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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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Wilber Marshall, Chicago Bears
26 Jan 1986: Quarterback Tony Eason #11 of the New England Patriots is brought down by linebacker Wilber Marshall #58 of the Chicago Bears during Super Bowl XX game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bears won the game 46-10. /

22. player. 57. . LB. 1984-88. Wilber Marshall

Linebacker Wilber Marshall may have only spent four full seasons in a Bears uniform, but he made the most of his time with the team and therefore makes our list at No. 22.

A Florida native, Marshall played his college football for the Gators at the University of Florida and was an All-American selection before taking his talents to the NFL. The Bears selected Marshall with the 11th overall pick of the 1984 NFL Draft, and immediately plugged Marshall into what was an already loaded defense.

After starting just one game during his rookie season, Marshall followed up with 78 tackles and six sacks during his sophomore campaign during the legendary 1985 championship season. He only got better from there, totaling 105 tackles, five interceptions and 5.5 sacks en route to both a Pro Bowl nod and First-Team All-Pro honors.

Marshall was known for his ability to deliver big-time hits to opposing offensive players, perhaps most notably on Lions’ quarterback Joe Ferguson that left Ferguson knocked out cold during a Week 16 matchup in the 1985 season.

Following his time in Chicago, Marshall went on to continue his run of success with Washington, followed by brief stops in Houston, Arizona, and New York before retiring in 1995. While his stay with the Bears was relatively short, there’s no doubt that Marshall left a major impact on the franchise.

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