Olin Kreutz, a six-time Pro Bowler for the Bears, recently spoke out for the first time since being let go by Chicago-based sports media company CHGO Sports in May after allegedly assaulting an employee.
Kreutz served as an analyst for NBC Sports Chicago. In May, he allegedly “grabbed CHGO colleague Adam Hoge by the neck in response to a flippant remark” during a staff meeting at CHGO’s office. The two did a show together titled NBCSCH’s Football Aftershow, where Kreutz had become a household name for his analysis of the Bears.
After the incident, Kreutz reportedly contacted Hoge privately about the incident, but had not addressed the situation publicly. But when the report emerged that the company fired him, Kreutz said he had “already decided his time at CHGO was up,” citing some things he believed were “unprofessional” in how the company was run , according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I know they came out and said they fired me, but … it was my decision,” Kreutz told the Sun-Times. “And like I told my kids, you do something like that, you pay the fine. You take the punishment and then you try to be a better person and try to learn from every situation.”
According to the Sun-Times, Hoge did not seek treatment, nor did he file a police report after the incident. He also wanted to continue the show with Kreutz. However, Kreutz opposed the idea, saying he “thought his time was up” at CHGO.
Even more, the two-time All-Pro center said the incident made some of his colleagues “uneasy” in the building.
“… If people don’t feel good about me being there, of course I won’t be there,” Kreutz told the Times. “From my point of view, how could it change? … And if they’re afraid of me, then you have to ask them what they’re going to say to me. You’ll never get an answer to that, of course.”
While Kreutz will no longer work for NBC Sports Chicago, he also worked as an analyst for 670 The Score in Chicago. But it is not decided whether he will return to the platform.
Kreutz played for the Bears from 1998 to 2010 before spending one season with the Saints.
