The Dolphins handed the Bears their only loss of that season. The film premieres Feb. 4 at 9:00 p.m. The 2021 Chicago White Sox and 1985 Chicago Bears have a lot in common. After having a historic season that is still regarded as one of the best seasons by a professional football team of all time, the Chicago Bears franchise has been a laughing stock. His longest kick in college came in a pivotal game against Clemson, a 62-yard game-winner that his coach swore up and down would have been good from 70. After his run with the Bears, he won another Super Bowl with Washington in 1991, and in his 12-year career he played on top ten defenses nine times and made the Pro Bowl three times. Owns Waechter Sales and Marketing in Grand Island, Neb., which sells farm equipment. He declined to appear at a 2010 tribute to the Super Bowl XX championship team because of a financial agreement with the Bears, which has been settled. The Bears retired his No. Dent was MVP of Super Bowl XX. Heated conversations between Ryan and head coach Mike Ditka during the Bears’ only loss of the 1985 season came to a head during halftime in the locker room — Ditka wanted another defensive back in the game, and Ryan didn’t want suggestions from the head coach. For starters, the Bears reneged on a guaranteed contract that should have paid him a yearly salary for 19 years, cutting him off after 11 and forcing him to pay his own extensive medical bills. It's not the pass protection that makes them roar, but the 60 yard pass reception. We should have been the first team ever to win three Super Bowls in a row.". He admitted in 2011 to full-blown alcoholism, yet he continues to drink; his worried family, tied up in infighting over the big guy's conservatorship, are at a loss as to how to get him to slow down. The sometimes overlooked offensive tackle received the game ball after a 13-10 victory over San Francisco. Before that he covered the Bears and college football as a TV analyst. Players and coaches from the 1985 Chicago Bears football team, which won Super Bowl XX, pose for . After his stint in Chicago, he played seven years for the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and that’s where he now lives. After his NFL career, Gault returned to his first love — track and field. He also remembered how cold it was to ride in the team’s ticker-tape parade after the Super Bowl XX win. After years of trying, the Payton family was finally successful in having a statue of No. "Although it may be true that most games are won or lost in the trenches, what brings crowds to their feet isn't a great block, but the resulting 35 yard run. During the season leading up to Super Bowl XX, Tomczak didn’t see much playing time since he was the team’s rookie third-strong quarterback. Keys was forced to retire in 1989 after suffering a career-ending injury. joined the commercial real estate business, served on the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee. He was hospitalized in January 2016 after a game at Soldier Field against the Detroit Lions to receive treatment for a leg infection but still attended the 1985 team’s 30th reunion later that month. KEN TAYLOR - The SPEED DR. Ken Taylor is a former professional football player (NFL) and world-class track athlete. His first season — shortened by a players' strike — resulted in a 3-6 record, and his second was a wash at 8-8. Jim McMahon at the Bears' 30th anniversary reunion held at Soldier Field. Tobin would become the Bears’ defensive coordinator after Buddy Ryan’s departure for Philadelphia. Becker was a strong proponent and leader in getting Illinois’ youth concussion law passed and signed. He remains ringless today. No one can say the NFL wasn't warned. He and kicker Kevin Butler were among 25 players chosen by the Football Writers Association of America for its 75th anniversary All-America team in 2015. Defense. Jesse Jackson, citing the team’s poor minority hiring record, sent a letter to then-Bears President Mike McCaskey asking him to seriously consider Roland for the position. Check out some numbers that defined his career. During the football season he hosts a University of Georgia pregame radio show. The offense was full . Covert has appeared at events involving members of the 1985 team, including Richard Dent’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was named defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills, who surprised everyone familiar with the team by making the playoffs. - Chicago Tribun . He was a 10-time Pro Bowler and an eight-time All-Pro. 1985 Chicago Bears Starters, Roster, & Players: Super Bowl XX Champs over , 15-1 (po:3-0) (1st in NFC Central), Coach: Mike Ditka, ProBowl: Covert, Dent, Duerson . It was time for the breakthrough and the 1985 Chicago Bears did just that, winning the Super Bowl with a defense that's at the . He has been an NFL analyst for ESPN, restaurant owner, Ditka Dash pep talk giver and paid product endorser featured in local and national ads. "I know our defense got so much of the credit and they deserved it because they were maybe the best defense I've ever seen in any era. In a 2005 interview, Sanders said he was surprised people still cared about the 1985 team but grateful for the attention. Previously worked for the now-defunct XFL’s Chicago Enforcers in scouting and coaching positions and as a high school coach in Texas. The Bears went 15-1 and were first in the NFC Central. Kicking a guy in his groin when he is down. They also signed OT Elijah Wilkinson (for. The 1985 Bears were good on offense but not great. A great leader on defense surrounded by great teammates, the Hall of Fame linebacker set standards for intensity. Frazier has certainly had his ups and downs as a coach, and as of late, the downs have been quite a bit more plentiful. He was just as strong in coverage as he was getting to the quarterback, and would even sometimes sub for Singletary at the middle linebacker position on third downs. Years with the Bears: 1984-injured reserve, 1985. LaRue, who had coached almost every position in football, had been with the Bears since 1978. A rarely used reserve player during the 1985 season, his most memorable play might be his interception returned for a touchdown during Super Bowl XX. Born and raised in Evanston, Moorehead stayed close to home both during and after his playing days. He was almost 29 at the time but told the team he was 23. His father was the first Hawaiian student-athlete to play for Notre Dame. Like the Saints, they, too, started the season with an impressive winning streak. The Tribune’s archives are at your fingertips at Newspapers.com. Sanders was a rookie during the 1985 season. Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses Leonard Floyd's recovery from a knee injury, the undrafted free agent with the best chance of making the roster and if Tarik Cohen and Taylor Gabriel will be on the field together. Answer: They weren't great in 2020. During the '85 season, he even returned a kick 99 yards for a touchdown (giving away his background as a world-class sprinter and hurdler in college), but perhaps his most valuable contribution was keeping every opponent's best defender winded and frustrated for the entire game. In the 1990s, he wrote a series of rhyming, “values-based” children’s books called ”Shaun Gayle’s Sports Tales,” which were released by a Wheaton-based Christian publisher. They were invited by longtime Chicago Bears fan Barack Obama in 2011 to the White House to celebrate their victory. Those interviewed extensively in the documentary include Ditka, Singletary, McMahon, Fencik, Wilson, Butler, Dan Hampton, William Perry and Jimbo Covert. He is also the founder of the National Association of Speed-Agility-Quickness. Baschnagel is responsible for inspecting and warning players of potential violations before the game. 1985 Chicago Bears ICONIC® Ladies' T-Shirt $24.49 $34.99. As a rookie in '85, he scored 144 points (a single-season team high), proving himself to be virtually automatic on both field goal and PAT attempts. His 22-year coaching career also has included stints with the Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bears led in rushing for four consecutive seasons with Stanfel leading the offensive line from 1983 through 1986, an NFL record. 1 / 11 Wednesday night in Chicago, members of the '85 Bears team gathered for the world premiere of the new 30 for 30, "The '85 Bears." The film premieres Feb. 4 at 9:00 p.m. He’s the only McNeese State alum to play in a Super Bowl and win. He went on to similarly middling stints as linebackers coach for the Vikings and Rams before being named head coach of tiny Trinity Christian-Addison in 2018 — a gig which was destined to be a short one. From 1940-1947, quarterback Sid Luckman led the Bears to victories in four out of the five NFL Championship Games in which they appeared. Former coach Mike Ditka came to his aid in 2009 to get Perry into a rehabilitation center to help with his motor skills, hearing and speech. For those unaware, the 1985 Chicago Bears are widely considered to be among the best, if not the best, football teams ever fielded. Stanfel, who began his coaching career at Notre Dame, also worked for the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints, for whom he was an interim head coach for four games in 1980. He and his wife, Becky, have three grown children. At the NFL’s 2015 Draft Town there was a ”Sweetness Simulator,” which allowed visitors to see how Payton floated through the air during plays. He also scored a touchdown against the New York Giants in a 1985 playoff game when Sean Landeta whiffed on a punt. 96 for the championship season but also donned No. He's also part of a lawsuit against the league, along with McMahon, which claims that players in their day were not properly informed about the long-term risks of painkillers. He took home back-to-back coach of the year awards in 2014 and 2015, and of course he's known for defensive schemes that completely baffle opponents. 54-yarder thrown in a game against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 21, 1979, [Most read in Sports] Rory Dames steps down as coach of the Chicago Red Stars after the team’s 2-1 loss in the NWSL championship: ‘He’s been the glue that has held this team together’, was elected to the Glenbrook school board in 1993, [Most read in Sports] Coby White comes up big in his 1st home game of the season as the Chicago Bulls beat the New York Knicks 109-103 to improve to 12-5, Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation, [Most read in Sports] QB Justin Fields’ status for the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions game on Thanksgiving is up in the air — and Andy Dalton says he will prepare as if he’s starting, Had a punt blocked during a Dec. 2, 1985 game. Hartenstine lives in Lake Bluff and has three children with his wife, Donna. He and fellow former Bear Brian Urlacher were featured in the “Madden NFL 17” video game. We had a good football team and we did things the right way.". Appeals by former teammate Richard Dent and coach Mike Ditka helped persuade the judge to reduce the sentence to one year plus probation. He returned to the Phoenix area, where he was raised and had played at the collegiate level down the road at the University of Arizona, and joined the commercial real estate business. Appeared in 15 games, mostly on special teams. He was inducted into the school’s sports hall of fame in 2016. I like to steal it and make ‘em pay.”. In our "Best Team Ever" bracket, the other three semifinalists had one thing in common: A . Several players have become coaches themselves - the most unexpected being a guy who was on injured reserve the entire 1985 season, Jeff Fisher. None of those guys [received comparable accolades]. The first round draft pick in the 1985 NFL Draft, who had just won a college football National Championship with the Clemson Tigers, became a household name in his rookie season in Chi Town, but not only for his work in the trenches on . Krenk’s son, Nick, coached boys basketball in Johnson, Neb., and even coached his younger brother, Trevor. Owned a construction company in Aiken, S.C., after his NFL retirement, played for the London Monarchs and tried to become a professional wrestler. Dent was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. Stanfel’s family owned the baseball-themed Double Play bar in his native San Francisco for almost 70 years. 32. One has turned to medical marijuana to ease his lingering pain. Plumb was in his sixth season as Bears’ receivers coach when the team won Super Bowl XX. On the first day of the 1977 NFL Draft, Emery Moorehead sat impatiently and waited for his name to be called. 41 in February 1986. He also “played” the keyboards in the “Super Bowl Shuffle” video. Spent the 1985 season on injured reserve but also practiced against Dan Hampton and the Bears’ defense on weekdays and charted plays in the offensive coaching box on Sundays. The third Latino coach in NFL history, Rivera coached the Carolina Panthers in a loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. LaRue, who had retired to Tucson, Ariz., where he had been head coach at the University of Arizona, died in 2015. It extended far beyond the goal lines. Years with the Bears: 1980-1985, 1996-1997. In the 1980's and 1990's for ten seasons he was a defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). Not many films cause audiences to laugh, cry and applaud. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. A Chicago-area native, Tomczak followed the Bears closely while growing up in Calumet City. Prior to his time with the Bears, Keys played for Vince Tobin in the Canadian Football League. The 1985 Bears team is a little more than a decade younger than the 1972 Dolphins and at this point, only two players are deceased—one with CTE. Butler, who kicked three field goals in Super Bowl XX, lives in his native Georgia with his wife, Cathy, and three children. He was the Bears’ No. Both were able to get out after being awakened by smoke detectors. 89 before it was retired in December 2013. After coming back from offseason knee surgery, Hampton was elected for his fourth Pro Bowl. After his NFL career, Andrews worked as a commercial aluminum salesman for a St. Charles company. The 1985 Bears were good on offense but not great. Dunsmore was fined for his part in an Aug. 23, 1986 fight that involved 26 Bears and 25 St. Louis Cardinals during an exhibition game at Soldier Field. The 2013 Seattle Seahawks defense belongs in the conversation for all-time great defenses, but it is unclear exactly how they compare to the legendary 2000 Ravens, 1985 Bears, the vaunted Pittsburgh Steel Curtain and others. He was placed on conditional discharge, which is similar to probation, until July 2, 2016 for driving more than 100 mph on the Edens Expressway in April 2015. Wilson was brought in to produce the documentary “‘85: The Untold Story of the Greatest Team in Pro Football History.” Appeared in 1993′s “The Fugitive,” starring Harrison Ford, as a jail officer. Wednesday night in Chicago, members of the '85 Bears team gathered for the world premiere of the new 30 for 30, "The '85 Bears." He was an honorary captain for a home game at Soldier Field during the 2015 season. [Most read in Sports] Despite blowing another lead in the final minute, the focus needs to be on the bumbling offense. If you watched the TV news or saw the newspaper photos, you know that many of the members of the 1985 Bears who gathered for their 30 th reunion Tuesday looked pretty good.. Oh, there were some . ET on ESPN. They worked extremely hard on the field and partied hard off the field, leading to one of the most memorable teams and seasons in sports history. They claim these illegally supplied drugs have now led to medical problems later in their life. The Bears released him during the 1986 training camp. Van Horne is included in a group of former players who accuse the NFL of supplying them with strong painkillers and other drugs that allowed them to play but ultimately negatively affected their lives. "These guys went out and played football. After Super Bowl XX, Haupt was the third Bears assistant to join Buddy Ryan’s Philadelphia Eagles staff. Speaking with the Chicago Tribune, he said, "We came back three years in a row and had home-field advantage. Margerum was released by the Bears on Oct. 21, 1986, and retired after the 1987 season. Played behind defensive tackles Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, Jim Osborne and William Perry. After leaving the Bears, Kazor coached tight ends, the offensive line and special teams for the Detroit Lions from 1994-96. Now he says the biggest luxury money affords him is the ability to pay for legal expenses. Phillips was subbing for an injured Leslie Frazier at the time. He is the youngest of five children, and his parents adopted three more. The safety spent his entire 12-season career with the Bears and remembers sitting at his locker in Halas Hall the day after the Super Bowl XX celebration parade, watching coverage of the space shuttle Challenger exploding shortly after takeoff. In a June 28, 2016, Chicago Tribune article Butler remembered his first interaction with Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan: “Steve Kazor picked me up at the airport and we walked up to Halas Hall, and the first guy that walked up to me was Buddy Ryan. Today he is the executive vice president of CBRE. He would come back to coaching, however, for the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos and the Coast Guard Academy. There have been many stories about what defense stands as the best in the history of the NFL. Brittney co-hosted “Good Day Chicago” before moving to Arizona in late 2020. A longtime referee nominated Becker’s Tomcats team for an Illinois High School Association “Sport a Winning Attitude” award after it lost a game 40-6. A backup linebacker who showed up to work every day and quietly went about his job of smashing faces, Rivera started 62 of the 149 games he appeared in — all with the Bears — yet managed to rack up some pretty impressive stats. The 1985 Chicago Bears are widely considered to have the best defence in the history of the NFL.En route to a victory in Super Bowl XX, the 15-1 Bears demolished all comers, winning their three . A golf lover, Hilgenberg is a partner in a Kenosha, Wis., golf course community, The Club at Strawberry Creek. 1985 Chicago Bears: Where are they now? He was previously married to Margery Ditka. The 1985 Chicago Bears are my favorite team not because of their relentless 46 D; that's just too easy of an answer to give, but rather they are my favorite team simply because of their offense. He returned to his native Nebraska and became a homebuilder and rental property owner in Nebraska City. Before joining the Bears, the former Joliet Catholic star played more than two seasons with the USFL’s Chicago Blitz and Arizona Wranglers. He also has coached the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Renegades and was head coach at College of DuPage, Wayne State University, McPherson College and Iowa Wesleyan. After Mike Ditka took over the Bears in 1982, the team quickly improved and by 1984 they reached the NFC Championship Game. Before retiring to raise horses on his Kentucky farm, Ryan coached in the NFL as an assistant and head coach for 34 years. Kazor has been with the Rams scouting department for more than a decade. Payton died Nov. 1, 1999, of cancer that was a complication of his rare liver disease. Frederick was placed on injured reserve with an arthritic toe for the 1986 season and retired from the NFL after failing a physical in 1987. He ended his NFL career in 1990, having played 157 games. Humphries was traded to the Denver Broncos during the 1987 preseason and moved into the starting lineup. Only fitting, then, that he would go on to a second career as a coach — although he hasn't exactly managed to distinguish himself quite as effectively in his new gig as he did in his playing days. The 1985 Chicago Bears Do The Super Bowl Shuffle. After returning to Louisville, where he played college football, he was recruited by Papa John’s, an upstart pizza company at the time. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010 with fellow Bear Steve McMichael. His three-year Bears career was plagued by injuries that kept him on the bench and in the whirlpool far more than on the field. Kazor and fellow coach Johnny Roland persuaded Ditka to go to the hospital when he suffered a mild heart attack in 1988. He’s been the play-by-play analyst for Chicago Bears Radio since 1997. By Kori Rumore and Mallory Busch. He’s worked in broadcasting for years and hosts a Bears postgame show on WGN-AM 720. … The Bears went 15-1 and were first in the NFC Central. John Jacob and Dan Diversey had the type of job that many kids in Chicago dreamed about in 1984 -- they were the bat boys for the Cubs. He was responsible for the development of young receivers Willie Gault and Dennis McKinnon. No sports team had ever done something like this, and they certainly never saw the same success that the 1985 Bears did when they recorded "The Super Bowl Shuffle." After being released in December 1985, the funky track made its way to the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. He was one of the more versatile players on that storied defense — but his retirement has been marred by being constantly trashed by the NFL, when he's not being flat-out ignored. He had at least three documented concussions — in 1988, 1990 and 1992. Another coached in Super Bowl 50. It wasn't buddy-buddy. William always was a big guy and his size earned him a … Marino showed the league how to beat the ferocious Bears defense (short passes, and lots of them), but 1985 belonged to the Bears. 1 draft choice William “Refrigerator” Perry, is now medical director at Palmdale Regional Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Institute, released from the team after testing positive for cocaine, an assistant coach at San Jose State University, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, one of 13 players to wear Mike Ditka’s No. And as if that's not sketchy enough, the linebacker has been constantly frustrated by the league's apparent obsession with keeping him out of the Hall of Fame. One can imagine Ryan holds that group on the highest pedestal. 1984 Chicago Cubs — Where Are They Now? A foundation set up in his honor donated 80 concussion kits — one for each football program in Chicago Public Schools — in August 2012. 1985 Chicago Bears season Record 15-1 Division place 1st NFC Central During the 1989 season, Plumb used the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge a piece of pork chop stuck in Ryan’s throat during a meal. As an African-American, he said he wanted the interview not to be a token gesture. (Applause.) Wilson played 109 games as a Bear and had 36 sacks. Had a punt blocked during a Dec. 2, 1985 game against the Miami Dolphins that led to a touchdown. The McCaskey family refused to allow his acupuncturist to travel to Super Bowl XX to give Gault treatment. 1985 Chicago Bears: Where are they now? His time with the Eagles ended in 1994, which is when he retired to a farm in Dillon, S.C. Answer (1 of 4): Not well and I'd call that 85 Bears D one of the best if not the best defense of all time and always have been a HUGE Buddy Ryan fan. Since retiring from football, Marshall has had both knees and a shoulder replaced and has a degenerative disc in his neck, nerve impairments in both arms and chronic pain from ankles broken four times. He’s the co-owner of Professionals Detective Agency, which provides security guards, employment screening and drug testing. He was tasked with slimming down No. Shortly after his death, the NFL Man of the Year Award — which Payton won in 1977 — was renamed for him. He also coached the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe. Mike Singletary at the Bears' 30th anniversary reunion held at Soldier Field. He was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in August 2020, but told reporters the prognosis is good for him to make a full recovery. But for all his faults, Chicagoans will forever embrace "Da Coach" as the only man who ever led their beloved '85 Bears to Super Bowl glory. That Bears team is known as the most dominant team in the . "It's really hard when you see some of the guys who are in there," he said in an interview. Like the Saints, they, too, started the season with an impressive winning streak. His children, Beau, who played hockey for his high school, and Bryn, were also athletic in high school. However, if the 2016 Chicago Cubs win the World Series, the city may have a new favorite.Let's face it. A fire in 2013 claimed the Liberty, Ill., house where Bortz and his wife lived. He was one of 13 players to wear Mike Ditka’s No. Ryan left the Bears staff after Super Bowl XX to become head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, taking other Bears coaches with him. Dan Hampton and Richard Dent are Hall of Famers, as is Mike Singletary, one of the best linebackers of all time. Bears Hall of Fame middle linebacker Brian Urlacher enjoyed being part of the NFL 100 commercial that aired during the Super Bowl and features many of the best players in NFL history.

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