The 50 Greatest Players in Chicago Bears History. Robert W. Cohen
of his career during a 20–0 victory over the Minneapolis Red Jackets on October 5, 1930, scoring on runs of 8 and 2 yards.
Nagurski gave the Bears all the points they needed to defeat the Giants by a score of 12–0 on November 16, 1930, scoring the game’s only two touchdowns on a pair of short runs.
Nagurski’s 62-yard touchdown run highlighted a 26–13 win over the Chicago Cardinals on October 18, 1931.
Nagurski contributed to a 28–8 victory over the Giants on November 6, 1932, by completing a 55-yard touchdown pass to Red Grange.
Nagurski clinched a 9–0 win over the Packers on December 11, 1932, by recording a 56-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Nagurski led the Bears to a 17–14 win over the Portsmouth Spartans on November 26, 1933, by carrying the ball 18 times for 124 yards and one touchdown, which came on a game-winning 29-yard run in the fourth quarter, just moments after he committed a costly holding penalty on defense that enabled the Spartans to eventually take the lead. Angry with himself over his miscue, Nagurski returned the ensuing kickoff to the Chicago 45 yard line, after which he reportedly told his teammates in the huddle, “This is my fault. Give me the ball!” Playing like a man possessed, Nagurski subsequently proceeded to dole out punishment to the opposing defense until he ultimately recorded his 29-yard TD run in the closing moments.
Nagurski proved to be a huge factor in the Bears’ 23–21 victory over the Giants in the 1933 NFL championship game, carrying the ball 13 times for 64 yards and throwing a pair of TD passes.
Nagurski had a hand in all three touchdowns the Bears scored during their 24–10 win over the Packers in the opening game of the 1934 regular season, throwing a 7-yard TD pass to Bill Hewitt and recording a pair of touchdown runs, the longest of which covered 40 yards.
Nagurski’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Bill Hewitt late in the fourth quarter enabled the Bears to defeat the Detroit Lions by a score of 19–16 on November 29, 1934, with the victory clinching the Western Division title for Chicago.
Nagurski turned in the most memorable performance of his career nearly a decade later, with his extraordinary effort in the final game of the 1943 regular season enabling the Bears to clinch the Western Division title with a 35–24 victory over the Chicago Cardinals. After spending the entire season serving as a tackle on the offensive side of the ball, Nagurski returned to his more familiar position of fullback when the Bears found themselves trailing their arch-rivals by a score of 24–14 heading into the fourth quarter. Taking the game into his own hands, Nagurski ran for 84 yards and one touchdown in the final 15 minutes, leading the Bears to a come-from-behind win that earned them a berth in the NFL championship game. Looking back on his performance years later, Nagurski said, “That game gave me my greatest kick out of football.”
Notable Achievements
1 • Rushed for more than 500 yards four times.
2 • Led NFL with four rushing touchdowns in 1932.
3 • Finished second in NFL in rushing yards once, yards from scrimmage once, all-purpose yards once, and rushing average once.
4 • Finished third in NFL in rushing yards once and rushing touchdowns once.
5 • Led Bears in rushing four times.
6 • Ranks ninth in Bears history with 25 rushing touchdowns.
7 • Five-time division champion (1932, 1933, 1934, 1937, and 1943).
8 • Three-time NFL champion (1932, 1933, and 1943).
9 • Four-time First-Team All-Pro selection (1932, 1933, 1934, and 1936).
10 • Three-time Second-Team All-Pro selection (1930, 1931, and 1937).
11 • NFL 1930s All-Decade Team.
12 • #3 retired by Bears.
13 • Named to NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team in 1994.
14 • Number 35 on the Sporting News’ 1999 list of the 100 Greatest Players in NFL History.
15 • Number 19 on the NFL Network’s 2010 list of the NFL’s 100 Greatest Players.
16 • Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.
The centerpiece and unquestioned leader of the Bears’ defense for more than a decade, Mike Singletary spent 12 seasons in Chicago starring at middle linebacker, serving as team captain for squads that won six division titles, one NFC championship, and one Super Bowl. The second-leading tackler in franchise history, Singletary recorded more than 100 tackles 10 times, earning in the process 10 consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl, eight All-Pro nominations, and two NFL Defensive Player of the Year trophies. A member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, Singletary also landed spots on the Sporting News and NFL Network’s respective lists of the 100 Greatest Players in NFL History and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Born in Houston, Texas, on October 9, 1958, Michael Singletary experienced considerable adversity during his formative years. The youngest of 10 children, Mike lost two of his brothers by the time he turned 12 years of age, with one dying of smoke inhalation and the other in an automobile accident. Further burdened by the divorce of his parents, Singletary recalled, “My mom needed me to be the man of the house. She said life is hard but it’s what you make it. It’s all about those who get off the ground and continue to do right and pray and keep God with you.”
Developing a love for football at an early age, Singletary grew up rooting for the Dallas Cowboys, while honing his own skills as a middle line-backer and offensive guard in junior high school. Enjoying his play along the offensive line, Singletary recollected, “I really loved the trap play and getting the linebacker who had no clue where I was coming from. I liked using a low center of gravity at guard, and I carried that over to the way I played middle linebacker.”
Continuing to develop his football skills at Houston’s Evan E. Worthing High School, Singletary starred at middle linebacker for three seasons, expressing the satisfaction he derived from manning that post by saying, “It was the freedom to be able to make a big play anywhere at any time, as long as I was willing to hustle to get there. Being in the middle, I was able to see the ball and work on my vision and technique and mechanics. I was in a position where I could dictate where the defense was moving. I was going to put the defense in the best position.”
Mike Singletary anchored the Bears’ defense from his middle linebacker position for 12 seasons.
Courtesy of George A. Kitrinos
After studying film of Singletary in action, Baylor University assistant coach Grant Teaff offered him an athletic scholarship, recalling, “I looked at it for exactly four minutes, shut off the projector, and said ‘I’ll take him.’ On the first play, he smashed a runner up the middle. On the second play, he ranged to the sideline and knocked a guy out of bounds. On the third play, he got an interception.”
A four-year letterman at Baylor, Singletary recorded a school-record 662 tackles, with his exceptional play earning him All–Southwest Conference honors three times and All-America recognition in both his junior (1979) and senior (1980) years.
Selected by the Bears in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft, with the 38th overall pick, Singletary arrived at his first pro training camp with defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan expecting great things from him. However, like any other rookie, Singletary found himself being treated harshly by Ryan, who referred to him only as “Number 50” during the early stages of his career. After slowly earning Ryan’s trust, Singletary