Richard Marvin Butkus is an American former professional football player, sports commentator, and actor. He played football as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to 1973. He was invited to eight Pro Bowls, named a first-team All-Pro six times, and was twice recognized by his peers as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. He was renowned as a fierce tackler and for the relentless effort with which he played and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most intimidating linebackers in pro football history.
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.
George Anderson McAfee was an American professional football player who was a back for the Chicago Bears from 1940 to 1941 and 1945 to 1950 in the National Football League (NFL). As an undergraduate at Duke University, McAfee starred in baseball and track and field as well as college football. McAfee was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As of 2018, he still holds the NFL record for punt return average in a career.
James Paul "Jimbo" Covert is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. Covert played college football for the University of Pittsburgh, and was recognized as an All-American. He was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the NFL's Chicago Bears.
Wilber Buddyhia Marshall is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for five teams from 1984 until 1995. Marshall played college football for the Florida Gators, was twice recognized as a consensus All-American, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Joseph Lee Stydahar, sometimes listed as Joseph Leo Stydahar, and sometimes known by the nickname "Jumbo Joe", was an American professional football player and coach. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972.
William Beattie "Big Chief" Feathers was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He played college football and college basketball at the University of Tennessee.
Abraham "Abe" Gibron was a professional American football player and coach. Gibron played 11 seasons as a guard in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL) in the 1940s and 1950s, mostly with the Cleveland Browns. He was then hired as an assistant coach for the NFL's Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears before becoming head coach of the Bears between 1972 and 1974.
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.
Frederick Wayman "Duke" Slater was an American football player and judge. He was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Centennial Class in 2020.
Tommy Lee Hart is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. He played college football at Morris Brown College.
Robert Herber Parsons was an American football punter and tight end who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Chicago Bears from 1972 to 1983 and later played with the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL).
Charles Christopher "Chuckin' Charlie" O'Rourke was an American football player and coach. He played college football as a quarterback at Boston College and professionally with Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) and the Los Angeles Dons and Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). O'Rourke quarterbacked the Boston College Eagles football team to one of its most famous wins. His 24-yard run late in the fourth quarter gave the 1940 Eagles a 19–13 victory over Tennessee in the 1941 Sugar Bowl, staking BC's claim to a national championship. O'Rourke served as the head football coach at University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) from 1952 to 1959, compiling a record of 21–39–4. In 1972, he came the first Boston College player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Rex Norris is a former college linebacker who has coached college football and NFL teams during the past 40 years.
Johnny Musso is an American former gridiron football player, who played professionally a running back for three seasons with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears. Musso played college football at the University of Alabama, where was a consensus selection on the 1971 College Football All-America Team. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Waymond Bryant is a former American football linebacker. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears.
George Leo Connor was an American professional football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1948 to 1955. He played offensive tackle on offense, and on defense was recognized as one of the sport's first linebackers. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and of the College Football Hall of Fame. He attended both the College of the Holy Cross and the University of Notre Dame. He won the first Outland Trophy as the best college lineman in 1946. Sportswriter Grantland Rice once observed Connor was "the closest thing to a Greek God since Apollo."
Robert Dabney Asher is a former professional American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears. He played college football at Vanderbilt University.
Matthew Adrian Young Jr. is a former American football linebacker who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Young played college football for the University of Southern California (USC), and earned All-American honors. The Philadelphia Eagles chose him in the third round of the 1968 NFL Draft, and he played professionally for the Eagles, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears.
Lawrence Horton is a former American football defensive end who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League and the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.
