Sanzenbacher is hungry as a Bear should be

Bears wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher (18) runs against Falcons defense in the first half in Chicago on Sunday. ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge

CHICAGO — The sense of urgency has not waned for Dane Sanzenbacher.

Moments after his first game in the NFL, still wearing some of the gladiator-type gear of a professional football player, with his face still smeared with eye-black, the former Ohio State wide receiver already was anticipating his next game.

“I thought there would be a big sense of relief to get all of that out of the way — the first game, first hit, first reception and so on,” Sanzenbacher said after catching one pass for six yards Sunday in his pro debut with the Chicago Bears.

“But that’s not how I feel at all. Now that I have a sense for how this works, I’m excited to go to work and prepare for our next game. You move from just wanting to make the team, to wanting to make some kind of impact.”

Sanzenbacher, who made the Bears as an undrafted free agent, was in for about a dozen plays in Chicago’s 30-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

“You realize quickly that this is a job — an awesome job, but a job — and you start thinking about how to do it better the next time,” Sanzenbacher said “You also realize you don’t have to go back to your apartment and get ready for school tomorrow. It’s all football now. This is now your job.”

Sanzenbacher said things felt quite different when he came out of the tunnel at the northwest end of Soldier Field an hour before kickoff Sunday morning and ran into bright sunlight and a flawless blue sky.

“They had all been night games up to this point, so that moment was something. That’s the first time it really felt like the Sunday afternoon, NFL experience. You’re focused on your preparation for the game, but you look around and take it all in and remind yourself just how lucky you are to be here.”

Sanzenbacher and the other Bears’ receivers jogged to loosen up, then shagged punts for Chicago punter Adam Podlesh.

A few minutes later a member of the Bears’ staff was tossing passes to the receivers as the warm-up ritual continued.

During the game, the Bears used the Toledo native and Central Catholic graduate in the slot on certain multiple-receiver sets and when four wide receivers were in the formation.

He said the role was exactly what he had anticipated.

“That was pretty much the way we had been practicing things, and about the number of plays I expected to be out there,” said Sanzenbacher, who wears No. 18 for the Bears.

“You have to be ready at any moment to get in there. You’re not going to play every snap, but it’s just part of the job playing football,” he said about having a situational role with the team.

“The waiting around on the sideline — it’s something you have to get used to, but it’s on you if you’re not ready. Obviously, it’s not ideal because anybody would prefer to be out there and really get into the flow. But when you’re in a role with the team, you have to know your role and be ready at any time.”

Sanzenbacher also had one carry for a loss of four yards.

Chicago coach Lovie Smith was pleased with his team’s performance in their 2011 opener, played in front of an announced crowd of 62,115.

“The offense just kind of took care of business and put points on the board,” Smith said.

Sanzenbacher said the Chicago victory made his baptism into the NFL a more memorable one.

“It is great to get that first win,” he said. “Nerves are always part of it at the beginning, but you kind of cope with it and use it to your advantage. Once you get out there and you’re playing, it’s the same game.”

9/11 CEREMONY: Sanzenbacher and the rest of his Chicago teammates, along with all of the Falcons, joined with firemen and policemen from Chicago to unfurl a huge American flag that covered the entire field. It was part of the pregame ceremonies to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks.

“That was great to be a part of something like that, and it was a great job by the NFL to coordinate the remembrances all around the country like that, with all of the pageantry,” Sanzenbacher said.

“It’s impossible to believe it was 10 years ago, because everybody remembers it like it was yesterday.”

Contact Matt Markey at: mmarkey@theblade.com 419-724-6510 and on Twitter @MattMarkey