Chicago Bears Top 100: #2 George Halas

Halas moved the team to Chicago in 1921, where the Chicago Staleys navigated their way to a championship.  In 1922, Halas changed the name of the team to the Chicago Bears in a nod to the Chicago baseball team that allowed his team to play in Wrigley Field.  Halas was known as Mr. Everything.  That’s appropriate, as he served as owner, player (wide receiver and defensive end), coach and handled ticket sales and the business end of the Bears.  So basically, Brandon Marshall, Julius Peppers, Marc Trestman, Ted Phillips and George McCaskey all rolled into one.

Halas was a pioneer who helped get the fledgling professional football league off the ground.  Back in the day, it was all about college sports.  He was able to convince Red Grange, the biggest college star of the day, to join the Bears by offering part of the gate for a barnstorming tour that would showcase the league’s talent.  He spent the 1920’s as player/coach before moving into coaching duties full time in the 1930’s.

Halas coached the Bears on and off between the 1930’s all the way to 1967.  He coached 497 games with a .682 winning percentage.  He guided the Bears to a franchise best 324 wins before hanging up his whistle for good in 1967.  He stayed active in running the team operations until 1982.  One of his last official acts was to hire one of his former players, Mike Ditka, to be the Bears head coach.  Halas succumbed to pancreatic cancer on 10/31/1983 at the age of 88.