about what’s out there. It’s a challenge, but I’m looking forward to it and I think it will go great.”

Asked what excites him most about the opportunity, Ruskell said: “Getting back to what I love. I’ve been in the business on the pro side since ’82-’83 with the Canadian Football League and starting in ’87 with the NFL. Personnel is my first love and my expertise and it’s what I enjoy doing the most of all the things that I’ve done in the National Football League.”

Ruskell is not expected to bring any scouts with him to Chicago.

“I don’t have any plans of doing that,” he said. “I have great respect for the Bears, for the staff that Jerry and the guys have put together. This college staff, I believe, is second to none.

“I’m coming in there to roll up my sleeves and help in any way that I can and hit the ground running. I think we’ve got a good group to go forward with.”