Chicago Bears: 30 greatest players in franchise history

For the No. 12 player on our countdown, we turn to a man who was Beast Mode before such a thing existed, none other than hall of fame fullback Bronko Nagurski.

Nagurski, whose given name is Bronislau, would be known as one of the most physically dominant players the sport had ever seen, especially for an offensive player. Standing at 6-foot-2 and nearly 230 pounds, Nagurski was not only big for his size at fullback but even dwarfed some defensive lineman at the time.

Before coming to the Bears in 1930, Nagurski played his college ball at the University of Minnesota, where played both fullback and defensive tackle. His play earned him a consensus All-America nod in 1929, and was established as one of the best players in college football at the time.

Nagurski also nearly had the greatest origin story of any football player in history, according to this Wikipedia excerpt detailing his recruitment:

"Nagurski was discovered and signed by University of Minnesota head coach Clarence Spears, who drove to International Falls to meet another player. On the outside of town, he watched Nagurski out plowing a field without assistance. According to legend, Spears asked directions and Bronko lifted his plow and used it to point.[1] He was signed on the spot to play for the Golden Gophers. Spears admitted he concocted the story on his long drive back to the university in Minneapolis."

Strength and power were Nagurski’s calling card once he reached the NFL, and his presence helped lead the Bears to two championships during his playing career, including one directly after a five-year retirement. In total, he amassed over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in 97 total games.

Nagurski was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and his legacy continues to live on throughout football on both the collegiate and professional level, cementing his status as one of the best Bears players in franchise history.