Deciding Who Is on the Bears Mt. Rushmore
If you don’t know anything about the Bears, the thing that most people remember is the stacked history of players who have come through this Franchise.
You got your Walter Paytons, your Brian Urlacher’s, and most recently Devin Hesters.
The Bears have an all-time record of 32 players in the Hall of Fame, but who do I consider part of a special group of Bears?
This is my Bears Mount Rushmore!
Walter Payton
Everyone and their mother has this guy on their list, and how can you not?
Nicknamed ‘Sweetness,’ Payton was a catalyst, along with the haunted 85 Bears defense, that led to the organization’s only Super Bowl.
Payton’s 13-year career saw him eclipse over 16,000 rushing yards and 110 Touchdowns, cementing him as a top-tier RB along with the likes of Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders.
George “Papa Bear” Halas
PHOTO: Six Point Sports/Facebook
This is another person some might not put on their list, but there is no denying that without him, the Franchise might not exist.
Moving the team to Chicago in 1921 and naming it the Chicago Bears a year later, Halas made sure the Bears were a proudly run Franchise from the beginning of the NFL.
Halas was not only an owner but also a player for the team and managed ticket sales, so he was involved in both aspects of what makes an NFL team so compelling.
Halas would live to be 88 years old. Unfortunately, he would not live to see the team hoist the Super Bowl. Still, his guidance led the team to hire Mike Ditka, a former player with a tough, revered personality that resonated with Chicago.
Brian Urlacher
One thing about the Chicago Bears is tthat hey always seem to find legendary leaders of their defenses at linebacker.
My selection of Urlacher is no disrespect to guys like Dick Butkus or Mike Singletary but Urlacher was no slouch either.
Selected 9th overall in 2000, Urlacher immediately became known around the league as one of its most productive defensive players.
He won Rookie of the Year after recording 124 tackles and 8 sacks, both of which are franchise records. He led the Bears to the 2006 Super Bowl against the Colts but would come up short, to no fault of his own.
Urlacher was selected to the 2000s All-Decade team, won DPOY in 2005, and was selected to 8 Pro Bowls throughout his entire 13-year career.
Urlacher was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018, and the Bears named him one of the 100 Greatest Bears of All Time.
Devin Hester
The man that redefined the position of Kick Returner and Punt Returner.
Nobody was feared more on kickoffs than Hester. The numbers themselves back it up.
Initially selected as a corner, the Bears utilized Hester’s uncanny speed, which delighted many fans who saw his brilliance on the field. Hester’s first season saw him return 7 kickoffs and punts for touchdowns—one of those coming against the Colts in Super Bowl 41.
Hester would go on to finish with 20 special team return touchdowns (14 punts, 5 kickoffs, 1 missed field goal), selected as a 3x All-Pro (2006, 2007, 2010), Pro Bowl Honors (2006, 2007, 2010, 2014), NFL All-Decade team in 2000s and 2010s, 100 Greatest Bears of All Time.
Hester, in his 3rd year of eligibility for the NFL Hall of Fame, was selected as the first ever primary specialist to be enshrined.
What Would Yours Be?
There are so many players to choose from.
The Bears again have a rich history of players who have come through Halas Hall and taken to the field.
What would yours look like?
PHOTO: Six Point Sports/Facebook
Discover more from Chicago Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Bears Unique Column