Chicago Bears Countdown to Kickoff: 46 Days with Doug Plank

Just 46 days remain until the Chicago Bears play host to the Green Bay Packers during the first week of the 2023 NFL season, and to celebrate football's return inching closer and closer, today's edition of Chicago Bears Countdown to Kickoff brings us to the life and career of the best player in franchise history to don the number 46, legendary safety Doug Plank.

Doug Plank's path from Pennsylvania to the Chicago Bears

Long before his numbered-46 Bears jersey would represent one of the best defensive units ever, Doug Plank was a multi-sport star at Norwin High School near his hometown of Greensburg, PA. As a Norwin Knight, Plank excelled in football, basketball, and baseball. While Plank's batting average record of .526 lasted for over thirty years, it became apparent that football was his premier sport.

After being awarded his conference's MVP as a senior football player, Plank was anxious to find a collegiate program that he could play for after receiving little attention as a recruit. Plank, who at the time wished to play for the in-state Penn State football team, decided to write then-head coach Joe Paterno weekly letters asking for him to be recruited by the school.

Weeks later, Paterno visited the school to inform Plank that he was perhaps better suited for a smaller program. Shortly following Paterno's visit, Ohio State had heard that the coach visited to offer Plank, so the Buckeyes offered Plank a scholarship to keep him away from the Nittany Lions, who remained uninterested in the player.

Nonetheless, Plank elected to attend Ohio State, and despite the odd circumstances that led him to the program, both the team and players had great success with one another. With Plank on the roster, the team was able to win the Big 10 for three consecutive seasons, all leading to Rose Bowl births, and even won the famous Big 10 - Pac 12 bout in 1974 against UCLA. In terms of Ohio State safeties, Plank is considered one of, if not the, most productive player at the position, rivaled perhaps only by fellow NFL legend Jack Tatum.

After a dominant career as a player and team at Ohio State, Plank promptly entered the 1975 NFL Draft, where he was selected with the 291st pick during the 12th round by the Chicago Bears. Plank was the 12th player the team drafted after selecting Walter Payton and Mike Hartenstine in the first two rounds, but Plank would soon prove that his draft position made him one of the biggest steals in Chicago Bears' history.