House divided: Some Bears' fans will cheer for Eagles Sunday

LA GRANGE, Ill. (WLS) -- Some Bears fans will have more than Orange and Blue on this Sunday as they cheer for the hometown team and Lyons Township High School alum Jake Elliott, who will be kicking for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Among those figuring out how much they'll support each team is Jason Brauer, an assistant coach for the Lyons Township High School Lions who was instrumental in getting Elliott to take up the sport a few years back.

Brauer will have his Bears hat, Lions jacket, and Eagles sweatshirt on as he watches the playoff game in person at Soldier Field.

"It's easy to root for him out there (in Philadelphia)... but to go into Soldier Field rooting for him with 60,000 Bear fans will be a little bit different," Brauer said.

Some of Elliott's former teammates won't bother trying, like quaterback Zach Mahoney.

"I hope Jake has a great game, but there's no better place in the world to have a parade than Chicago. So I'm hoping they become champs," Mahoney said of the Bears with a smile.

Still, Mahoney will readily admit that Elliot is a dominant athlete who's hard to beat at just about anything.

"Anytime the ball leaves his foot I know it's good," Mahoney said.

The Lions' coaches use that competitive streak as an example to inspire current players, like kicker Chris Clarke who looks up to Elliott. Even though he admires the Eagles kicker, he's not cheering for him fully this weekend.

"I think the Bears... it's their turn," Clarke said.

We'll have to wait and see if Elliott's boot makes the difference, in the face of hometown pressure.