Stadium Rant

Examining The Chicago Bears In The Pro Hall Of Fame

By Jenny Allen,

21 hours ago

As we know, the Pro Football Hall Of Fame honors the extreme value, dedication, and talent of the greatest players and coaches.

Located in Canton, Ohio, the Pro Hall Of Fame began in 1963 and holds 378 inductees. This low number of nominated players and coaches over a long period of time shows the precious selection that goes into choosing who to showcase. Among all of the NFL teams, The Chicago Bears currently have the highest number of Pro Hall Of Famers with 32.

First Bears' Hall of Fame Inductions

Dating back to the start of the Pro Hall Of Fame, the Bears represented three of the earliest inductees.

First and one of the most notable is George Halas, also known as “Papa Bear.” Not only was Halas a coach of the Bears, but he was also the founder and owner. Halas coached the Bears for 40 seasons, winning 324 games and six world championships, which remain tied for the most in history.

Also inducted in 1963 were players Bronko Nagurski and Harold “Red” Grange. Both Nagurski and Grange played nine seasons in the NFL. Even today, Nagurski holds the record for the biggest Pro Hall of Fame ring, coming in at a size 19.5!

1964-’71

The next year, the Bears had three more players get nominated into the Pro Hall of Fame: Ed Healey, William Roy Lyman, and George Trafton. Healey and Lyman were both tackles, and Trafton was a center. Healey played five seasons for the Bears, Lyman played seven, and Trafton played 10.

Three more Bears players were inducted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 1965. John “Paddy” Driscoll, Danny Fortmann, and Sid Luckman. In 1943, Luckman also won the Joe F. Carr Trophy as the NFL’s most valuable player and held Bears records until 2013. Fortman played on the Bears for eight seasons and earned All-NFL honors six seasons in a row. Driscoll was named first-team All-Pro six times, then went into coaching after he retired; he joined Halas as an assistant coach from 1941 until 1963.

George McAfee and Clyde “Bulldog” Turner were both voted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 1966. In 1942, Turner led the league with eight interceptions. Off the field, Turner was known for his intelligence, he graduated Highschool at the age of 16 and then University at 20. In 1940, McAfee and Turner were named a part of the All-Decade team. The Bears went on to retire their numbers (McAfee’s 5 and Turner’s 66).

In 1936, the Bears had their first-round draft and selected Joe Stydahar. Stydahar was voted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 1967. Stydahar was far more than just a player. He also served in the Navy and then returned for the final three games of the 1945 season.

In 1971, with guest speaker President Richard Nixon, Bill Hewitt was inducted into the Pro Hall Of Fame. Hewitt led the league with five receiving touchdowns in 1934. He was also first-team All-Pro in 1933, ’34, and ’36.

1974-’81

Next up we have Bill George, who was inducted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 1974. George was first-team All-Pro eight times which is the most in Chicago Bears history.

In 1975, George Connor was nominated into the Pro Hall of Fame and named one of the best Chicago Bears starting tackles ever.

Gale Sayers was named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team and earned All-Pro recognition in all five of his full seasons. Sayers was inducted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 1977.

The next player voted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 1979 was Dick Butkus. Butkus was known for his fierceness as a middle linebacker. He finished his career with 22 interceptions and led the Bears with 27 fumble recoveries. In 2010, NFL Network named Butkis the 10th-best player of all time.

George Blanda, a kicker and quarterback, was inducted into the Pro Hall of Fame in 1981. Blanda spent ten seasons with the Bears and, at the time, set a record for scoring 2,002 points, including running touchdowns and field goals.

1982-’98

Both George Musso and Doug Atkins were inducted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 1982. Musso won four championships with the Bears and is one of six Bears players to win four titles. Atkins was known to be one of the strongest players in the NFL during the time and played a total of 17 NFL seasons.

After becoming a Bears player and coach, Mike Ditka was inducted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 1988. As a player in 1961, Ditka had 56 receptions for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns. After that, in 1982, Ditka became the Bears coach, leading the team to their first Super Bowl victory in ‘86.

In 1991 Stan Jones was voted into the Pro Hall Of Fame. Today, Jones is known as one of the NFL's last “two-way” linemen.

Also one of the most notable is Walter Payton. Payton is known as the Bear's greatest player of all time and was inducted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 1993. In 1977, Payton was given the NFL Man Of The Year Award, which is now named after him in honor of recognizing his excellence.

Jim Finks joined the Bears as executive vice president and general manager and was voted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 1995. Highlighting his career, in 1985, Finks was in charge of drafting 19 of the 22 Super Bowl XX starters.

Mike Singletary was inducted into the Pro Hall of Fame in 1998. Singletary stayed with the Bears for all 12 of his NFL seasons and started as a middle linebacker during the Super Bowl XX game.

2002-’24

Dan Hampton was named to his first Pro Bowl after only his second season, and he was recognized three more times after that. Hampton was nominated for the Pro Hall of Fame in 2002.

In 2011, Richard Dent was inducted into the Pro Hall of Fame. Starting at right defensive end during Super Bowl XX, Dent was named Most Valuable Player after their victory.

Brian Urlacher was drafted by the Bears in 2000 as their ninth pick and was named Defensive Player Of The Year in 2005. Urlacher was inducted into the Pro Hall of Fame in 2018.

In 2021, Ed Sprinkle and Jimbo Covert were both voted into the Pro Hall of Fame. The Bears selected Covert in the 1983 draft, and he was a key component of the Bears' offense in 1985. Sprinkle is known by Packers fans as one of the most hated players, adding to the division rivalry between the Bears and the Packers.

Steve McMichael and Devin Hester were recently inducted into the Pro Hall Of Fame in 2024. Hester is known for his 21 return touchdowns, including his outstanding game at Soldier Field against the Broncos in 2007. In Hester's NFL career, he also recorded 20 regular-season return touchdowns. McMichael was signed by the Bears in 1981, becoming one of the team's starting tackles, significantly helping the team to its Super Bowl XX victory.

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