Chicago Bears: Top 10 offensive linemen in franchise history

LOS ANGELES - SEPTEMBER 30: Center Jay Hilgenberg #63 of the Chicago Bears walks off the field during a game against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 30, 1990 in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won 24-10. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images /

1. Jay Hilgenberg (1981-91): 163 games

Jay Hilgenberg didn’t come from the famed 1983 draft class, but he was a shining example of how great the Bears’ scouting department was in his time. The Bears signed him as an undrafted rookie.

Hilgenberg fought hard just to make it onto the team. He was determined to be more than just a roster filler, however. He wanted to be a contributor. That’s exactly what he did. After starting just eight of his first 41 games, he finally earned a starting spot and never let go of it. He went on to start his next 122 games in Chicago. During that time, he captained some of the best offensive lines the Bears ever had. He earned seven Pro Bowl appearances and two All-Pros while in Chicago.

Playing in an era that produced many stars in Chicago hid what an incredibly great player HIlgenberg was. With all those stars and big personalities, he got lost. He ended up on a few Hall of Fame snub lists. He certainly deserves to be in the Hall. It’s been 27 years since his retirement, but he still holds out hope. In fact, he’s nominated for the next class. New inductee Brian Urlacher campaigned for Hilgenberg to get in.

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To play all those games and be the leader of some of the best offensive lines and make it to seven consecutive Pro Bowls should earn him a spot on the most exclusive club in the NFL. Let’s hope that error in judgment by the voters gets corrected soon. For the time being, though, being the top offensive lineman in the history of one of the best franchises in NFL history is not a bad title to have.

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