"I can't even imagine it," he said. "I'm so pro-Buc. I thought I'd die a Buc. I can't imagine not being a part of this organization the last few years.

Angelo, 52, is the new general manager of the Chicago Bears. He will sign a four-year contract today and be introduced at a news conference in Chicago.

"I'm humbled by this opportunity," Angelo said Monday night, "but I'm not intimidated by it. I think I have enough in the tank to take this on. I feel real good about it."

By winning the job in a six-week search that included 10 other candidates, Angelo, the Bucs' director of player personnel, survived bad teams, bad times and bad drafts during his Tampa Bay days. He arrived in 1987, with Ray Perkins, after spending four seasons as a regional scout for the New York Giants (who won the Super Bowl in 1986).

In those days, the Bears dominated the NFC Central and, in particular, the Bucs.

These days, the franchises have exchanged positions. The Bucs are considered among the elite of the NFC; the Bears have not been refered to as Monsters of the Midway for a long time.

It is up to Angelo to change that. He becomes the first Bears general manager since Jerry Vainisi left after the 1986 season, and the first with this much authority since Jim Finks left after the 1974 season.

"We are excited to bring Jerry to the Bears as our new general manager," team president Ted Phillips said. "He brings a proven football philosophy to our organization."

Angelo beat out James Harris, pro personnel director of the Baltimore Ravens and a former Bucs scout, and Ted Sundquist, the Broncos' director of college scouting, for the job.

Angelo received the call late Monday afternoon offering him the job. He said he had not yet had time to consider playing against the Bucs.

"I can't even imagine it," he said. "I'm so pro-Buc. I thought I'd die a Buc. I can't imagine not being a part of this organization the last few years. The Glazers have treated us exceptionally well. I wented to do well for them.

"I was here when it was very difficult. No one likes to be the source of embarrassment to a city. ... The last five or six years, when the community has come alive, have been tremendous to see."

For Angelo, the new job is the completion of a personal journey from the days he headed a scouting department that drafted Keith McCants and Charles McRae.

"When you have great successes, there is more than enough credit to go around," Angelo said. "When you have busts, it's the same thing. It's not one person. It was disappointing, very much so. Those are fatalities."

In recent years, as the Bucs have improved, Angelo's drafts have graded well. And each year, more teams have called with an idea of him leading their team. He had interviewed for similar jobs with the Texans, Jets, Chargers and Bills.

"I think football is as competitive an industry as you can be in," he said. "Because of that, you aspire to be the best. Everyone wants to be the quarterback, and there is only one."

With the Bears, however, Angelo will have his hands full. They are 19-45 the past four years, finishing last in the Central each year and missing the playoffs every season since 1994. "It's still a storied franchise," he said. "I hope history means something."

- Staff writer Rick Stroud contributed to this report.

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