They would score the next forty-five points. Monsters of the Midway - Wikipedia It perfectly summed up the dominance of Buddy Ryan's bunch, but similar to the 1940s, no specific unit officially claimed the nickname, even though it is largely attributed to the '85 Bears defense. The selection of Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus in the first round of the 1965 draft remains the only time a team has selected two Hall of Fame players in the first round of one draft. The '80s was a wild time in New York City, and the Jets of that era were an extension of that craziness. (Schedule and Results), Playoffs:Won Divisional Round 21-0 vs. New York GiantsWon Conference Championship 24-0 vs. Los Angeles RamsWon Super Bowl 46-10 vs. New England Patriots, Other Notable Asst. The former Drake standout played just two seasons with the Bears before he retired. A nickname that really hasn't faded over time. He still walks with a limp. Michael McCaskey announced in April that he will retire at the end of the 2010 season. [19] With the Bears in trouble and trailing 107 in the 4th quarter, a Steve McMichael safety proved to be the key play that turned the game. The loss to the Dolphins would be the only loss the Bears would suffer that season, as they finished with a 151 record. The Slaughter won the championship in 2009 but were 6-8 in 2010. The 1985 Bears rapped and shuffled their way to a win over New England in Super Bowl XX in 1986 with a colorful cast of characters, perhaps the greatest single-season achievement by any pro sports team in Chicago history. Yet for all his fury on the football field, Fencik was a mild-mannered man off it. Olsen's contributions to the Rams earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame. With the Monsters of the Midway set to host the Steelers (whose defense was known as the Steel Curtain in the 1970s), senior writer Larry Mayer ranks his top 10 favorite NFL nicknames. The Best NFL Defensive Unit Nicknames - Bleacher Report The Bears had Richard Dent, Otis Wilson, Steve McMichael, Leslie Frazier, Mike Singletary, Dave Duerson and Gary Fencik. That Super Bowl Shufflin` Crew included Dennis ''Silky D'' McKinnon; ''L.A.'' Charles Tillman likely being one of them considering how many people call him . NFC Central Division His primary work these days is as a public/motivational speaker, plus he recently started his own marketing group. He also earned an MBA from the University of Washington. ChicagoBears.com takes a look back at the complete 1985 team roster that finished 15-1 in the regular season and moved on to win Super Bowl XX. After shutting out their first two playoff opponents, the Bears famously embarrassed the New England Patriots. Remembering the 1985 Chicago Bears - ESPN Chicago Although Fullback Tony Collins was the Patriots leading rusher, he was limited to just 4 yards on 3 carries, and caught 2 passes for 19 yards. Hall of Famers Walter Payton, Mike Singletary and Dan Hampton, . The 1985 Bears were such a great team and defense that they really were more than that. A former acquaintance and business associate of Gayle, Marni Yang, was arrested in March 2009 and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Armstrong is also called ''Happy Boy'' by his teammates since he`s always goofing off. [15] Shortly after the game and the flight back to Chicago, Ditka was arrested for DWI. "[30], The Bears defense dominated the game by limiting Rams running back Eric Dickerson to 46 yards, and holding quarterback Dieter Brock to 10 out of 31 completions for 66 passing yards. It held O.J. Shop affordable wall art to hang in dorms, be. Perry's touchdown and McMahon's rushing touchdowns are widely considered as scoring opportunities that were denied to Payton. With future Hall of Famer Mike Singletary (#50) flanked by the supremely athletic Wilber Marshall (#58) and Otis Wilson (#55), the linebacking unit ranked in at #5 of the greatest linebacking corps in NFL history in NFL Top 10. It's the offseason, and while you're probably itching to read yet another Aaron Rodgers story, we invite you to check out our ranking our the top unit nicknames in NFL history. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Check out the 1985 Chicago Bears Roster, Players , Starters and more on Pro-Football-Reference.com. ", The evolution and history of the Nike AF-1, The heaviest punchers in boxing history!, The only list youll need to get started or get back into Tennis, Get moving, feel healthier and feel better, The 5 most successful sportspeople ever, Player was the worlds most travelled athlete, and pretty good at golf too, "The Pro Kabaddi league has almost 200 million viewers in 100 countries", His time at Inter was destroyed by injuries, We are interested in all sports, no matter how obscure. The 2018 class of undrafted free agents signing with the Bears. Fuller hit Ken Margerum for a 19-yard touchdown, but that would be the last score of the night for the Bears. Rich Cohen wrote the book, Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football. "C'mon, you mothers," Foreman told the group, "give us a yard.". This allowed the rest of the Bears' offense far more opportunities to score than had the Patriots employed a more balanced defense. One play turned the game, a 99-yard kickoff return by Willie Gault. From 'The Fridge' to 'Bulldog,' a ranking of the 10 best nicknames in Chicago Bears history, along with a few honorable mentions. [43], Assisted the coaches from the coaching booth, National Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award, "ESPN.com Page2 Greatest NFL teams of all time", "100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT", "1985 Bears Voted Best Super Bowl Winner", "Bears lighten their load, drop 'Refrigerator' Perry '86 Super Bowl star lost job as starter PRO FOOTBALL Baltimore Sun", "Chicago Bears' 1985 Super Bowl championship turns 25 this year: Les Frazier, Walter Payton fuel Week 1 win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers ESPN Chicago", "Hey-Let's check out the Viking Miracle (McMahon owns the Vikings)", "Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears: A Look Back at the NFL's Oldest Rivalry", "When was last time Bears allowed 2 100-yard rushers? Their 36-point margin of victory also topped the 29-point margin of victory that the Raiders recorded over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII. We will promote things to help pay for everything. NFL analysts were impressed with what general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears accomplished in the 2023 draft. 73: Andy Dalton - "Red. Denver's defense put up impressive performances over the Steelers and Raiders -- offenses that featured a combined 12 future Hall of Famers -- in the playoffs before holding their own against the Cowboys' prolific offense in Super Bowl XII. National Football Conference Championship, Richard Dent, Super Bowl XX Most Valuable Player, 1988 Enshrinement Mike Ditka: 19611966 (player), 1993 Enshrinement Walter Payton: 19751987, 1998 Enshrinement Mike Singletary: 19811992, 2011 Enshrinement Richard Dent: 19831993, 1995, This page was last edited on 25 April 2023, at 23:33. The year before they were 10-4. A punky, rebellious, athletically gifted, smash mouth, boastful a fantastic squad. The 1985 @ChicagoBears was a very memorable team #NFL100: NFL 100 GREATEST TEAMS on NFL Network pic.twitter.com/HB93MzCrkL. Well, the Bears have their share of colorful nicknames, a tradition that really took off during the 1985 Super Bowl season. "Put a chip on your shoulder, and don't let anyone knock it off until we win the super bowl!". In 1993, he founded and serves as executive director of the All Sports Community Service, a Tampa-based company that gets young people involved in community service and then assists them with college placement and obtaining athletic scholarships. Or, how about ''the Assassin,'' Jack Tatum? Da Coach. . The group was led by Alan Page, the first defensive player to win league MVP. Gayle played safety with the Bears from 1984 to '94, followed by a one-year stint with the San Diego Chargers in 1995 before retiring. Dent played for the Bears for 10 seasons. The Steel Curtain obliged, sort of, yielding 17 rushing yards on21 carries. His legendary 42-yard touchdown run put Washington in front to stay. Week 4 saw Chicago trailing 10-0 early to the Joe Theismann-led Washington Redskins. Not many nicknames capture the essence of an era and a city much like this one. The Packers increased tensions in the Bears-Packers rivalry after putting horse manure in the Bears locker room. Since then, Frazier has built a lengthy coaching rsum, serving as head coach of north suburban Deerfield's Trinity International University (1988-96), defensive backs coach of the University of Illinois (1997-98) and the Philadelphia Eagles (1999-2002), defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals (2003-04) and defensive backs coach of the Indianapolis Colts (2005-06). Suhey had 11 carries for 52 yards and a touchdown, and caught a pass for 24 yards. [15] Coach Ditka acknowledged feeling crushed when Coach Landry complimented his team after the game. Obama noted that the only loss the 1985 Bears had was to the Dolphins. [25][26], The Bears' defense dominated the game by allowing only 32 rushing yards and sacked Giants quarterback Phil Simms for 60 yards. On the second play of their ensuing possession, the Patriots turned the ball over again, when receiver Cedric Jones lost a fumble after catching a 19-yard pass from Grogan. Drafted by the Bears in 1982, he played for Baltimore/Indianapolis in 1983 and 1984 before being traded back to the Bears later that season. Page, Eller and Marshall played in four Super Bowls together, but the trio came up short in each game. The Cowboys' original "Doomsday" defense led the franchise to its first Super Bowl win. If you would like to see a game featured or are involved in a sport we haven't covered yet, please get in touch at hello@thesporting.blog or post to our Facebook page. Led by two-time MVP Kurt Warner, 2000 league MVP Marshall Faulk, receivers Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Az-Zahir Hakim, and offensive lineman Orlando "Pancake" Pace, the Rams led the NFL in scoring each season from 1999-01. The Jets' lack of postseason success is what ultimately led to them not being higher on this list. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at They recorded two shutouts and dominated offenses that came at them. Even though he speaks with a German-style accent, he was born and raised on Chicago's north side. 58. Roland spent 10 years with the Bears, primarily as running backs coach, before moving on to similar positions with the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. The Bears also dominated Patriots starting running back James, holding him to 1 yard on 5 carries, with 1 fumble. Frederick, who spent nine seasons in the NFL, won a Super Bowl in his final campaign in 1985. With Mike Ditka at the helm and Buddy Ryan as the defensive coordinator, the Bears were set up to have one of the greatest runs on the defensive side of the ball, ever. Senior writer Larry Mayer ranks the top 10 games of Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher's career with the Bears. He ended his coaching career in 1990 with a brief one-year stint as defensive coordinator at Lake Forest College. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Top 10: Player Nicknames From 'The Fridge' to 'Bulldog,' a ranking of the 10 best nicknames in Chicago Bears history, along with a few honorable mentions. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. The Super Bowl Shuffle Super Bowl XX Media (4 of 25) Most memorable Super Bowl moments of all time", "1985 Chicago Bears Visit the White House | The White House", "President Obama Honors the 1973 Super Bowl Champion Miami Dolphins", "Bert Bell Award Professional Player of the Year", "Mike Singletary Hired as 49ers Head Coach Yahoo! Minnesota's defensive front was as terrifying as it was talented. Simms was 14/35 for 209 yards while running back Joe Morris, the NFL's regular-season touchdown leader, finished with 32 yards on 12 carries. The list below goes over the cute bear names we love. Chicagobears.com cameras were with Bears great Brian Urlacher before, during and after he received a knock on the door telling him that he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. During the season, Dent had 17 sacks. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Reynolds, Bubba Smith, Ed ''Too Tall'' Jones, Gene ''Big Daddy'' Lipscomb, Ted ''Mad Stork'' Hendricks. He signed with the Bears in the off-season as a free agent. 1 / 10 Legion of Boom: Current Seahawks secondary led by Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas. Suhey played fullback for the Bears from 1980-89 and was the primary blocker for Walter Payton. They still have reunions and while some players and coaches are no longer with us, they still have a great relationship. Later, the Dolphins would increase their lead to 3110. He has a coaching record of 136-110 and is 5-6 in postseason play, including a loss to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV. They are known as one of the meanest, toughest teams to ever take the field. Since 2007 he has coached with the San Diego Chargers, first as linebackers coach and now as defensive coordinator. After a standout career at the University of Illinois, Thomas played from 1982-88 with the Bears, was traded to Denver later in the 1988 season and retired following that season. Orange Crush: Broncos defense of 1970s led by Lyle Alzado and Randy Gradishar. Combined, Page, Eller and Marshall tallied an astounding 412.5 sacks during their careers. He was unable to transfer that leadership ability to the helm of the Bears. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Matt is also the uncle of Penn State quarterback Kevin Suhey. He ended his career with single-season stints with Houston, Arizona and the New York Jets (1993-95). Since retiring as a player, he has enjoyed a successful career in commercial real estate in Phoenix, selling more than $3 billion in properties during that time. And now, as the Bears celebrate the 25th anniversary of Chicago's only Super Bowl winners, ESPNChicago.com tracked down the players, coaches and support staff to see what they are doing today. And you know how you are with your family. It also brought about the fact that the Bears solidified their position as THE team in town.". Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In a student vs teacher matchup, the Bears shut out the Cowboys, handing them the worst loss in franchise history, as well as the first time they were shut out in 15 years. [10], In a trade with the San Diego Chargers, the Bears acquired linebacker Cliff Thrift and punter Maury Buford by trading away their 12th round draft picks from 1985 and 1986, respectively. No. Before the Cowboys were branded as "America's Team," their defense was given one of the greatest nicknames ever. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. Through the NFL's first 102 seasons, several units were so memorable that a nickname was bestowed upon them. [12], In the season opener against the Bucs, the Bears defense seemed lost for much of the first half of the game by allowing 28 points, and trailed 2817 at halftime, but the offense was able to lead the Bears to a victory after Jim McMahon scored 3 touchdowns, with Matt Suhey scoring on another. Bodybuilding tight end James Thornton was tagged ''Robocop'' as a rookie for his seeming indestructiveness and the visor he wore on his helmet in 1988. He returned to the Bears in 1981 as a defensive consultant before moving to a role as a scout and evaluator of opposing teams' game film, a role that proved crucial, particularly during the Super Bowl season of 1985. Purple People Eaters: Vikings defensive line of 1970s featuring Jim Marshall and Alan Page. Hughes spent nearly 40 years in football as a player and coach. Charles Neal Anderson is ''Charley'' and Tom Waddle, with his hair straight up, is ''Woodstock,'' the comic-strip bird in Peanuts. For the past four years, Thomas has worked as a coach for Pro Sports Experience, a company owned by the son of former Bears president Jim Finks that runs more than 20 Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps around Chicagoland. For an NFL team today, 104 penalties in a 16-game season is not much to scoff at. A journeyman linebacker who previously played with Atlanta and Green Bay, Cabral spent his final six seasons as a pro with the Bears. The players he dutifully watched over gave him a memorable sendoff: He rode in a limo to and from work on his final day as a member of the Bears organization. The defense led the league in points allowed (198), yards allowed (4,135) and takeaways (54), a feat that wouldn't be accomplished again until the 2013 Seattle Seahawks defense. On the next possession, Theismann punted for 1 yard (his only punt in the NFL), and Chicago scored on the very next play to take a 1410 lead, and they cruised from there. The Bears rookies made a trip to Guaranteed Rate Field to meet with White Sox players and fans before the baseball game. What The '85 Bears Look Like Now - Grunge Matt Lively returns with his profile of the incredible defensive unit that was the 1985 Chicago Bears. Some nicknames captured their effectiveness as a unit, while others perfectly depicted their utter dominance. The Bears became the first team in history to go through the playoffs without allowing a point after they defeated the Giants 21-0 and Rams 24-0. Plumb is recognized for saving Ryan's life in 1990 when, at dinner, Ryan started choking on a pork chop. The former McNeese State standout spent three seasons in the NFL, all with the Bears. In 14 different games that season, the Bears allowed 14 points or less. In Chicago, It's Forever 1985 - Sports Illustrated The Bears entered 1985 looking to improve on their 106 record from 1984 and advance further than the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the 151 San Francisco 49ers. Even though he was listed on the 1985 roster, he did not play because of injuries and eventually retired. Prior to that, he served with several teams, including head coach from 1959 to '66 at the University of Arizona, which featured a 15-1-1 streak early in his tenure. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In the 85 season, Wilson had 10.5 sacks. [3] The Bears won the NFC Central Division by seven games over the second-place Green Bay Packers and earned the NFC's top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs at Soldier Field. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. It perfectly summed up the dominance of Buddy Ryan's bunch, but similar to the 1940s, no specific unit officially claimed. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. In the '85 season, Wilson had 10.5 sacks. Tight end, 1961-1966Head coach, 1982-1992. On the Patriots' ensuing drive, Dent forced running back Craig James to fumble, which was recovered by linebacker Mike Singletary at the 13-yard line. Brownie - Can be a good name for wild brown bears. Like former teammate Bortz, "Hilgy" also had an unusually long playing career (13 years, including 11 with the Bears and single seasons in Cleveland and New Orleans). He retired for good in 1999. Then, in Super Bowl XX at the Louisiana Superdome against the New England Patriots, the Bears set several more records. Milky. 20% off everything ends soon. Bears great McMichael reveals he has ALS - Chicago Bears The season the New York Sack Exchange cemented itself and the organization finally made it back to the playoffs. He became quite adept at offensive quality control and breaking down the team's offense. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. After a 15-season NFL career (one year with New England, 13 with the Bears and a final season in 1994 with Green Bay), McMichael spent time as a broadcaster and five years as a pro wrestler. Has been involved in several business ventures since retiring, including his current job as a real estate developer in Wisconsin and Illinois. Ultimately Payton was the Bears' leading rusher during the game, but the Patriots defense held him to only 61 yards on 22 carries, with his longest run being only 7 yards. Behind the Hogs, "The Diesel" ran for a playoff record 610 yards in four playoff games. This matched the 49ers' mark from the year before and tied the then-record for most wins in a regular season; the record would be reached twice more in 1998 (Minnesota Vikings) and 2004 (Pittsburgh Steelers) before the New England Patriots ended the 2007 NFL season with a 160 regular season record. But the Bears defense dominated New England for the rest of the game, forcing another fumble, another interception, and defensive lineman Henry Waechter's sack on Grogan in the end zone for a safety to make the final score 4610. Over-the-Hill Gang: Nickname applied to the Redskins of 1970s due to abundance of veteran players. In addition to involvement in various charities and businesses (including owning Shaun Gayle LLC, a marketing, promotion and talent representation firm), he has spent the past several seasons as an analyst on NFL broadcasts that air on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. As of February, 1, 2021, this was the last time the Bears had two 100-yard rushers in a game.[20]. But don't judge this Creighton team by its soft nickname the Bluejays will not be an easy out in the third round. Unfortunately, the somewhat confusing origins of the nickname dropped it a few pegs on this list. Patriots coach Raymond Berry then replaced Eason with Steve Grogan to see if he could spark the Patriots offense. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. We present them here for purely educational purposes. - Ron. Glen ''Koz'' Kozlowski is also known as. Take a look at each of the 30 players in franchise history to be enshrined in Canton, the most of any team in the NFL. 85 Bears Posters for Sale | Redbubble Find out more. In their two playoff games against the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams, the Bears outscored their opponents 450 and became the first team to record back-to-back playoff shutouts. ''Kool Mo D'' and Lemuel Stinson`s ''Lemonhead,'' because of his resemblance to the character on the box of Lemonhead candies. Since retiring following the 1994 season, Bortz has lived in the north suburbs and spends much of his time with his family, making public appearances and also farming. "When I think of it, I think of it fondly and with a lot of adoration to the people that were part of it. After the Patriots received the second half opening kickoff, they managed to get one first down, but then had to punt after Grogan was sacked twice. ", 1985 Chicago Bears NFL's 10 Greatest Teams 125th Anniversary Sporting News, "Top 10 linebacking corps in NFL history", "1985 Bears: Wilber Marshall's Bonecrushing Hit [Video] Chicago Sports Mob", "22. He also serves on the team's board of directors, founded McCaskey Sportsmedicine Clinic in Mount Prospect and is an auxiliary officer for the Des Plaines Police Department. - Mike Ditka: MD, the Doctor.