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Chicago Bears: 30 greatest players in franchise history

By Conor Dorney

Walter Payton #34, Running Back for the Chicago Bears during his final game in the American Football Conference West game against the Los Angeles Raiders on 27 December 1987 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California, United States. The Bears won the game 6 - 3. Visions of Sport. (Photo by Mike Powell/Allsport/Getty Images)
Walter Payton #34, Running Back for the Chicago Bears during his final game in the American Football Conference West game against the Los Angeles Raiders on 27 December 1987 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California, United States. The Bears won the game 6 - 3. Visions of Sport. (Photo by Mike Powell/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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1955-66. Doug Atkins. 16. player. 57. . DE

At 6-foot-8 and 275 pounds, defensive end Doug Atkins stands tall as the No. 16 player on our countdown of the top players in Bears franchise history.

Atkins spent his first three seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns following his collegiate playing days at the University of Tennessee, where he was coached by the legendary Robert Neyland. The Browns traded Atkins to Chicago after the 1954 season and it didn’t take long for him to become a feared member of the Bears defense.

Atkins’ immense size, strength, and athleticism were incredibly rare for his time, making him one of the most feared defensive players in all of football. Because sacks were not recorded as an official stat until 1982, we’ll never know just how dominant Atkins was from a statistical perspective, but there’s no denying the impact he had on opposing offenses.

Atkins spent 12 years with the Bears and was named to eight Pro Bowls, as well as winning a championship with the team in 1963. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982, as well as the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

As one of the biggest and baddest defensive players of his time, Atkins is without a doubt one of the most important players in Chicago’s franchise history.

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