1944 Chicago Bears season

Last updated

1944 Chicago Bears season
Owner George Halas
Head coach Hunk Anderson
Luke Johnsos
Home field Wrigley Field
Results
Record6–3–1
Division placeT-2nd NFL Western
Playoff finishDid not qualify

The 1944 season was the Chicago Bears' 25th in the National Football League. The team was co-coached by Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos with Paddy Driscoll as the assistant coach.

Contents

They placed second in the Western Division with a record of 6–3–1, which was tied with the Detroit Lions and trailed the Green Bay Packers. The Bears totaled the second highest tally of points scored and the sixth fewest points conceded. [1]

The Bears were unable to reach the postseason for the first time since 1939 and were unsuccessful in claiming their fourth title of the 1940s. [2] Playing from their home stadium of Wrigley Field, the Bears had to deal with many players leaving the league to serve in World War II. [3]

1944 All-Star Game

The 1944 Chicago College All-Star Game between the Bears and All-Stars was presented in a similar method to the 1943 game. The selection of coaches and players for the College All-Star team was based on the classic games of the previous years and was not dictated by votes from supporters. At the beginning of August, the coach of the collegiate team was revealed to be Lynn Waldorf from Northwestern. His assistants were Jeff Cravath, Bo McMillin, Wes Fry and Henry Frinka. These coaches were responsible for the largest-ever College All-Star squad of 71 individuals. Many of their players were on furlough from their military service and were therefore in prime fitness. On August 30, this collegiate team would play the Chicago Bears at Northwestern University’s Dyche Stadium. [4]

In the build-up to the match, the All-Stars trained at Dyche Stadium while the Bears trained at Collegeville, Indiana. On August 22, the Bears "received a big boost when star quarterback Sid Luckman was able to report to training camp". [5] Luckman had been permitted to return from Sheepshead Bay where he was involved in Maritime Service to participate in the All-Star match. This resulted in the Bears being tipped favorites as a 9-5 in the betting line with the addition of the quarterback. However, the Bears were missing key players of Danny Fortmann, Lee Artoe and Hampton Pool. The match sold out with approximately 50,000 people in attendance that mainly featured fans from Chicago due to travel restrictions in wartime. Broadcasting was nation-wide through the WGN (AM) and Mutual radio networks. [6] The Chicago Bears just managed to win the 1944 All-Star match and Francis J. Powers stated in the Chicago Daily News that it was “Not the crushing Bears of other years, but still the Bears, the National Football League Champions”. [7]

Draftees

[8]

1944 Chicago Bears draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
1 9 Ray Evans   Tailback Kansas
324 Rudy Smeja   End Michigan
540Abe Croft  End SMU
651 Clair B. Stanley   Tackle Tulsa
762Darwin Steeley  Center Stanford
873Randall Fawcett  Back Stanford
984 Jack Morton   End Purdue
1095Bill Starford  Center Wake Forest
11106 Lin Houston   Guard Ohio State
12117J. P. Moore  Back Vanderbilt
13128Bill Duffey  End Georgetown
14139Joe Hartley  Tackle LSU
15150 Bill Milner   Linebacker Duke
16161 Buckets Hirsch   Quarterback Northwestern
17172Ed Ryckeley  End Georgia Tech
18183Howdy Plasman  Back Miami
19194 Barry French   Guard Purdue
20205Paul Taylor  Back USC
21216 Bob Margarita   Halfback Brown
22227Ed Davis  Back Oklahoma
23238Dick Jamison  Tackle USC
24249Jack Bortka  Back Kansas State
25260Roy Ruskusky  End St Mary's
26271Harry Franck  Back Northwestern
27282Jack McKewan  Tackle Alabama
28194 Charlie Mitchell   Halfback Tulsa
29304Pat Boyle  Guard Wisconsin
30315Bernie Pepper  Tackle Missouri
31321Karl Vogt  Tackle Villanova
32327Bob Endres  Tackle Colgate
      Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Impact of World War II

The Bears had 45 individuals leave the club to serve in the United States Armed Forces during World War II. [3] Owner and coach George Halas left his role as Bears coach at the end of the 1942 campaign to join the Navy. At the time of the 1944 season, he operated in the Pacific Ocean where he later received a Bronze Star. [3] The official program of the Bears–Pittsburgh Steelers on December 3 praised how despite Halas' departure, the team was still impressive as "[t]hey have helped the paid-to-play game reach the popular height it now attains, thanks to the astuteness, showmanship and business ability of George Halas". [9] Ed McCaskey, Halas' son-in-law and longtime Chicago Bears executive, also achieved a Bronze Star when fighting in the Army. [3] In Halas' place, Luke Johnsos and Hunk Anderson served as co-head coaches. [9]

Following the 1943 season, Hall of Fame quarterback Sid Luckman volunteered for military service in the United States Merchant Marine. As he remained in the United States for his service in 1944, he was allowed to be involved in Bears' games on weekends. [3] Luckman was responsible for transporting gasoline in a tanker to Europe, as well as transferring soldiers from Britain to France at the time of the invasion of Normandy in June. That season, he was only able to return and participate in seven games. [10] Notably that season, Luckman was able to provide an 86-yard pass to Ray McLean for a touchdown against the Boston Yanks. [11] The Steelers game featured a tribute to those serving. [9]

Another two Bears Hall of Famers, Joe Stydahar and Dan Fortmann served in the United States Navy during the season. Fortmann then finished his residency and became the team physician for the Los Angeles Rams until 1963. [12]

Regular season

The 1944 season was the third full competition that coincided with World War II. The rosters of many teams were becoming depleted after players were drafted or volunteered for service. [13] The Bears–Steelers game program read, "The big, bad Chicago Bears may not be as ferocious this year as they have been in the past, but if a popularity contest were to be held by pro football followers throughout the country, they would still vote the Bears the most appealing team." [9]

The Bears were unable to replicate their winning season of the previous year in 1943. After losing 19 out of the 28 players from the previous year to leave and serve in the war, the Bears had difficulty recruiting. One of the Bears' co-coaches, Luke Johnsos, stated that the club "signed up anybody who could run around the field twice." [14] In spite of this, the Steelers game's program also praised the ability of the Chicago team, highlighting that "[t]he Bears still can flash the old time power as witness their thundering 28 to 7 upset over the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles only last Sunday when the Eagles were made the favorites. The Bears on their best day, weak or not, can whip any football team in the country. Records go to prove this. Beyond that they are colorful and crowd appealing." [9]

Roster

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1 Bye
2September 24at Green Bay Packers L 28–420–1 City Stadium Recap
3 Bye
4October 8at Cleveland Rams L 19–70–2 League Park Recap
5October 15 Card-Pitt W 34–71–2 Wrigley Field Recap
6October 22 Detroit Lions T 21–211–2–1Wrigley Field Recap
7October 29 Cleveland Rams W 28–212–2–1Wrigley Field Recap
8November 5 Green Bay Packers W 21–03–2–1Wrigley Field Recap
9November 12 Boston Yanks W 21–74–2–1Wrigley Field Recap
10November 19at Detroit Lions L 41–214–3–1 Briggs Stadium Recap
11November 26at Philadelphia Eagles W 28–75–3–1 Shibe Park Recap
12December 3at Card-Pitt W 49–76–3–1 Forbes Field Recap
13 Bye
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

NFL Western Division
WLTPCTDIVPFPASTK
Green Bay Packers 820.8007–1238141W1
Chicago Bears 631.6674–3–1258172W2
Detroit Lions 631.6674–3–1216151W4
Cleveland Rams 460.4004–4188224L2
Card-Pitt 0100.0000–8108328L10
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Statistics

The Bears tallied a total of 258 points scored, the second most in the league. The rushing and passing offenses were each ranked second, while the team recorded the third best kicking and punting statistics. [11]

On defense, the Bears conceded 172 points across the season and ranked sixth in the league for their defensive statistics. [11]

The team were able to achieve 3,167 yards in the season and concede 2006 yards against them. They ranked first in the league for the number of yards in offense and second for the number of yards in defense. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Bears</span> National Football League franchise in Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl, and hold the NFL record for the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the most retired jersey numbers. The Bears have also recorded the second-most victories of any NFL franchise, only behind the Green Bay Packers, who they have a long-standing rivalry with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sid Luckman</span> American football player (1916–1998)

Sidney Luckman was an American football quarterback who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1939 through 1950. During his 12 seasons with the Bears, he led them to four NFL championships in 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Halas</span> American football player, coach, and team owner (1895–1983)

George Stanley Halas Sr., nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was an American football end, coach, and executive. He was the founder and owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), and served as his own head coach on four occasions. He was also lesser-known as a player for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the namesake for the NFC Championship trophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulldog Turner</span> American football player and coach (1919–1998)

Clyde Douglas "Bulldog" Turner was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He was elected, as a player, to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966. He was also selected in 1969 to the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Fortmann</span> American football player (1916–1995)

Daniel John Fortmann was an American football guard and linebacker who played for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colgate Red Raiders. Playing for Chicago from 1936 to 1943, he was selected as an All-Pro for seven consecutive years from 1937 to 1943. He was the Bears' team captain starting in 1940 and led the team to NFL championships in 1940, 1941, and 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Ronzani</span> American football player and coach (1909–1975)

Eugene A. Ronzani was a professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He was the second head coach of the Green Bay Packers, from 1950 to 1953, and resigned with two games remaining in the 1953 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T formation</span> Formation used in American football by the offensive team

In American football, a T formation is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a "T".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Kavanaugh</span> American football player, coach, and scout (1916–2007)

Kenneth William Kavanaugh was an American football player, coach, and scout. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears as an end from 1940 to 1950, except for three seasons during which he served in World War II. He led the league in receiving touchdowns twice, and is a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team. He is the Bears' all-time leader in receiving touchdowns, with 50. He retired with the second most receiving touchdowns in NFL history and was the second to reach 50 touchdowns in NFL history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Benton (American football)</span> American football player and coach (1916–2001)

James Warren Benton was an American football player. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland / Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears between 1938 and 1947. Benton was the first NFL receiver to gain more than 300 yards in a game, a record that stood for 40 years. He was selected for the National Football League 1940s All-Decade Team.

The 1942 NFL Championship Game was the tenth title game of the National Football League (NFL), played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., on December 13, with a sellout capacity attendance of 36,006.

The 1943 season was the Chicago Bears' 24th in the National Football League. The team failed to match on their 11–0 record from 1942 and finished at 8–1–1, under temporary co-coaches Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos. On the way to winning the Western Division, the Bears were, yet again, denied a chance at an undefeated season by the defending champion Redskins in Washington. The Bears had their revenge in the NFL title game and defeated the Redskins at Wrigley Field to claim their sixth league title. It was their third championship in four years, establishing themselves as the pro football dynasty of the early 1940s.

The 1936 season was the Chicago Bears' 17th in the National Football League and 14th season under head coach George Halas. The team was able to improve on their 6–4–2 record from 1935 and finished with a 9–3 record. The team also finished in second place in the Western Division behind the Green Bay Packers. After week 10, the Bears were tied with the Packers in first place with identical 9–1 records, having split their season series. However, the club swooned at the end of the year, losing their last two games on the road to Detroit and the Cardinals. Green Bay went on to easily defeat the Boston Redskins and win the NFL title.

The 1937 Chicago Bears season was their 18th regular season completed in the National Football League. The Bears started the season fast, winning their first five games, three of them on the road. After a tie to the Giants and a loss to the Packers, the Bears finished the season strong, winning their last four games. The team was second in scoring offense, behind Green Bay, and led the league in scoring defense.

The 1939 Chicago Bears season was their 20th regular season completed in the National Football League. They finished second in the Western Division with an 8–3 record. The Bears started the season well, winning 4 of their first 5 games. However, two mid-season losses to New York and Detroit cost them the Division to Green Bay. The Packers went on to win the NFL championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Kindt</span> American football player (1925–2000)

Donald John Kindt, Sr. was an American defensive back and halfback who played nine seasons from 1947 to 1955 for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). Kindt played college football for the University of Wisconsin Badgers primarily as a halfback from 1943 to 1946, missing the 1944 and half of the 1945 season because of World War II. He was the starting halfback for the Badgers for most of his college career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Manske</span> American football player and coach (1912–2002)

Edgar John "Eggs" Manske was a professional American football player who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Manske was the last college player to play without a football helmet. Manske played in two NFL championship games with the Chicago Bears, including the historic 1940 NFL Championship Game, a 73–0 victory over the Washington Redskins.

Ruey Young Bussey was a professional American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). An all-star during his only season in the NFL, Bussey was killed in action during World War II. He was the only Bears player to die in the war.

The 1940 NFL Championship Game, sometimes referred to simply as 73–0, was the eighth title game of the National Football League (NFL). It was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., on December 8, with a sellout capacity attendance of 36,034.

The 1940 National Football League All-star Game (December) was the professional football league's third all-star game. The game pitted the Chicago Bears, the league's champion for the 1940 season, against a team of all-stars. The game was played on Sunday, December 29, 1940, at Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles, California before an overflow crowd of 21,000, with members of the Stanford and Nebraska football teams also in attendance; the two were scheduled to play in the Rose Bowl, with Nebraska using the All-Star Game to research the Bears' T formation, which was being used by Stanford head coach and former Bears assistant Clark Shaughnessy. The Bears defeated the All-Stars by a score of 28–14.

The 1942 National Football League All-Star Game (December) was the National Football League's fifth all-star game. The game pitted the Washington Redskins, the league's champion for the 1942 season, against a team of all-stars. The game was played on Sunday, December 27, 1942, at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in front of 18,671 fans. The All-Stars defeated the Redskins by a score of 17–14.

References

  1. ↑ "1944 Chicago Bears Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  2. ↑ "1944 Chicago Bears Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Boden, Chris (May 29, 2017). "A History Of The Bears Who Served During World War II". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  4. ↑ Schmidt, Raymond (2001). Football's Stars Of Summer: A History Of The College All-Star. Scarecrow Press. p. 73.
  5. ↑ Schmidt, Raymond (2001). Football's Stars Of Summer: A History Of The College All-Star. Scarecrow Press. p. 74.
  6. ↑ Schmidt, Raymond (2001). Football's Stars Of Summer: A History Of The College All-Star. Scarecrow Press. p. 75.
  7. ↑ Schmidt, Raymond (2001). Football's Stars Of Summer: A History Of The College All-Star. Scarecrow Press. p. 77.
  8. ↑ "1944 Chicago Bears Draftees". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "The 1944 Chicago Bears". Steelers UK. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  10. ↑ Hybl, Dean (December 6, 2011). "Remembering the NFL On December 7, 1941". Sports Then and Now. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "1944 Chicago Bears Statistics & Players". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  12. ↑ Anton, Toddy; Nowlin, Bill (2013). When Football Went To War. Triumph Books. p. 112-113.
  13. ↑ Anton, Toddy; Nowlin, Bill (2013). When Football Went To War. Triumph Books. p. 23.
  14. ↑ Algeo, Matthew (2013). Last Team Standing: How The Steelers And The Eagles—"The Steagles"—Saved Pro Football During World War II. Chicago Review Press. p. 210. ISBN   978-0306815768.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.