The 50 Greatest Players in Chicago Bears History. Robert W. Cohen

which included a short swing pass that he converted into an 80-yard TD, a run of 50 yards, and an 85-yard punt return. Following the conclusion of the contest, Chicago head coach George Halas, who had been in the NFL since its inception in 1920, stated, “It was the greatest performance I have ever seen on the football field.”

      Sayers proved to be the difference in a 17–10 win over the Rams on October 23, 1966, rushing for 87 yards and returning a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.

      Sayers helped the Bears forge a 10–10 tie with the Detroit Lions on November 6, 1966, by carrying the ball 21 times for 123 yards and one touchdown.

      Sayers contributed to a 23–6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on November 27, 1966, by gaining 172 yards on 19 carries and making five receptions for 65 yards.

      Sayers led the Bears to a 41–28 win over the Vikings in the final game of the 1966 regular season by returning the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and rushing for 197 yards and another TD.

      Although the Bears lost to the Steelers by a score of 41–13 in the 1967 regular-season opener, Sayers scored again on special teams when he returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown.

      Sayers rushed for 142 yards and one touchdown during a 14–3 win over the Detroit Lions on October 15, 1967.

      Sayers helped the Bears complete a season-sweep of the Lions by returning a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown during a 27–13 win over Detroit on November 5, 1967.

After scoring six touchdowns against the 49ers two years earlier, Sayers proved to be a one-man wrecking crew again when the Bears traveled to San Francisco on December 3, 1967. Playing on a rain-soaked field at Kezar Stadium, Sayers led the Bears to a 28–14 win by returning the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, scoring on a 15-yard run, and scoring a third time on a 58-yard punt return. Following the contest, 49ers head coach Jack Christiansen, who revealed that he ordered all his team’s punts to be directed out of bounds after Sayers returned the opening kickoff for a TD, said, “It was a bad field, but it didn’t stop some people.”

      Sayers supplied what little offense the Bears mounted during a 10–10 tie with the Vikings on December 10, 1967, carrying the ball 20 times for 131 yards and his team’s lone touchdown.

      Sayers again served as the focal point of the Bears offense when they defeated the Falcons by a score of 23–14 in the 1967 regular-season finale, rushing for 120 yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns on a 51-yard run and a 32-yard pass from Jack Concannon.

      Sayers contributed to a 26–24 victory over the Vikings on October 27, 1968, by rushing for 143 yards and gaining another 33 yards on four pass receptions.

      Sayers led the Bears to a 13–10 win over the Packers on November 3, 1968, by carrying the ball 24 times for a career-high 205 yards.

      Notable Achievements

      1 • Rushed for more than 1,000 yards twice, topping 800 yards three other times.

      2 • Surpassed 500 receiving yards once (507 in 1965).

      3 • Surpassed 1,000 yards from scrimmage four times, topping 1,500 yards once (1,678 in 1966).

      4 • Amassed more than 1,000 all-purpose yards five times, topping 2,000 yards twice.

      5 • Scored more than 10 touchdowns three times, surpassing 20 TDs once (22 in 1965).

      6 • Returned six kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns.

      7 • Averaged more than 5 yards per carry three times.

      8 • Led NFL in rushing yards twice, yards from scrimmage once, all-purpose yards three times, touchdowns once, points scored once, rushing average once, and kickoff-return average twice.

      9 • Finished second in NFL in rushing yards once, all-purpose yards once, rushing touchdowns twice, and rushing average once.

      10 • Finished third in NFL in rushing yards once, yards from scrimmage once, all-purpose yards once, touchdowns once, rushing touchdowns once, and rushing average once.

      11 • Led Bears in rushing five times.

      12 • Holds NFL record for highest kickoff-return average (30.6 yards per return).

      13 • Holds share of NFL record with six touchdowns in one game (December 12, 1965, vs. 49ers).

      14 • Holds Bears single-season records for most rushing touchdowns (14 in 1965), touchdowns (22 in 1965), and all-purpose yards (2,440 in 1966).

      15 • Ranks among Bears career leaders with 991 rushing attempts (5th), 4,956 yards rushing (5th), 6,263 yards from scrimmage (5th), 2,781 kickoff-return yards (5th), 9,435 all-purpose yards (4th), 39 rushing touchdowns (5th), and 56 touchdowns (5th).

      16 • Four-time Pro Bowl selection (1965, 1966, 1967, and 1969).

      17 • Three-time Pro Bowl MVP (1966, 1967, and 1969).

      18 • Five-time First-Team All-Pro selection (1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969).

      19 • Five-time First-Team All–Western Conference selection (1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969).

      20 • 1965 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

      21 • 1969 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

      22 • NFL 1960s All-Decade Team.

      23 • #40 retired by Bears.

      24 • Named to NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team in 1994.

      25 • Named to Sporting News All-Century Team in 1999.

      26 • Named to NFL 100 All-Time Team in 2019.

      27 • Number 21 on the Sporting News’ 1999 list of the 100 Greatest Players in NFL History.

      28 • Number 22 on the NFL Network’s 2010 list of the NFL’s 100 Greatest Players.

      29 • Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

4

       — BRONKO NAGURSKI —

      A legendary figure from the early days of the NFL, Bronko Nagurski combined brute strength with tremendous acceleration to establish himself as the greatest running back of the 1930s. Virtually impossible for one man to bring down, Nagurski terrorized his opponents with his aggressive running style, with author Jim Dent writing in his book, Monster of the Midway: Bronko Nagurski, the 1943 Chicago Bears, and the Greatest Comeback Ever, “Bronko ran the football like he was boiling over with rage. He was one of the greatest big running backs in history.” An outstanding defensive player as well, Nagurski proved to be equally intimidating on that side of the ball, delivering vicious hits to opposing ball-carriers from his tackle position. Leading the Bears to five division titles and three NFL championships, Nagurski earned All-Pro honors seven times between 1930 and 1937, with his brilliant all-around play prompting teammate Red Grange to call him the “best football player of all time.” A member of the 1930s All-Decade Team, Nagurski later received the additional distinctions of having his number retired by the Bears, being named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team, receiving a top-40 ranking from both the Sporting News and the NFL Network on their respective lists of the 100 Greatest Players in NFL History, and being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

      Born to Polish-Ukrainian immigrant parents in Rainy River, Ontario, Canada, on November 3, 1908, Bronislau Nagurski moved with his family to International Falls, Minnesota, at the age of nine. Spending his early years working on the family farm and delivering groceries for his father’s grocery store, Nagurski developed his powerful legs as a youth by running to-and-from school four miles each day. After further developing his physique by laboring at nearby timbering operations as a teenager, Nagurski began competing in sports in high school, starring in football and basketball, while also excelling