Chicago Bears: Top 10 linebackers in franchise history
4. Bill George (1952-65) — 18 interceptions, 19 fumble recoveries
In addition to inventing the outside linebacker, the Chicago Bears invented the middle linebacker. Bill George was a middle guard (teams back then played a standard five-man front). In 1954, in a game against the Eagles (again a revolution begins in a game against the Eagles), the Bears asked George to drop back on a passes. He did so, and on his third play he intercepted his first pass. A new position was born.
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George thrived in his new position. He made the Pro Bowl in eight consecutive seasons. In seven of them, he was also an All-Pro (he later made All-Pro to make it eight). Additionally, George scored 25 points in 1954 by kicking four field goals and 13 PATs.
3. Brian Urlacher (2000-12) — 1,354 tackles, 22 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles, 41.5 sacks
Brian Urlacher is the newest Bears to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He brought the middle linebacker position into a new era. In addition to his size and speed, he was incredibly athletic. So much, in fact, that he had the ability to cover. That was important because the NFL started to open up the passing game. He had 85 passes defended.
Urlacher’s abilities also came in handy considering head coach Lovie Smith employed a Cover-2 defensive scheme. The middle linebacker needs to make quick decisions and cover effectively in that scheme. Urlacher played it to near perfection. Urlacher was Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He was an eight-time Pro Bowl player and a four-time All-Pro. Additionally, he was on the All-Decade team for the 2000s.
In 2006, the Bears made it to the Super Bowl. They had a mediocre quarterback in Rex Grossman. While the offense struggled at times, the defense, led by Urlacher, was on point all season. They made it to the ultimate game, but they ultimately fell to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
2. Mike Singletary (1981-92) — 1,488 tackles, 19 sacks, 7 interceptions, 51 passes defended
Mike Singletary has a long list of accomplishments. He was named Rookie of the Year, made the Pro Bowl in ten consecutive seasons, was Defensive Player of the Year twice (1985, 1988), and he was a seven-time All-Pro. Also, he won the 1990 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. Of course, he was a member of the All-Decade team of the 1980’s.
In his 12-year career, he led a top-10 defense eight times. Of those eight, he led a top-five defense six times. He was the signal-caller and the quarterback of those defenses. For 11-straight seasons, Singletary was the leading or second-leading tackler on the team.
Opposing quarterbacks shook at the sight of Singletary’s eyes gazing upon them. He was like a mad man on the field. So intense was Singletary that he cracked 16 helmets in college. He also cracked one in the 1985 NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams.
It was a pleasure watching Mike Singletary play. His love for the game of football was evident and did his best to honor the game. He once said that he loved to hit hard but not hurt anyone — he was the consummate football player.