The dog days of the offseason are finally behind us now that training camp is underway, just in time for our countdown of the Top 100 Chicago Bears of all time to really heat up. As we get closer to the season opener, we get closer to naming the #1 Chicago Bear of all time.
Next up in our countdown is #44, defensive end Ed O’Bradovich. O’Bradovich was selected with the 91st overall selection of the 1962 draft out of the University of Illinois. O’Bradovich spent his entire 10-year career with the Bears and his entire life in Illinois. Growing up as a Proviso East standout, OB attended to U of I.
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O’Bradovich was part of the 1963 Championship team. Back in his day, they didn’t keep track of tackles or sacks, but OB was a beast. At 6-3, 255, that was a monstrous size for a player back in his day. You can tell OB was all about business, even when talking about training camp:
"“We went to work in training camp,” O’Bradovich said. “There was no fooling around. When a receiver would drop a ball, even in practice it was, ‘Catch the damn ball!’ We’d scream at them. We were dedicated because we knew that we could win.”"
O’Bradovich is probably best known in his playing career for grabbing an interception in the ’63 Championship game but since his career, OB is half of the best postgame show on radio. If you want fire and passion, just tune in, especially after a Bears loss. OB will be screaming about “where are the line tricks, Doug” while callers just fuel their fire. It’s appointment radio on the drive home from any Bears game.
What do you think of the ranking? Too high? Too low? I guess you’ll have to check back to see who finished ahead of him to judge for yourself. We’ll be counting down a different person each day as we inch our way to the September 7th season opener.