Ditka Says Bears Are Willing to Trade Willie Gault to Raiders

Just in case the Raiders don’t really mind their players going Hollywood, another unhappy star has asked to be traded to them:

Willie Gault.

The Chicago Bears’ wide receiver, who is unsigned, holding out and considering an acting-football career, has filed his request with his employers. Whether this is a negotiating ploy is unknown, as is the level of interest by the Raiders, who are loaded at the position.

But Bear Coach Mike Ditka says the Raiders are interested, all right, and that the Bears are willing to accommodate Gault--for draft choices.

“The Raiders are very interested in Willie,” Ditka said at the team’s training camp in Platteville, Wis.

“We’re not really interested in (trading for) players. That’s not the thing we do. That’s not how we built this football team.

“We’ve always tried to stay within the area of draft choices. It’s better for us.”

Whether the Raiders would be willing to give up draft choices is not known. Their wide receivers include James Lofton, coming off a big season; Tim Brown, their No. 1A pick; Mervyn Fernandez, starting the second season of his multimillion-dollar contract, and Jessie Hester, the 1985 No. 1 pick.

Gault, a former world-class sprinter, is a proven game breaker. He had a 20.5-yard average per catch last season, and his 35 catches produced 7 touchdowns. He also wants to go into show biz and has taken acting lessons. He also was a noncompeting, but highly voluble, member of the U.S. bobsled team at the Calgary Olympics in February.

“I really feel right now his outside interests would coincide with him playing in L.A., period,” Ditka said.

“He’s trying to combine two careers and it would be easier for him to do it on the West Coast.”

Gault earned $347,000 last season and is believed to be asking for something in the $750,000 range. The Bears are thought to be offering something in the $550,000 range.