Ten Greatest Bears from 1965 forward

Image Courtesy of Bing

I started rooting for the Bears during their 1963 championship season.  During that time I’ve seen thousands of players come and go.  Out of those thousands, I’ve put together my list of the top 10 Bears from 1965 onward.  You’ll notice that there are no receivers or quarterbacks on the list.  Over the years the Bears have had a disproportionate amount of outstanding running backs and defensive players suit up for them.  Not surprisingly, the 1985 Bears are well represented. Let’s get started.

10.  Charles Tillman:  Charles Tillman, creator of the Peanut Punch, gets the nod over any one of a number of great defensive players.  Peanut forced 10 fumbles during the 2012 season, leading the NFL in that category.  Tillman also scored eight TDs during his Bears career.  Peanut recorded 38 interceptions and 12 recovered fumbles during his Bears tenure. 

9. Devin Hester:   This might seem like a strange choice, but the greatest return man in the history of the NFL deserves a slot somewhere on this list.  Hester took 13 punts and five kickoffs to the house during his eight seasons in Chicago.  Every kick was an event when Hester was on the receiving end.  He also added another 14 TDs as a receiver. Hester was the second most exciting Bear I’ve ever seen.   More about that later.

8. Jay Hilgenberg:  I won’t profess to know a lot about the offensive line play of the Bears over the years, but Jay played in seven Pro Bowls during his eleven seasons with the Bears.  Jay strung his pro bowl seasons together from 1985-91.  He was a two time member of the All-Pro team.  And yes, you’ll notice he was a member of the 1985 Bears team. 

7. Lance Briggs:  The Bears have had more than their shares of great linebackers.  Briggs gets this slot, though a strong case could be made for Doug Buffon, Otis Wilson and Wilbur Marshall.  Briggs played 12 seasons with the Bears and went to seven Pro Bowls.  Lance had 16 interceptions, 16 forced fumbles and seven recovered fumbles for the Bears.  He also had 15 sacks during his career, not counting his assist on the sacking of Marc Trestman.  As a miscellaneous note, I still miss Doug Buffone on the Bears post-game show.

6. Dan Hampton:  Danimal was a brilliant defensive lineman for the Bears, playing both defensive end and tackle, though not simultaneously.  Hampton was great against the run while also provided a good pass rush.  In 12 seasons with the Bears, Hampton recorded 57 sacks. Dan was a four time Pro Bowler and a member of probably the greatest team in NFL history, the 1985 Bears.

5.  Richard Dent:  In 12 seasons in Chicago The Colonel had 124.5 sacks.  Richard led the NFL with 17 sacks during the Bears 1985 championship run.  Richard was also the Super Bowl MVP that season.  Dent, along with Dan Hampton, anchored the defensive line on some of the greatest defenses the NFL has ever seen. 

4. Brian Urlacher:  The Bears have had some truly great middle linebackers in their history.  Urlacher is one of those.  Brian was a little different type of linebacker in that he relied more on speed than power.  One reason why Lovie Smith had some success with his Cover 2 defense in Chicago was the speed of Urlacher.  In 13 seasons with the Bears, Brian had 22 interceptions, recovered 15 fumbles and picked up 41.5 sacks.  Urlacher was an extremely gifted athlete and that, coupled with a very high football IQ, led to a hall of fame career with the Bears.  Urlacher was an eight time pro bowler and a four time All-Pro. 

3. Gayle Sayers:  While I have one running back listed ahead of Gayle on this list, Sayers was the most exciting Bear I’ve ever seen.  Sayers was a home run threat as a runner, pass receiver, kick returner and punt returner.  Technically, Sayers spent seven seasons with the Bears, but in reality, he had 4+ spectacular seasons before a devastating knee injury, and one excellent season after the injury.  When Sayers went down with a knee injury in 1968, he was leading the NFL with a yards per carry mark of 6.2 yards.  I could go on and on about the Sayers stats, but if you haven’t seen Sayers play, look at some of his runs on YouTube.  You’ll be impressed.

2.  Dick Butkus:  Dick Butkus was one of the greatest instinctive players I’ve ever seen.  To say he was physical is an understatement.  Dick played nines season s with the Bears, some of them on one leg.  Butkus picked of 22 passes and recovered 27 fumbles with the Bears.  Dick was an eight time pro bowler and five times named to the All Pro team.  Dick Butkus, one of my personal favorites.

1.  Walter Payton:  Was there any doubt?  Like so many Bears, Sweetness toiled without the benefit of a decent QB.  Walter was amazingly durable for a running back in the NFL.  Walter’s 13 year career with the Bears saw him named to the All-Pro team five times and the Pro Bowl nine times.  Payton was like Sayers in that he was a threat in multiple ways, yet their styles were decidedly different.  While Sayers was faster and better broken field runner, Payton’s ability to bounce off tackles was amazing, as was his balance.  Both were a pleasure to watch.