Packers-Bears week means a lot of things to a lot of people, but for Jerry Fontenot, its a chance to see his family.

Briefly.

Monday nights nationally televised game wont bring anything special in terms of reunions for the Green Bay Packers assistant offensive line coach. Bottom line, its a business trip though with Fontenots wife Stephanie and three daughters living in Chicago, itll at least be a chance to catch up beyond his computer screen via Skype.

My oldest is just starting high school and they have a friend base and a structure theyre used to. My wife and I thought it was best to keep that consistent while Im only (a few) hours away, Fontenot said.

Theyre down there toting the flag for Green Bay, trust me. Theyre trying to spread that fan mania.

Hardly an easy task in enemy territory, but Fontenots NFL roots began as a member of the Bears in 1989, so the change in allegiance if not location is understandable.

In all, the durable center played 239 games with the Bears, New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals, the middle stop linking him with Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who served as the teams offensive coordinator from 2000-04. Once his playing career ended, Fontenot briefly joined the broadcasting ranks in Chicago before reminding his former coach of a conversation that started during those Big Easy days.

It was coach McCarthy, (former New Orleans head coach) Jim Haslett, myself and my offensive line coach at that time, Jack Henry, who had talked about the possibility of stepping into a coaching role when I was done playing, Fontenot said.

I knew I was getting to the end of my career, sooner rather than later, but I held on for a few more years. (Laughs). But even when I moved on from New Orleans and played another season in Cincinnati, I think that idea always stuck in the back of (McCarthys) mind. I know it stuck in mine. So when he got the job (in Green Bay), we contacted each other and its worked out great.

Fontenot began as a coaching intern in the summer of 2006, getting the bug after the first day before staying on the entire season as an offensive assistant. Minus fetching cups of coffee for McCarthy, a coaching intern is exactly that an intern. The experience taught him about the meticulous but necessary mechanics of the job computers, video systems, drawing cards at practice before the real teaching could begin at several positions that arent nearly as glamorous as quarterback or wide receiver.

What I find challenging is that as much as you have everyone on the offensive line working as a unit, you have totally different personalities in the room, said Fontenot, a blue-collar grinder who was once named to USA TODAYs All-Joe Team. Youve got five different guys as starters and they all have a different way of learning things. Some guys are more auditory, some guys need to see it, some guys need to feel it. So thats the challenge as a coach, to know their strengths and weaknesses, and get them prepared to make all the necessary adjustments.

In many ways, playing and coaching a less flashy position can be a blessing. Its why one of Fontenots main mantras hasnt changed since his days as a player: No news is good news.

If youre not getting noticed, that must mean youre doing something right, he said.

While every week brings a fierce opponent ready to take Aaron Rodgers head off, that the Packers-Bears rivalry stokes special fan passions is something a Soldier Field veteran like Fontenot is fully aware of. Getting to see what its like on the other side of the border only confirms how much that dirty work in the trenches is appreciated.

Whenever I played for coach (Mike) Ditka, it seemed like the rivalry aspect of it was really ingrained in us. With coach (Dave) Wannstedt, it was still a rivalry, but more from a players perspective as opposed to filtering down through the system, Fontenot said.

Now? Its big because you have two good football teams facing off. But those logistics, where we are in comparison to Chicago and the overlapping fan bases, it feeds so much energy into the game. That always hits the players. You know as a player and a coach that if the fans in Green Bay see you walking around town, youll hear, Hey, are you gonna beat the Bears?