14 - not a lot of good players seem to have worn #14 for Da Bears. There's this guy, who couldn't beat out Sexy Rexy for the starting job, even though he was probably the better QB.
Brian Griese.
On March 21, 2006, he signed a five-year contract with the Chicago Bears.
After signing with the Bears, Griese saw limited action. Though he fared better than Rex Grossman during the 2006 preseason, coach Lovie Smith decided to keep Griese as the Bears’ second-string quarterback. He took late fourth quarter snaps at the end of major victories. Though Grossman started every Bears game in the 2006 season, Smith allowed Griese some extended gametime during week fifteen, after the Bears had clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In a game against the Detroit Lions, Griese completed six of nine passes for 51 yards, which set up several game-winning Robbie Gould field goals. Smith called on Griese to relieve a struggling Grossman for the second half of the final regular season game against the Green Bay Packers. However, Griese did not fare a lot better, completing 5 of 15 passes for 124 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. While some Chicagoans questioned Grossman’s ability to lead the Bears to the Super Bowl, Smith stood by Grossman, and declared him the team's starter throughout the playoffs. The Bears went on to win the 2006 NFC Championship, but lost Super Bowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts.
After Grossman struggled during the first three outings of the 2007 Chicago Bears season, Smith turned to Griese to lead the team.[1] In his first outing as a Bears starter, Griese threw two touchdowns and three interceptions in a losing effort against the Detroit Lions.[2] The next week, he led the Bears on a game-winning drive against the Philadelphia Eagles, in which he called the plays due to a headset failure. Griese lost the starting job to Grossman after sustaining an injury against the Oakland Raiders during week ten.[3] Griese again replaced Grossman later in the season, after Grossman sustained a knee injury against the Washington Redskins.[4] However, with the Bears out of the playoffs, Kyle Orton started the remaining 3 games of the season.
On a side note, none of these guys had any speed to them. They were slooooooowwwww. Unlike other former Bears like Gale Sayers. To this day, Sayers doesn't send emails. It's faster for him to hand deliver the message.
Today, we'll pay homage to NOOO! NOT Rick Mirer, how about a really good, tough as nails player?
In September 1923, Trafton returned to the NFL as a player with the Chicago Bears.[9] He continued playing with the Bears through the 1932 season. During Trafton's tenure with the Bears, the Staleys/Bears won NFL championships in 1921 and 1932, and Trafton was selected six times as a first-team All Pro (1920, 1923–1927). According to his biography at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he "was one of the first centers to rove on defense and the very first on offense to center the football with only one hand."[10]
Trafton also became known as one of the roughest players in the earliest years of the NFL. Red Grange called Trafton the "meanest, toughest player alive."[10] Grange claimed it was a tackle by Trafton, twisting Grange's knee while his cleats were stuck in the turf, that ended Grange's career.[11] It was said of Trafton that he was strongly disliked in every NFL city except Green Bay and Rock Island where "he was hated." During a game against Rock Island, he reportedly knocked unconscious four Rock Island players over a span of only 12 plays, knocked a Rock Island halfback into a fence, and was chased from the city after the game under a barrage of thrown objects.[11]
On a side note, speaking of being tough, do you know why the packers pants have always been yellow? Trafton's presence on the field made the packers pee their pants. So they just left them yellow to hide the stains.
Today, we'll pay homage to NOOO! NOT Rick Mirer, how about a really good, tough as nails player?
In September 1923, Trafton returned to the NFL as a player with the Chicago Bears.[9] He continued playing with the Bears through the 1932 season. During Trafton's tenure with the Bears, the Staleys/Bears won NFL championships in 1921 and 1932, and Trafton was selected six times as a first-team All Pro (1920, 1923–1927). According to his biography at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he "was one of the first centers to rove on defense and the very first on offense to center the football with only one hand."[10]
Trafton also became known as one of the roughest players in the earliest years of the NFL. Red Grange called Trafton the "meanest, toughest player alive."[10] Grange claimed it was a tackle by Trafton, twisting Grange's knee while his cleats were stuck in the turf, that ended Grange's career.[11] It was said of Trafton that he was strongly disliked in every NFL city except Green Bay and Rock Island where "he was hated." During a game against Rock Island, he reportedly knocked unconscious four Rock Island players over a span of only 12 plays, knocked a Rock Island halfback into a fence, and was chased from the city after the game under a barrage of thrown objects.[11]
On a side note, speaking of being tough, do you know why the packers pants have always been yellow? Trafton's presence on the field made the packers pee their pants. So they just left them yellow to hide the stains.
Post by dachuckster on Jul 12, 2019 8:35:23 GMT -6
I am really happy to see some of the Bears from the 50s and earlier getting some love.
IMO a lot of the rankings for great players are very date centric. Meaning that guys who have played in the last 20 years or so get all the attention. A lot of the guys who played 30, 40, 50+ years ago were really awesome players. The game has changed a lot since these guys played and while they probably could not compete in today's NFL, they were total studs for their era.
I am really happy to see some of the Bears from the 50s and earlier getting some love.
IMO a lot of the rankings for great players are very date centric. Meaning that guys who have played in the last 20 years or so get all the attention. A lot of the guys who played 30, 40, 50+ years ago were really awesome players. The game has changed a lot since these guys played and while they probably could not compete in today's NFL, they were total studs for their era.
As a guy from the '50s myself, i appreciate that comment!!!
I agree, thats why i like to recap the really old ones, the guys that were the originals or innovators. But I'm mostly just looking to have fun here so thats part of it too.