Touring the Pro Football Hall of Fame Chicago Bears Style
A few days ago, I had the opportunity to travel to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio for the first time. My goal was to absorb as much football history as I could and see things that I had never seen before. As a Bears’ fan, seeing the Bears’ representation in the Hall of Fame would be the most rewarding part of the visit. The following is a little bit about my trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Bears’ fan.
I live in Iowa, so the trip to Canton was a little bit of a long one. But it would end up being worth it. We arrived at the Hall on Father’s Day which meant that it would be crowded. But that wasn’t a deterrent. The day was perfect for a tour of the Hall of Fame and everything that it had to offer.
The first part of the tour gives you the opportunity to look at some of the football cards that have been produced over the course of the last 100 plus years. They had many different cards available but the ones that stood out most were the Bronco Nagurski and Walter Payton rookie cards. They were in near mint condition which was surprising for their age. Being a football card collector, this was a real treat.
After the opening exhibit, you are whisked away to the circular hall that talks about the history of Pro Football. The Bears, being one of the first NFL franchises, are featured prominently on the walls of this section. There are details about Nagurski, the famous 73-0 victory over the Washington Redskins all the way up to Chicago’s Super Bowl victory in 1985. To me, the most interesting Bears related display in that section what the recording of Red Grange was talking about a some of his experiences. It’s not too long and is great to listen to.
Going up to the second level will give you an opportunity to see some of the inner workings of Pro Football including some items that are used in football today. Those items include instant replay machines and helmet communications equipment. There are also ways to compare how big your body is to that of a real NFL player.
There was some additional history about the Bears on this level of the building. This included some references to the pop culture aspect of Super Bowl XX. There was an actual bear skin with inscriptions of game scores on it which was given to Bears players by George Halas. The bearskin was presented to the members of the 1933 NFL Championship team. It was a unique piece of memorabilia.
The place at the Hall where people want to go the most is the room where they keep all of the busts of each player who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Chicago has the most players in the Hall with 32 players, coaches, and administrative personnel. These men had been a part of the team at one point or another during Chicago’s long history. Of course, you have the “long-term” Bears who are members of the Hall of Fame. This includes guys like George Halas, Walter Payton, and Gale Sayers. They are just three of the many faces on those walls that Bears’ fans will recognize and remember.
Chicago Bears
Just outside and down the hall, a little ways from the display of Hall of Fame busts is an interactive movie called “A Game of Life.” This film can be watched as part of the total Hall of Fame experience. The film features Joe Namath and five other Hall of Fame players who talk about their background and the struggles they went through to get to the Hall of Fame. But Bears fans will want to pay close attention to the end of the film.
The ending phase of the film features actors portraying legendary Green Bay Packer’s head coach Vince Lombardi and Chicago Bears founder George Halas. Each actor repeats several famous quotes from each coach’s long and storied career in a format that makes it appear they are giving a halftime speech. On the wall above the movie is a photo of Halas and a large Bears’ “C.” What a great representation of the Bears.
Further down the hallway from the movie are the modern era exhibits. There aren’t that many references to the Bears in this room aside from a display featuring the cover of a program for the overseas game they played against the Dallas Cowboys back in 1986. The most famous Bear of all, Walter Payton, has his own picture posted on the wall just before the overlook to the Ralph Wilson Pro Football Research and Preservation Center. I thought it was the best representation of Payton in the Hall of Fame.
If you pass Payton and go ahead and to the right, you will walk into the Super Bowl exhibit where information on every Super Bowl ever played is displayed. The Lombardi Trophy sits in a glass case to the right as you walk in and is a prominent feature. Bears fans will want to walk over and check out the display featuring Chicago’s win in Super Bowl XX. There is an actual record featuring the Shufflin’ Crew, a nice photo of William “The Refrigerator” Perry and his size 23 ring. It’s huge!
Towards the end of the Super Bowl exhibit, there is a glass case that contains all of the Super Bowl rings for every Super Bowl winner. The ring from the Bears’ Super Bowl win is on display and is easy to spot. It’s a smaller ring, but the rings got bigger as the years went by.
In the basement, there are two items that should catch the eye of Bears fans. First off, there is a football with that was given to the Hall to commemorate Richard Dent’s MVP performance in Super Bowl XX. Also, included were the shoes that Walter Payton wore when he broke Jim Brown’s rushing record in October of 1984. The display was part of the Black Colleges feature at the Hall.
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Perhaps the most interesting display came when the Hall provided a short discussion and display of some of its collection. There were two items related to the Chicago Bears that they showed. The first was an actual football used in Super Bowl XX. It had the Super Bowl XX emblem on one side. On the other side was the name of the teams and the location of the game. I had the opportunity to hold that ball in my hands. Being a Bears fan, that was truly an exciting experience.
The second and most exciting item to view was the Hall of Fame ring worn by Bronco Nagurski. I was allowed to put the ring on personally. He had a size 19 ring, and it just fit the top of my index finger. It was truly an amazing experience to put on that ring!
After touring this famous landmark, I can say that the Bears are easily the most well-represented team in the Hall. Their photos and stories are all over the building. They are in every room and on every video. To be a fan of the Chicago Bears and walk through those halls is an experience one will ever forget.
If you ever get an opportunity to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame, go ahead and do it. It’s an experience that will be very rewarding and memorable for you.