Two former Chicago Bears voted as Hall of Fame semifinalists
By Peter Jurich
Chicago Bears have deep roots in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the ultimate, individual recognization that an NFL player can receive. The rules are simple, any player who has been retired for five or more seasons is eligible for voting, with multiple rounds of cutdown used to select the best players of all time to join NFL greats in Canton, Ohio. Since 1963, multiple players annually have been added to the gold jacket club, getting enshrined via golden bust in the Hall of Fame. The Chicago Bears have a plethora.
Since the very beginning, the Chicago Bears have been heavily involved in the Hall of Fame. In 1963, Bears legends such as Sammy Baugh, Red Grange, and Bronco Nagurski headlined the first-ever Hall of Fame class. Since then, the Hall of Fame has added all-time great players and moments to its museum in Ohio, including a recent feat (no pun intended) by current Bears’ quarterback Justin Fields. Throughout its history, it is undeniable that the Chicago Bears as a franchise have had the most influence on the Pro Football Hall of Fame since its inception.
The Chicago Bears currently have 34 former players who are forever enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the most of any NFL team. Most recently, Jimbo Covert and Ed Sprinkle were inducted in the 2020 Hall of Fame class and joined legendary former Bears such as Walter Payton, Richard Dent, Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher in the gold jacket club.
On Tuesday, the Hall of Fame announced its 28 semifinalists, which came from 129 total nominated players voted upon in September. These 28 semifinalists, which will be paired down to 15 finalists later in the year, include two former Bears, both of whom are not only multiple-time semifinalists but definitely deserving of a spot in Canton, Ohio.
Here we will look at both semifinalists from the Chicago Bears, and examine their individual cases for Hall of Fame enshrinement. One player is an all-time Bears great, while the other is an NFL legend who ended up in Chicago at the end of his career, but either way, both these players showed what it takes to be successful as an individual and in Chicago.