Related Research Articles
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, eight prior to the AFL–NFL merger and one Super Bowl. They also hold the NFL records for the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the most retired jersey numbers. The Bears' NFL championships and overall victories are second behind the Green Bay Packers, with whom they have a long-standing rivalry.
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South Division. Since 1975, the team plays its home games at Caesars Superdome after using Tulane Stadium during its first eight seasons. Founded by John W. Mecom Jr., David Dixon, and the city of New Orleans on November 1, 1966, the Saints joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1967.
Michael Keller Ditka is an American former professional football player, coach, and television commentator. During his playing career, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year in 1961, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and a six-time All-Pro tight end with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL); he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Ditka was the first tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards receiving.
Kurtis Eugene Warner is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend from an undrafted free agent to a two-time Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl MVP, is widely regarded as one of the greatest Cinderella stories in NFL history.
Morten Andersen, nicknamed "the Great Dane", is a Danish-American former professional football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons, most notably with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Following a career from 1982 to 2007, Andersen holds the NFL record for regular season games played at 382. He also ranks second in field goals (565) and points scored (2,544). In addition to his league accomplishments, he is the Saints all-time leading scorer at 1,318 points. Andersen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Along with Jan Stenerud, he is one of only two exclusive kickers to receive the honor.
Brian Urlacher is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos, where he received consensus All-American honors as a senior, and was selected ninth overall by the Bears in the 2000 NFL draft.
Douglas Leon Atkins was an American professional football defensive end who played for the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers under head coach Robert Neyland. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Atkins was also drafted to the NBA in the 17th round by the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1953 NBA draft.
William Layton Roaf, nicknamed "Nasty", is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, where he earned consensus All-American honors. He was a first-round pick in the 1993 NFL draft, and played professionally for the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. An 11-time Pro Bowl selection and nine-time All-Pro, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
James Paul "Jimbo" Covert is an American former professional football player who was a offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers, earning consensus All-American honors. He was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft.
Alex James Brown is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the University of Florida, and was a two-time All-American. The Chicago Bears picked Brown in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL draft, and he also played for the New Orleans Saints.
Roberto Garza is a former American football center. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft, and in 2005, joined the Chicago Bears, spending ten seasons with the team. Despite being an offensive lineman, a position not typically glorified in American football, Garza was a fan favorite among Hispanic Americans across the United States.
Michael Lee Lewis is an American former professional football player who is the team ambassador of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and return specialist, earning first-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection as a returner in 2002.
William Patrick Polian Jr. is an American former professional football executive. He rose to league prominence as the general manager of the Buffalo Bills, building a team that participated in four straight Super Bowls—the most consecutive appearances by any team—but lost each time. Following his stint in Buffalo, Polian went on to become the general manager of the expansion Carolina Panthers. He then served as general manager and team president of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) from 1998 to 2011, where they reached two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XLI. He subsequently served as an NFL analyst for ESPN. Polian was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Polian co-founded the now-defunct Alliance of American Football in 2018.
Walter William Hilgenberg was a professional American football linebacker, he played 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), four with the Detroit Lions and 12 with the Minnesota Vikings.
Joel C. Hilgenberg is an American former professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL).
David A. Whitsell was an American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Bears, and the New Orleans Saints. He was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1967 season. Whitsell played college football at Indiana University. Dave was married to Jacque Whitsell. They had four children daughters Amy and Lisa, sons Mike and Dave.
Derek Craig Kennard is an American former professional football player who was a guard and center in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Los Angeles Express in the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football for the Nevada Wolf Pack.
William Clay Matthews III, primarily known as Clay Matthews, is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). The six-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro played 10 seasons for the Green Bay Packers and 1 season for the Los Angeles Rams. He is the all-time official sack leader for the Packers, with 83.5. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2024.
Jerry Hilgenberg was an American football player and coach for the University of Iowa. He was a first team All-American in 1953 and served as an assistant coach to the Iowa football team for eight seasons.
References
- ↑ "Jay Hilgenberg". The Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on April 21, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
- ↑ Boshart, Rod. "Brothers Jay Hilgenberg of the Chicago Bears and Joel..." UPI.
- ↑ "Hilgenberg, Kittle together again as Hawkeyes - Iowa Official Athletic Site". Hawkeyesports.com. October 5, 2009. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ↑ "Bears Trounce Patriots, 46-10, in Super Bowl". Los Angeles Times. January 27, 1986. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ↑ BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor © 2009. "Jay Hilgenberg, BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor". Bearshistory.com. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Dent, Hilgenberg Deserve Hall Passes". Bleacher Report. August 10, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ↑ Mayer, Larry. "Write Now Blog | Ex-Bears among Hall of Fame nominees". Blog.chicagobears.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
 | This biographical article relating to an American football offensive lineman born in the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |