Windy City Gridiron
There’s no shortage of options on this question!
When you have as rich a defensive history as the Chicago Bears do, you know there’s no shortage of great defensive players who have walked through the tunnel at Soldier Field.
The Bears love to talk about their great linebacker tradition, featuring Brian Urlacher, Mike Singletary, Dick Butkus, and many others. However, the Bears have had numerous great defensive linemen throughout their history as well.
For this question, you can pick both interior linemen or pass rushers, and for this exercise, let’s call OLBs in the 3-4 defensive ends, so if Khalil Mack is your guy, he qualifies here.
Recent years have produced Mack and Akiem Hicks. Go back a little further, and you’ll find Alex Brown and Tommie Harris. Before them? Ted Washington and Keith Traylor. Perhaps you go back to the 1980s with William Perry, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, or Steve McMichael. Or perhaps you’re an old school guy who lives Alan Page or Doug Atkins, or a historian who loves Ed Sprinkle.
Who is your favorite defensive lineman in Bears history? These answers should be fun.
My answer: I think for many fans, the favorites end up being from childhood. That always seems to be where fans bond with a particular player more often. I was doing backflips when the Bears traded for Mack. Hicks is one of my favorite players of all time. 700 pounds of Washington and Traylor? Sign me up.
But for me, the answer is easy: Steve McMichael. “Mongo” was one of my favorites from my childhood. He was a great player, he was an underrated player. He was a man who should have been in the Hall of Fame decades ago, but it’s awesome he finally received his due this past year.
It wasn’t just his skill, it was his personality. Mongo was a loose cannon. He had a huge personality, and he was the vocal leader of that defense. He was 24/7 fun.
Mongo was my guy. I started wearing 76 in 7th grade. I didn’t care that I played offensive line; that was my number. I still remember being upset I had to wear 75 in my Sophomore year. Why? Someone else must have had the number with more seniority, right? Wrong. They simply just didn’t have a jersey with that number on it. Are you kidding me? I was not happy with that one. My parents joined the football boosters club so they could make sure a 76 was made for my Junior and Senior seasons.
Every once in a while, a celebrity passes away who gets to you. It’s different for everyone. Walter Payton crushed me. Tom Petty saddened me. Steve McMichael was hard for me. He seemed invincible to my elementary school self. I remember writing stories about him when I was in first and second grade. He was my guy. He was the reason...
