LAKE FOREST, Ill. – As a 12-year-old growing up in Charlotte, N.C., Bears quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton idolized a popular 17-year-old neighbor who was a star high school quarterback.

Given permission by his parents one day to attend an early morning varsity football practice at West Charlotte High, Hamilton was thrilled to ride the activity bus with the older boy.

Pep Hamilton joined the Bears in 2007 after stints with the Jets and 49ers.

“When he came down to the bus stop, he had his helmet,” Hamilton said. “I asked if I could hold his helmet and I actually put his helmet on and wore his helmet the entire way to practice. He was a positive role model for me and some of the younger guys in the neighborhood.”

While childhood friends often grow apart, Hamilton and the teenager he looked up to are even closer 22 years later. In fact, the two are neighbors once again—at least at Halas Hall, where their offices are only a few feet apart. The star high school quarterback was Steven Wilks, who’s in his third season as Bears defensive backs coach.

“To be honest, I don’t remember that story [about the helmet],” Wilks said with a laugh. “But that’s one of the stories that he keeps telling everybody here. He threw me for a loop the first time I heard it.”

Despite Sunday’s disappointing loss to the Carolina Panthers, the two Bears assistants enjoyed returning home this past weekend. Growing up, Hamilton followed Wilks every step of the way, playing quarterback in the Police Athletic League and at J. T. Williams Middle School and West Charlotte High School.

“I definitely followed in his footsteps,” Hamilton said. “He was really someone I looked up. Plus, he was a good player and he was the quarterback. As a football fan and especially a young kid, you’ve always got your eyes on the quarterback because he touches the ball on every play.”

While they were never classmates because of the five-year age difference, Wilks and Hamilton often played together in sandlot football games against kids from a nearby apartment complex.

“For me and the guys who were my age, we were more in awe of just seeing Steve and the guys from Steve’s crew who would get out there and play,” Hamilton said.

After graduating from high school, Wilks accepted a scholarship from Appalachian State, where he switched to defensive back and registered 103 career tackles and four interceptions. Wilks went to training camp with the Seattle Seahawks in 1992 and played for the Charlotte Rage of the Arena Football League in 1993.

Steven Wilks is in his third season as Bears defensive backs coach.

Inspired by Wilks’ success, Hamilton went on to play quarterback at Howard University.

“It’s one thing when you hear about a role model, see a guy on TV or read about him in a magazine,” Hamilton said. “But it’s different when it’s actually tangible to see somebody that comes from a similar background get a scholarship and finish college and establish a career. It allows you to see and think outside the box more.”

Wilks and Hamilton had coaching in their blood at an early age.

“Both of them were great kids,” said Frank Crockett, who coached the two Bears assistants in youth football and Hamilton in high school.

“They were even students of the game back then. Pep would ask a lot of questions about quarterbacking and route running and getting the line set. It didn’t surprise me at all that both became coaches. They were very intrigued by how we set up our game plan, why we ran plays. They were very inquisitive about what we were doing as coaches. I knew then that some day they would go into coaching and would do very well coaching football.”

Now the head football coach at Victory Christian Center School in Charlotte, Crockett is thrilled with what his two former players have accomplished.

“I’m proud as a peacock,” he said. “They’re like my sons. I’ve seen those guys grow from little guys up to men and it just makes me stick out my chest. I always refer back  to those guys with my football teams now in high school and let them know if you do what it takes in the classroom and you keep your character in check, then one day if you ever want to accomplish anything in the world, you can do it. Those two guys are my role models.”