Chicago Bears Top 100: #14 Bulldog Turner

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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.

Number 14 on our list of Top 100 Chicago Bears of all time is another golden oldie, center/linebacker Clyde “Bulldog” Turner.  Turner was the Bears’ first round draft choice in the 1940 out of Hardin-Simmons University.  There was a bit of a dispute with Turner, who tried to pull an Eli Manning and didn’t want to play on the Bears.  The Lions offered him $200 to turn down other offers, but the Lions were fined $5000 for tampering and Turner ended up on the Bears.

More from Bears History

Turner was a two-way player for the Beloved, playing both Center and Linebacker.  He was an eight-time all-pro every year from 1940 – 1948 (except in 1945).  He had four interceptions playing linebacker in five NFL championship games.    He was a player of the decade for the 1940′s en route to four championships in 1940, 1941, 1943 and 1946.   Turner had a long career, playing with the Bears from 1940 until 1952.   Later in life, he took up coaching, where he spent a season coaching the New York Jets in 1962.  Turner’s #66 was retired by the Bears.

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.