During the month of June, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will construct a Mount Rushmore for each team. For this series, we will only consider players. Today, the Chicago Bears are the focus.
Chicago Bears Mount Rushmore
Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka is one of the most respected and prolific players in Chicago Bears history. “Iron” Mike defined the role of a tough and talented player. As a first-round draft pick in 1961, George Halas saw something in Ditka that transformed him into a versatile tight-end who excelled both as a blocker and pass catcher.
Even though he played for three teams in his career, he has become the icon for the Chicago Bears. He recorded 427 receptions, 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns during his career and he was a five-time Pro Bowler. Ditka won a Super Bowl as a coach in Chicago and won two more as a player in Dallas.
Ditka was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. However, he is the only player/coach who had his number (89) and coaches sweater retired in Halas Hall.
Walter Payton
There has never been a running back in NFL history that has been revered as much as Walter Payton. In 1975, he was the first-round draft pick for the Chicago Bears and he was soon nicknamed “Sweetness” by players and fans. He was known for his ability to cut through defenses and leap into the end zone with acrobatic flair.
In his twelve-year career, he rushed for 16,726 yards, 110 touchdowns, and 492 receptions. At one point in his career, he had eight touchdown passes, which is very impressive for a non-quarterback. Although he only achieved one Super Bowl victory, he was named MVP three times (1976, 1977 and 1985), he was a nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, and he was enshrined in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Since his death in 1999 at the age of 45 due to a rare liver disease, his legacy continues today with the annual Walter Payton Award and the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus is considered one of the finest and most resilient linebackers of all-time. He played nine seasons with the Chicago Bears after being a first-round draft pick in 1965 and he became the most menacing linebacker in the league. He achieved the status as one of the meanest players in his time with rumors of biting players he tackled just to keep them down.
Butkus went to the Pro Bowl in eight of the nine years he played in the NFL. In his rookie season, he led the Bears in tackles, interceptions, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries. He recovered 27 fumbles in his career and he had an innate ability to rip the ball out of a receivers’ hands.
George Halas
George “Papa Bear” Halas was Mr. Everything. He was a player, coach, owner, and the one who forged the way for professional American football. He was the founder of the Chicago Bears and he is considered one of the co-founders of the NFL. Halas chose the team colors of orange and navy blue and moved the team to Chicago. After a winning season there in 1921, Halas changed the name from the Staleys to the Bears as a tribute to the Chicago Cubs.
As a player, Halas played both as a wide receiver and a defensive end. The highlight of his playing career was in a 1923 game in which he stripped Jim Thorpe of the ball, recovered the fumble, and ran it back for 98 yards, which stood as a league record until 1972. Halas’s legacy stands at 63 years as an owner, 40 years as a coach, and nine years as a player. He achieved eight NFL championships, two NFL Coach of the Year awards, NFL Alumni Order of the Leather Helmets and he was enshrined in 1963 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
His achievements stand the test of time and he established a sport that is the most watched and anticipated sporting venue in the country. George Halas is the key face of the Chicago Bears Mount Rushmore.
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