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Who are the top Chicago Bears of all time? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Richard Dent: a stalwart of the “Monsters of the Midway” defense of the 1980s, Dent was a consistent pass-rushing force for the Bears with eight double-digit sack seasons, including a career-high 17.5 in 1984, for 124.5 of his 137.5 career sacks coming in Chicago.
9. Brian Urlacher: the 2000 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Urlacher was an 8x Pro Bowl and 4x All-Pro middle linebacker who also won 2005 Defensive Player of the Year and was the heart and soul of Chicago’s defense for a decade plus.
8. Bronko Nagurski: one of the NFL’s first superstars (and one of the first players enshrined in Canton), Nagurski was a 4x All-Pro at fullback who guided Chicago to three NFL championships in the 1930s and 1940s.
7. Bill George: the first of many great linebackers in Bears history and perhaps the first middle linebacker in modern football, George was an 8x Pro Bowl and 8x All-Pro selection who led the team to the 1963 NFL Championship.
6. Sid Luckman: during his dozen years with Chicago during the World War II era, Luckman quarterbacked the Bears to four NFL championships while individually garnering three Pro Bowl and five All-Pro selections.
5. Mike Singletary: the middle linebacker and leader of the Bears’ “Monsters of the Midway” defense in the 1980s, Singletary was a 10x Pro Bowler, 7x All-Pro and 2x Defensive Player of the Year who helped guide the team to a Super Bowl XX victory.
4. Mike Ditka: the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ditka had five straight Pro Bowl seasons to start his career with the Bears and held the record for most receptions in a season by a tight end (75 in 1964) until it was broken by Kellen Winslow Sr.
3. Gale Sayers: though injuries limited him to effectively five full NFL seasons, Sayers was electric when he played – a 5x All-Pro who led the league in rushing twice and also has the highest kickoff return average in history (30.6 yards), he remains the youngest ever inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2. Dick Butkus: one of the fiercest and best linebackers the NFL has ever seen, Butkus was a Pro Bowler every year except his final season while also garnering five All-Pro selections for the Bears.
1. Walter Payton: the NFL’s career rushing leader upon retirement (16,726 yards), Payton interestingly only won one rushing title, but was a model of consistency with 10 1,000-yard seasons and 110 rushing touchdowns that earned him an MVP, five All-Pro selections, and a championship with the Bears in Super Bowl XX.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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Countdown 90: Top 10 Cincinnati Reds of All Time