Central Illinois Bears fan watches games in memorabilia-filled ‘sanctuary’

CANTON, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Former Canton High School football player Tony Kozelichki loves to watch football.

But he has some rules about watching his favorite team, the Chicago Bears.

“I want to watch my Bears game,” said Kozelichki. “I like watching it alone, even my wife doesn’t watch the Bears with me anymore.”

Kozelichki was a lineman on the first Canton team to make the state playoffs in 1978. He went on to play at North Central College before coaching stops at places like Palatine, Richwoods, and (Monmouth) United, where he coached on the 2004 state championship team.

However, the retired teacher and high school football coach doesn’t really watch the games alone. He’s surrounded by hundreds of pieces of sports memorabilia in his attic.

His “man cave” is filled with sports items of his favorite Chicago teams but memorabilia from the Bears and Cubs dominate the room. He’s been collecting sports memorabilia for over 50 years.

Baseball cards were a big part of it.

“When I got married, I was using baseball cards to pay off the engagement ring, the wedding ring,” said Kozelichki. “But I was hanging on to the programs, pennants, and other things.”

Those other things include autographed items from former athletes like ex-Bears great Dick Butkus, Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg and former Cubs player and announcer Ron Santo.

He has game-used catcher’s equipment from former Cub Jody Davis, who managed the Peoria Chiefs for a season. And he owns seats from Wrigley Field dating back to 1937.

Kozelichki goes to sports auctions and he trades with other dealers to obtain a lot of his collectables. But his collection got a jump start in the mid-1980’s when he worked at Chicago radio station WGN, which carried the Cubs and Bears games.

“If you’re around Harry Caray in the mid-80’s, you got to meet everybody,” said Kozelichki. “Because everybody either knew Harry or wanted to meet Harry.”

Kozelichki covered the Super Bowl-winning 1985 Bears and hopes the franchise is on track to return to glory. In the meantime, he’ll patiently watch his favorite football team in his “man cave.”

“It’s my sanctuary,” said Kozelichki. “The place where I feel most comfortable.”

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